My Favorite Movies

and why I love them

Classics
  1. Ben-Hur
  2. The Ten Commandments
  3. Gone With the Wind
  4. The Wizard of Oz
  5. To Kill a Mockingbird
Contemporary
  1. The Green Mile
  2. Secondhand Lions
  3. Braveheart
  4. Amadeus
  5. Shawshank redemption

Classic

Four of my favorite movies from the classic category are based on great books, while one is taken from the greatest book of all.

Ben-Hur is a movie that I cannot walk away from if I happen to see it playing on TV. This timeless story of a man's quest for revenge and the healing of his hatred through the ultimate sacrifice of our Lord never fails to touch my heart. The Ten Commandments is very special to me because as a special treat, my mother took my sister and me to see it at "the big movie" when we were small. I still love to watch the parting of the sea!

Volumes upon volumes of reviews have been written about Gone With the Wind, and I agree that it is one of the best movies ever made. Even in our politically correct times, it still shines.

The Wizard of Oz is a must for my list, because just as I did, my oldest daughter just HAS to watch it when in comes on television every year. It can make you go a little crazy to watch it with her because she has memorized every line and can recall it at will!

To Kill a Mockingbird was done in black and white, and I think it suits the movie perfectly. The cast, featuring the incomparable Gregory Peck, was perfect. Robert Duvall made his movie debut in this classic. This is how lawyers should be.

Contemporary

My first and last choice in this list are also based on books by my favorite author, Stephen King. The Green Mile was originally written as a "serial novel" in six parts. Tom Hanks led an ensemble that captured the magic of a man with an extraordinary gift. Shawshank Redemption was based on the novella, "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank redemption." As Tim Robbins proves in this movie, posters of movie stars can really provide an escape from… well, everything!

Although it was not a huge box office hit, Secondhand Lions is a movie I would recommend to everyone. It has comedy, drama, and a little mystery, and features Robert Duvall, Michael Caine and Haley Joel Osmet.

Braveheart is the epic story of William Wallace's fight for freedom in Scotland. Realistic battle scenes and a visceral ending earned the film Best Picture and Best Director Oscars. (Mel Gibson wasn't bad to look at, either!)

Although not totally factual (what movie really is?), Amadeus is a visually stunning period piece. I have no knowledge of classical music, but I loved the music in this movie. Tom Hulce portrayed Mozart's genius with a believable vulnerability. If Mozart were alive today, just imagine what he could compose with a program on a computer!

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