It's supposed to be easy, just write a countdown of our top ten favorite movies.
Well, I have a hard time picking favorites, and I'm sure that there is some movie that's missing from this list, so I've created a top ten, and then added an honorable mention section. Nearly all the movies in the top ten list are movies that I have watched repetitively and have made me think, or laugh, or have shaped my ideas of storytelling in some way.
9. Singin' in the Rain. A movie about movies. Excellent dancing, good singing, and just fun.
8. Enter the Dragon. A Bruce Lee classic, and a must watch for any martial arts/action movie fan.
7. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. An excellent retelling of one of my favorite books, and although some liberties were taken, I felt swept away by the magical story once again. (Runner up here: Voyage of the Dawn Treader - despite even more creative liberties being taken)
6. The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey. Peter Jackson took some creative LoTR liberties, but I loved seeing my all-time favorite fiction book brought to life. I'm hoping parts 2 and 3 are just as good.
5. To Kill a Mockingbird. How many times have I watched this movie? I'm not sure. It was a family favorite and watched every time it came on TV when I was growing up. The acting is excellent, the story is meant to be seen, heard, and read. It's hard to imagine that Harper Lee wrote only one book, and that book became this movie, and the two of them . . .well, I think the world is a better place because of this story.
4. UP. My husband told me that my list wouldn't be complete without this movie, and I found I agreed with him. It's the most heart-warming, beautiful animated movie that I've seen in my life.
3. Kung Fu Panda. It makes me laugh, and I love the moral of the story. "The secret is . . . there is no secret ingredient." Just total awesomeness. Why do I rate it higher than UP - not sure, except the awesome Kung Fu Awesomeness, and just how many times can Po say AWESOME in one sentence.
2. The Princess Bride. It's the ultimate cult classic. I recite nearly all the lines, but I am happy with just saying them silently in my head so I don't ruin the show for everyone else, and I love, love, love the sword fight scene in this movie that is both well choreographed with actual fencing moves (real fencing Maestro/Master on set and all that) and makes light of the old Errol Flynn movies.
1. Star Wars IV-VI. Yes, I've cheated on my number one. It's actually the original three movie saga. I can't say that these movies don't have their cheesy moments, but I still love them dearly. They captured my attention and my imagination in my childhood and early teen years.
Honorable Mentions: Galaxy Quest, Super 8, Jurassic Park, The Fiddler on the Roof, Oklahoma, Star Wars I-III, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Avengers, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Sky High, Scooby Doo 2 (only 2, not 1 or 3), Tangled, Bambi, The Passion of Christ, Romeo Must Die, Much Ado About Nothing (Kenneth Branaugh version), The Cutting Edge, Jackie Chan movies, Peter Pan (Disney, nearly any version), Finding Neverland, Miss Potter, Fred Astaire Movies, The Jungle Book, Zorro, No Reservations, XMen, Sleepless in Seattle, While You Were Sleeping, LoTR, Kate & Leopold, Nim's Island, Penelope, and many, many more . . .
It wasn't easy picking just ten.
So, what are your favorite movies? Do you think it's easy to pick only ten?
NEWS
Writers 4 Writers: Support Kyra and Angela today!!!
C. Lee McKenzie is offering her novel, Sliding on the Edge for free at Smashwords through Friday. Check it out!
My two daughters (14 and 11) are helping a 13-year-old friend of theirs collect donations for a new well through charity : water. The three of them are excited about this opportunity to make a difference in the world and change the lives of others who are thirsty for clean water. My daughters' friend's goal is go reach "well status" by Easter. Check it out here: Christ the Living Water.
Oh, and I won't be "here" on Wednesday, but I'll post again on Thursday for the Big Reveal for A to Z.
