Five-Star Movies!

Happy Monday!  Here's the follow-up post with my Top 25 "Five-Star Movies," inspired by the Big Boo Podcast. =)

1.  TITANIC - "was called the ship of dreams, and it was - it really was."  Zero percent of people who know me are shocked by this one being on my list. lol  The love story draws your heart into it, but James Cameron's attention to detail is unparalleled -- the historical accuracy with the entire set and the wardrobes and so many nonfiction characters they meet and/or describe along the way, the meticulous planning it required, the casual dialogue that provided details about the water temperature and the class differences and the timing of the sinking and the limited life boats and more, the clever way they explained and illustrated the way the ship breaks in half well before they show it actually sinking, the moving back and forth from the decaying ship at the bottom of the ocean to the beautiful, brand new ship on its maiden voyage -- just saying, he fully deserved that Best Director Oscar, and the movie deserved Best Picture and the 9 other Oscars it won that year!  *Leo and Kate were robbed, but they've done okay for themselves since, so I'm willing to let it go. lol

2.  THE GREATEST SHOWMAN - an inspiring, goosebumps-inducing, truly transcendent theater experience for me on the very day it opened in 2017.  The music, the lyrics, the casting, the dialogue, the plot, the pacing, the dancing, the whole vibe - start to finish theatrical perfection - I kept waiting for something to ruin it, and it never came. ❤

3.  YOU'VE GOT MAIL - a comforting classic that's become my go-to for happy, familiar background noise.  F-O-X.  Daisies are the friendliest flower.  Happy Thanksgeebing back.  Whatever else anything is, it ought to begin by being personal!  152 insights into my soul.  She had to be... she HAD TO BE!! lol

4.  FATHER OF THE BRIDE - Rach asked me the other day what I think of when I see the Touchstone logo.  I answered, "I don't know why, but Father of the Bride," and she said, "OMG, YESSS!!"  So yeah, we watched this one enough that the company logo is embedded in our minds as belonging to this specific movie. lol  It's funny and surprisingly poignant - I know and love every song in it, and I know and love every character.  Sometimes movies can take you back the way songs do, and this one always takes me back to 1992 when our family was living at the Warwick West Apartments whilst 9121 was being built.

5.  THE SOCIAL NETWORK - Love Andrew Garfield and Jessie Eisenberg (pictured above) and Justin Timberlake (all perfectly cast for these roles), and love every quickly-spoken word of this Aaron Sorkin film.  I enjoy the whole story of Facebook's founding, and the relational dynamics at play there are pretty fascinating to me.  This is unlikely to make a lot of sense to anyone else, (and I'm not talking about this specific plot or characters or anything negative), but Aaron Sorkin's writing often makes me think of Malori, assuming we would share a strong appreciation for the brilliant dialogue, the rapid pacing, and the sharp humor... so there's a subtle layer of nostalgia/soul-tie connection for me there too.

6.  AVENGERS: ENDGAME - They ended this series so freaking well.  The "Marvel sparkle circles," as Deadpool calls them, are legit - that final assembly scene makes me tear up.  There's so much humor and so many great call-backs to the thousand previous movies that give this one its rich context.  There's Captain America with the hammer.  Tony making the sacrifice play.  Wanda getting her revenge moment.  Thor still being worthy.  The women banding together in a way that made a woman in my theater yell, "All riiiight, ladieeees!!"  It's all fantastic!!  Avengers, Assemble!

7.  MAN OF THE HOUSE - There are two very different movies with this same title; I'm talking about the JTT and Chevy Chase one from 1995.  I freaking love this movie - it came out when I was in 5th grade and had a crush on Jonathan Taylor Thomas, so that's probably part of the nostalgia element for me.  Hearing the "Everybody Dance Now" song always makes me picture the montage from this movie as the Indian Guides practice archery and learn the rain dance together, when JTT finally gets into it all in spite of his valiant efforts to be too cool for that group. =)

8.  THE HOLIDAY - The only Christmas movie on this list, my favorite Christmas movie by a mile!  (Elf would come in second for me.)  Love Jack Black's character, love Arthur, love Jude Law and his British daughters, love Kate Winslet finding her gumption and slamming the door on Jasper, love the Christmas vibes, and love the idea of Amanda's job ("movie trailer maker" - so fun! lol)

9.  SPEED - Sandra and Keanu... it was between this and White House Down and Die Hard for the top action movie in this list... love them all, but I know this one best!!  "Wildcats, huh?"  "Oh darn."  "I've got gum on my seat... gum!!"

10.  COOL RUNNINGS - How can you not love this movie!?  The slow clap scene at the end is possibly my favorite sports-movie scene ever.  "The fastest of the fastest of Jamaican sprinters!  Respect to the man, Irv Blitzer!" ;-)

11.  EVER AFTER - It was a hard choice for me between this and the 2015 Cinderella with Lily James (adore her and LOVED her dress and the way the prince treated her in that movie).  In the end, what gives Ever After the slight edge for me is that one of the stepsisters was kind to her (which makes her backstory feel so much more bearable and gives you another character to root for), Drew's character is feisty and rescues herself from the sleezy jerk who tried to own and "break" her, and then she "only asks" that her cruel stepmother and stepsister be shown the same kindness they had shown to her.  Yes to all of that - forgiveness doesn't mean being a doormat.

12.  NATIONAL TREASURE - Such a great movie from start to finish!  Action and history and romance and suspense and humor and exciting music - it's one of my top favorites and inspired our Trinity Church tour in NYC!  "Heere at the Wall, Wall Street and Broadway."

13.  LEGALLY BLONDE - Okay, I was kinda judging myself for including this one, but truthfully, it's a light and fun movie that I've watched repeatedly, and in addition to inspiring some cute shoes and hairstyles, it also shaped how I saw myself in really positive ways!  It came out during my Junior year of high school, and it went a long way in normalizing being girly and fashionable and a little silly and loving pink and glitter and diamonds and bright colors and cute hair and awesome shoes and fun parties *while ALSO being* intelligent and ambitious and caring and sincere and assertive and doing things your own way.  In its own cheesy way, it showed a girl who went from rejection-based insecurity and literally moving to chase after an uninterested boy to a confident, educated woman chasing after big goals and dreams.  And that girl is Elle Woods, and that girl is me. lol (And let's just agree to ignore the movie sequel - they kinda ruined it.)

14.  THE SOUND OF MUSIC - This movie brings back so many childhood memories for me!  And my adult heart has connected with it in new ways.  It's a beautiful story with great songs and strong characters.  Stuck in my head right now: "I go to the hills when my heart is lonely.  I know I will hear what I've heard before.  My heart will be blessed with the sound of music, and I'll sing once more."

15.  SISTER ACT 2 - I was so inspired when I saw this one in theaters in 3rd grade, sure that joining a Christian choir would be the most fun thing I could ever do!  My church and school choir experiences were fun, but never lived up to my high expectations. lol I know this movie and the original Sister Act super well, and Rach and I had this soundtrack CD memorized!  "Singing does not put food on the table. Singing does not pay the bills.  Singing is no guarantee for a future...There are a lot of people out there singing their shoulda coulda wouldas!"  I always loved the irony of that petty speech recipient being Lauryn Hill.

16.  GLADIATOR - It was between this and The Patriot - both exceptional, epic movies with more violence than I generally prefer - surprisingly, I knew more standout quotes from this one.  The movie name itself makes me think of Elizabeth Taylor announcing it at the Oscars. lol. "Are you not entertained!?"  "The time for honoring yourself will soon be at an end."  "My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius..."

17.  MY COUSIN, VINNY - So. many. good. quotes.  Fantastic and entertaining courtroom movie - love Marisa Tomei and can pretty much quote her entire testimony as the Defense's surprise expert witness!  "No, the Defense is WRONG!"  "Imagine you're a deer..." "Maybe it was a bad time to bring it up!"  "The two youts..." "Mrs. Riley, and ONLY Mrs. Riley..." "IIII-*clap*-DENTICAL!"

18.  A FEW GOOD MEN - My favorite legal drama movie of all time - another sharp, rapid-fire script written by Aaron Sorkin.  Stellar writing and stellar cast.  And again, I can quote Jessup's testimony and the follow-up courtroom drama.  SO GOOD!!

19.  TOP GUN: MAVERICK - What an unexpected gem this summer hit movie was!  I didn't care much about the original Top Gun, but I loved this sequel.  Tommy Tom Cruise at his best, and you can't go wrong with Glen Powell and Miles Teller!

20.  THE PARENT TRAP - The newer version with Lindsay Lohan - I still remember watching the previews where it said "Introducing Lindsay Lohan" and being excited for an actress who shared my name (with an alternate spelling, but still).  As a child, I always loved the idea of being a twin, and as an adult, I've loved the idea of having twins.  I like everyone in this cast, and it's a light and fun, summery, feel-good movie for me!

21.  HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX - This is one of very few times where the movie does it better than the book is that final scene with the epic fight between Dumbledore and Voldemort where Voldemort changes tactics midway and fully possesses Harry in the midst of his sharp grief and rage over Sirius, then Harry has to dwell on love and goodness to break free and create separation - the spiritual connections there are more than I can put into words - it's so well done.  (Harry and co. forming the DA, the Weasleys messing with Umbridge, Dumbledore showing up at Harry's trial, Luna telling Harry he's not alone, Harry saving Arthur's life, the Order forming, and Sirius and Harry's relationship growing, finally learning about the prophecy, etc. - there's so much to love here.)

22.  JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE - Not positive why I like this one so much, but I really do - bought it on Prime, and I've watched it many times!  The original was a traumatic experience in my childhood, but this one was much lighter and more fun, while still being action packed and requiring heroic courage from each of the characters!  The Rock and Kevin Hart's friendship is always a delight, and Karen Gillian's dance fight scenes are epic, and Jack Black is hilarious!!  I also love the idea of suddenly having a new body with a lower threat of death and with new strengths programmed in for you, but still having to press through your old insecurities and relational issues to lean into those new strengths and learn to rely on the team surrounding you! #metaphorforChristianity

23.  MEAN GIRLS - Not a poignant or particularly meaningful movie, but it makes the list because I know it well and it quickly takes me back to a very specific season of my life (2005-2007, quoting this back and forth ad nauseum with JMM and Sarah Bliss).  "Booo, you whore!" "OMG, Karen, you can't just ask people why they're white."  "You're a regulation hottie - own it!"  "She doesn't even go here!"  "The limit does not exist!"  "That is so fetch."  "I want my pink shirt back - I WANT MY PINK SHIRT BACK!"

24.  TROOP BEVERLY HILLS - This takes me back to Blockbuster rental days and summer fun with Rachael!  We watched this gem several times - I remember the cartoon illustrations during the song at the beginning - I love it all!  "I am the log.  I am the ravine."  "It's missing a bead."  "Patches?  We don't need no stinking patches!"  

25.  THE INTERN - The growing friendship/mentorship between Jules (Anne Hathaway) and her new senior intern, Ben (Robert DeNiro) is poignant - a unique and likable cast of  characters!  This movie is endearing and inspiring, another unexpected gem!!

❤ ❤ ❤