All Time Favorite Movies

The other night I introduced my children to the movie Clue and when I shared this on Instagram I got ALL sorts of messages from people proclaiming their love for this film and quoting the movie back to me. “Flames, on the side of my face…” I remember living across the street from the grocery store as a kid and renting that movie from their small selection and watching it over and over. So much that once it had a 10 day over-due fine! (Also, for fun try explaining to your kids about “renting movies” and how it was different from streaming and not redbox either… and you needed a VCR. They will be so confused.) Clue is definitely on my all time favorite movies list.

Which got me thinking, what else is on that list AND what makes a movie an all-time favorite?

For me, my “all time favorite movies” generally have an nostalgic attachment. I believe there are certain movies you haveto see in a specific period of your life for them to really attach to you. This seems especially true of kid-centered movies and seeing them during your childhood. Goonies is a big one that comes to mind. I remember meeting someone in college who didn’t see Goonies until they were in their 20’s and they were like, “I don’t know… it was OK, but I don’t get why everyone loves that movie so much.” At first I wanted to punch this guy in the neck, but then I realized that if he didn’t see Mikey give his “this is our time down here!” speech when he was actually a kid who believed that adults were emotionless robots trying to ruin our lives, well then of course he didn’t get it.

So nostalgia is a big one. Next, quotability. I mean Clue is nothing but one great quote after another. There’s the whole 1+2+1+1 conversation between Scarlett and Wadsworth and of course Mrs. White’s infamous “Flames… on the side of my face…” moment (which was apparently ad libbed. Of course it was.)

Lastly, music. Always the music. And dancing if the movie calls for it. Pretty in Pink is probably my favorite 80’s teen romance (with Can’t Buy Me Love a close second) and Ducky’s dance in the record store to Otis Redding… I mean Andi should have forgotten all about Blaine right there. (Did you know that in the original Andi and Ducky ended up together? But it didn’t test well with viewers so they changed it. Which makes a lot of sense as I’ve often wondered why Blaine tells her he always believed in her, but she didn’t believe in him and I’m like WHAT ARE YOU EVEN SAYING YOU DOUCHE BAG YOU WERE THE ONE WHO WALKED AWAY FROM HER? AND WHY ARE YOUR SIDE BURNS COVERED OVER YOUR EARS?)

Anyway, here are some of my favorite moments from some of my all time favorite movies:

First up, Clue. Of course.

Jaws. I’m not a horror film person, but Jaws is scary without being evil scary which made it a perfect scary movie for me as a kid. (Besides all the made-for-TV true crime mini-series I watched as a kid and messed me up for life.) Also, memorable quote and music? Check and check.

Pretty in Pink. The aforementioned Duckie Dance scene is so classic. Also, don’t forget this movie makes a brief appearance in Gilmore Girls when Lorelai shows it to April and all her friends at the sleepover at Luke’s. It’s GG pop-culture approved. Also, Andi is my spirit animal–artistic, ambitious, smart and independent–we didn’t have a lot of those teenage role models in the 80’s guys! And for the record I’ve always liked her prom dress. Did you know in the original movie she was supposed to get together with Duckie instead of Blaine, but it didn’t test well with audiences so they changed it? Makes so much sense since I’ve always though wondered why Blaine tells her, “I always believed if you. You just didn’t believe in me.” I’m always like WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT YOU DOUCHE YOU ARE THE ONE WHO LEFT HER HIGH AND DRY AND ALSO WHY ARE YOUR SIDEBURNS COMBED OVER YOUR EARS? It may not make much sense, but I still love it.

Strictly Ballroom. Hilarious, zany and tender at the same time, with a really great message. And the dancing. DON’T FORGET THE DANCING! This is definitely one of my very, very favorite movies ever. It’s directed by Baz Luhrmann of Moulin Rouge and Romeo and Juliette fame. But this was his first film, so still wacky and beautiful, but with a lower budget (think no special effects.)I’m going to make this a family night movie soon!

Empire of the Sun. This movie is quite different than any other movie on my list as it’s a very serious and somber. I saw this movie when I was way too young, but that’s also why I stayed with me. I was in 5th grade, but this was back in the day when your parents would drop you off at the movie theatre with your friends. (Parenting in the 80’s was so easy!)I don’t think any of us really knew what this movie was about and I’m not sure which one of us chose it, but watching a movie about a wealthy 12 year old boy (a young Christian Bale no less) who gets separated from his parents during WWII and who somehow survives as he begs for food, gets connected with a couple of shady men (hello John Malkovich), and eventually lives in an internment camp. It’s not a kids movie, but because the movie centers around a kid, I think it resonated with me so much. In many ways this movie was scarier than Jaws could ever be, but also much more beautiful. (And both directed by Stephen Spielberg.) The soundtrack is spectacular.

Other all time favorites include Goonies, The Jerk, It’s a Wonderful Life, Dan in Real Life, Pillow Talk and Edward Scissorhands. Tell me what are your ALL TIME favorite movies? And what makes it an all time favorite? I’m sure there are so many classics I’ve never seen… what do I need to see for sure?