20 Movies?
1.
Field of Dreams
--Baseball will be a recurring theme on my list. My dad is still alive today and the scene @ the end when Costner plays catch with his dad brings me to tears every time. I cannot imagine what it'll do to me one day when my dad is gone.
2.
Gettysburg
--We try and watch this every year on one of the days of the anniversary of the actual Battle (July 1-3). The artillery bombardment that preceeds Pickett's Charge is amazing on a great home theatre system.
3.
Empire of the Sun
--Another recurring theme on my list will be War and this Spielberg film is a classic. I'm big on cinematography and the scene where Jim salutes the Japanese pilot and the sparks are flying off the planes in the background is among my favorite cinematic moments of all time.
4.
The Shawshank Redemption
--I resisted watching this any one of the 14,836 it was on TBS despite how good everyone said it was. It was my first blind DVD buy, and well, here it is at #4 on my list. 'Nuff said. Oh...Tim Robbins should keep his political yap shut and just act.
5.
The Power of One
--Gee, two Morgan Freeman films in a row? Those that have not seen this need to rent a copy immediately. I would gurantee it's one of the best films you've never seen.
6.
Bull Durham
--A pure baseball classic with so many one-liners. Somehow manages to capture the essence of baseball while having a lead character wear lingerie on the pitcher's mound. Oh...another example of what Tim Robbins can accomplish when he's focused.
7.
The Godfather
--I'm Sicilian Italian. Both sets of grandparents came over from Sicily, and my G'ma LaFranca traced our family lines back to ties the Sicilian Mob. Need I say more?
8.
Doc Hollywood
--Okay, I know this is by no means a film classic, but I have always loved this one. For no other reason than it contains one of THE best lines: "Well, get in if you're gonna get in". I know...this is a Disney forum.
9.
The Godfather Part II
--See above. And don't any o yous guys make me mad or else...I gots connections.
10.
Pulp Fiction
--This movie seems to break every convention yet pulls it off...and the soundtrack is almost a supporting actor.
11.
Cast Away
--Cinematography is fantastic. Hanks is amazing. What other movie can get away with having an Academy Award-winning actor not speak for nearly 40 minutes? This movie blows me away every time I view it from the plane crash thru Hank's gut-wrenching reunion/goodbye with Helen Hunt. I truly feel sorry for anyone that was not able to get the 2-dice SE before it went OOP.
12.
The Abyss
--Speaking of OOP 2-Disc SEs, here's another. I remember hearing about this film in 1988 just prior to its release and how good it was gonna be and I thought "No Way". Well, "Way".
13.
Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
--For me this one gets better and better with every viewing and the soundtrack is definitely a best supporting actor. Like Bull Durham, there are enough one-liners in this one to keep you laughing for days. It's definitely a love it or hate it film, though.
14.
Happy, Texas
--I love Steve Zahn and it borders on obsession. This independent film is one of his best efforts, IMO, and pulls off a lot in a relatively short time. If you've not seen this one try and picture Zahn pretending to be a dance instructor for girls ages 8-12 AND Willam H. Macy playing a gay sheriff. Trust me...it all works.
15.
Glory
--Tells the story of the 54th Massachusetts, the first all-black regiment in the Civil War. Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes and Morgan Freeman (yup, his 3rd film on my list) give outstanding performances and up until the end you really think they will succeed in their attack on Ft. Wagner.
16.
A Few Good Men
--An amazing cast and a truly engrossing storyline for a courtroom flick. Heck, any film that ends up grilling Jack Nicholson gets a big thumbs up for me, and this one never gets old.
17.
Major League
--Ever seen the hit show on Fox,
24? Dennis Haysbert plays teh President on that series and he played a great character in this baseball comedy from 1989 and uttered a classic line which I probably cannot get by the sensors
18.
Jurassic Park
--This film literally raised the bar on what could be accomplished through special effects and CGI. I remember the hype surrounding it's release over the summer in 1993 and it's one of the very few films that I actualy paid to see numerous times. And the soundtrack rocks, too.
19.
The Untouchables
--When will this one get the Special Edition DVD treatment it deserves??
20.
Muriel's Wedding
--Combines Abba music with Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths and a ton of Australian accents. You'll be singing
Dancing Queen and
Fernando for days.