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"American Movie" is awesome. I saw it at CalArts when they had the filmmakers there. I thought it was a fake documentary up until they brought out the pair from Wisconsin. "Pan's Labyrinth" is gorgeous, easily one of the best movies I've seen recently.

Have you seen Hal Hartley's "The Book of Life?" It's hysterical.

The anime "Now and Then; Here and There" isn't a movie, per se, but it's absolutely goregous and brutal. (It's about children drafted to fight a war, with all the brutality it encompases. Shu, the main character, is completely innocent throughout it all.)

I despise Mel Gibson with a passion (no pun intended) but I liked "Signs."

http://bigumuse.blogspot.com

Two that deal with the role of memory in personhood (both are also dark and pretty violent):

1. Memento - also deals with the destructive nature of revenge. Story is told backwards. Directed by Christopher Nolan (Prestige, Batman Begins, Insomnia)

2. The Machinist - I won't mention the other main themes, because they are not clear until the very end. Stars Christian Bale, who lost an insane amount of weight for the role.

Seraphim Falls - revenge Western with Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan. Great scenery compliments the flow of the story.

I'm sure you've seen "Millions." If not, why not? Seems like a movie right up your alley.

I'm moving from Jacskon, MS to Austin next week. If you're ever going to be in Austin with some time to kill, shoot me an email. I'd love to sit down and talk movies over Tex Mex and libations. My email address is at my blog:

http://axegrinder.blogspot.com

1. Babette's Feast
I used to fall asleep at foreign movies with subtitles. But this one changed my view. What a powerful story told so quietly. And the surprise twists at the feast. And the cooking of the feast. So delicious to watch.

2. Little Miss Sunshine
A jewel of a film in a sea of mediocrity the year it came out. Great cast. Abigail Breslin was amazing. Loved the non speaking teenager. And my conservative 80 year old mama loved it too.

3. Dogma
Because it's just so much fun to watch.

Question, rlp: loving Michael Keaton as you do, where is Beetlejuice on your list? It's one of his classics.

Presbyterian Gal

Oh yeah, and P.S. MY favorite movie of all time, not on your list is "Field of Dreams". And I'm not a baseball fan. I could watch that movie once a week forever.

Presbyterian Gal

I really like M Night Shyamalan's 'Signs', I'm not a huge fan of Mel Gibson either but I enjoy the acting in this film. The relationship between Gibson's character and his brother is great, and the child actors are superb. It's serious, with some spooky bits but it really makes me laugh at times too. I also quite liked Shyamalan's 'Lady in the water' as well.

Saw many of my own favorites on your list, but didn't see 'The Straight Story" there . . . a gentle film . . .

Susan
Ohio

Thanks! While I have seen many of the movies on the list, I have some new ones to add to our que. My list would also include "To Kill a Mockingbird" "Up in Smoke" "The Piano" "The Shawshank Redemption"
"Whale Rider" (a great film for your girls!) and because I am a hopeless romantic, any version of "Pride and Prejudice".

You must add Slingblade to your list. Have you seen it? Classic Billy Bob Thornton.

http://web.mac.com/smpuckster

good list.

A recent favorite that I think you would enjoy that pertains to writing and sacrifice with a great deal of humor is "Stranger Than Fiction". IMO, it is the best movie of last year, although I have yet to watch Pan's Labyrinth which I've heard is excellent. It arrived earlier this week in the mail so I'm looking forward to it.

Two movies on your list feature an actress, Amy Adams, that I had the good fortune of knowing and working with in a previous life (before ministry). She was my bride as one of the brothers in a dinner theater production of "Seven Brides..." It's been really great to see her success.

A few of my own favourites:

The original Star Wars trilogy.

Remains of the Day. Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson play off each other so incredibly well. It's tragic, unrequited love.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I mean... c'mon! It's Python!

The Last of the Mohicans. Daniel Day Lewis is one of those guys I'll watch in whatever he's in.

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Sweet GAWD this was a fun movie! "Snakes... why'd it have to be snakes?" "Asps! Very dangerous... you go first."

Office Space. Sooo funny because it's sooo true.

Too many more to mention here all at once.
______
Simon

Have you seen Saved? I watch it every time it's on TV, no matter how recently I've just seen it. I was also just going to recommend Stranger Than Fiction, but I see someone has beaten me to it. Oh, and Scotland, PA which I had never heard of but really enjoyed. The Macbeths, living in 1970s Pennsylvania, kill for a hamburger joint. Dark and funny and all kinds of good.
I am very glad to see that I am not the only Joe Versus the Volcano fan out here.
-Superfantastic

Love Actually and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Both excellent, in my opinion. Someone already suggested The Shawshank Redemption, but it's definitely good enough to mention twice.

I love the diversity of your list - Drop Dead Gorgeous AND Babette's Feast. That's fantastic!

About a Boy, with Hugh Grant and Toni Collette. A little gem, I think.

Armageddon with Bruce Willis. And on the same theme Apollo 13. Definately "feel good" movies.

A Trip to Bountiful usually tops my list when someone says "what's your favorite movie" although I have a lot of favorites. It is a sweet, warm story and has characters that I recognize from small town Texas.

Two other documentaries that we've enjoyed are Spellbound [the spelling bee documentary] and Mad Hot Ballroom [mostly inner city kids learning ballroom dancing and competing]

"Forrest Gump" is my all time fav. Rarley do I cry at movies, but that one gets me going. I love the theological undertones too.

Also anything by Martin Scorsese; esp "Goodfellas" and "The Last Temptation of Christ."

My favorite actor is probably Anthony Hopkins. His work in "Remains of the Day" and "Nixon" leave me speechless. But I am also a HUGE Denzel Washington fan, I think he gives Hopkins a run for his money.

My favorite comedy...Maybe "Blazing Saddles" or "Young Frankenstien" Mel Brooks always cracks me up.

What about you, who is your favorite actor?

"Smokey... you're entering a world of pain. You mark that frame an 8 and you are entering a world of pain...a WORLD of pain."
-Walter

I never think of the same movies each time somebody asks about favorites (though AMELIE is always on the list--I actually transcribed it into Final Draft because the screenplay isn't available).

So off the top of my head...

AMELIE
THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES
RATATOUILLE
THE INCREDIBLES
CASABLANCA, except for the slow flashback part
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, except for the slow love song
THE FRISCO KID, which I haven't seen in 20 years, so I withhold current judgment
NI POUR NI CONTRE (my review for CRIME SPREE magazine is here)
THE STING
TAMPOPO

and..if you just want to have fun...

Queue up Okie Noodling. (go ahead, google it)

Bradley Beesley's documentary about catching Oklahoma monster catfish bare-handed. You can't cast characters any better than these.

The mockumentaries come to mind ... like Best in Show: "We have so much in common. We both like soup. Talking and not talking. We could talk or not talk forever. And still find something to not talk about."

Documentary favs: Buena Vista Social Club, Grey Gardens, Supersize Me,The Devil and Daniel Johnston.

I don't know if anyone has mentioned them, but I love these films:

Munich – saw this for the first time on HBO and its terrific
Goodfellas – Sopranos 1.0 and its true (maybe)
Do the Right Thing – Spike Lee's best film, hands down
About A Boy – good storyline plus Hugh Grant
Stand By Me – for those of us with a crying problem
Breakfast Club – a staple for all children of the 80's

Of course, I'm also one of those people who just LOVES a campy movie every now and then, in which case I recommend the following:

Grease and Grease 2 – if you're looking for campy, 2 is better
Sixteen Candles – "No more wanky my yanky, the Donger needs food!"
Xanadu – I actually started an Olivia Newton-John fan club in grade school. Love. Her

I commented several times along the way and I still have a few more to add:

THE USUAL SUSPECTS -- awesome thriller; didn't see it coming;
MILLER'S CROSSING -- Coen brothers' Irish mob movie;
BLOOD SIMPLE -- Coen brothers' horror movie;
BARTON FINK -- OK, I like the Coen brothers;
MISS FIRECRACKER -- Holly Hunter's tale of grace;
DANCER, TEXAS -- wonderful little movie about growing up;
HAPPY, TEXAS -- strange little comedy;
ONE FROM THE HEART -- Teri Garr and a soundtrack by Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle;
THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY -- good Mel Gibson, awesome Linda Hunt;
EYEWITNESS -- William Hurt thriller;
GORKY PARK -- another William Hurt thriller;
THE HUDSUCKER PROXY -- had to finish with a Coen brothers' film.

Did anyone say O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?

Peace,
Milton

I just looked at your list again, Gordon and saw O BROTHER.

This was fun, thanks.

Peace,
Milton

Brazil and City of Lost Children are my two favorite films.

But other excellent ones:

Night of the Hunter
God of Cookery
Children of Men
The Devil and Daniel Webster

The Princess Bride is my favorite fairy tale.

I love the way characters treat each other with fairness and dignity, even as they prepare to kill or torture one another.

Also, it's eminently quotable: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093779/quotes

NAPOLEAN DYNAMITE....
Did you see it Preacher?

"are you gonna eat those tots?"

"i'm drawing a liger, it's a cross between a lion and a tiger"

Yeah, Yeah, it is for the half-brain dead,
but to me it was funny as hell.....

Nancy in San Antonio

A more recent movie that I think has been overlooked... it didn't get much publicity when it was still in the theaters. I happened to catch it while flipping through the channels and landed on HBO... Everything is Illuminated starring Elijah Wood. It is a film about self-discovery.

I highly recommend it.

The movies official website is http://wip.warnerbros.com/everythingisilluminated/

Kelly in Houston

Gordon let me add to your list of favs. American Beauty, Sophie's Choice, Buffalo 66, Cuckoo's Nest. I could go on and on, but I'll keep it short.
Cathy in San Antonio

I read all the way through the comments looking for "Everything is Illuminated" with Elijah Wood and "Joyeaux Noel" and couldn't believe they hadn't been mentioned. Finally, Kelly in Houston mentioned Illuminated and I began to breathe more easily. A beautiful, beautiful, hilarious, heartbreaking, mysterious, wonderful movie but not really about self-discovery. Start wearing purple with me now!

Here's a BRAND new one, but not to be missed: "Once."

My all-time fave? Waking Ned Devine. You don't HAVE to have been raised by Irish drunken gamblers to appreciate it, but it doesn't hurt.

Katy McKenna www.fallible.com

Capturing the Friedmans. Wow. Jesse was one of my husband's best friends in high school, part of a group of friends so tight that now, 20 years later, we are closer to each other than most of us are to our families--and the power of what happened to Jesse, and who chooses to see him now vs. who does not, is still dangerous enough to scare us all into never discussing it lest we destroy relationships we treasure. They were all AV geeks and still are--the filming of the whole thing by Jesse's brothers doesn't seem at all odd in the context of the group we hang out in. Believe me, if there's a state-of-the-art geeky toy to play with, they're *all* doing it. It's what they do. When things are stressful, it's therapy; otherwise, it's play. Or work. It's all the same. So many reviews of the film said things like, "Why would you FILM all that personal stuff?" and our group was like, well, duh. What else would you do? :-)

I've never met Jesse myself but he's always there anyway, in the defensiveness from those who do see him and want him to be welcomed back, and the defensiveness from those who do not want to hear about it (especially those with children who are not willing to take a chance on it). I was molested as a child for years and ironically I am more willing to meet him than my husband is. He says he was there and he knows more about what happened than was in any film; I can only take his word for it but I am wistful about never allowing friends second chances. Life is complicated and twenty years is a long time, especially if you're 17 to begin with.

oh doll...

you loved All That Jazz... Cabaret.
you loved Best in Show... Mighty Wind.
you loved Goodfellas... Casino.
you loved Hanna and Her Sisters... Bullets Over Broadway.
you loved Pan's Labrinyth... The Devil's Backbone.

just to start.

I love that Junebug is on your list. It's one of my favorites, too, but no one else seems to have seen it. It is set (and was filmed) about thirty minutes from my home town, and I think they managed to capture this region with a sort of wry, honest tenderness that I can especially appreciate. The entire movie, one thought kept repeating in the back of my head: "These are my people."

If you haven't already seen "Bright Leaves" I would recommend that one, especially since you like documentaries. I think you and the filmmaker, Ross McElwee, would get along if your paths ever crossed.

I also think "Clay Pigeons" is a fun, underrated movie. And I'm sure you've probably seen "True Romance" but it's one of my favorites too. Oh, and I'd have to second the "Straight Story" recommendation above. I would tack on a "Ghost World" recommendation, but I think I remember recommending that one back in your 2003 post. I should probably be ashamed that I can remember that, but I'm not a proud man. (I remember much more about the internets than I do about real life; such is the twenty-first century.)

Shawshank is my favorite movie of all time. It's beautifully shot, it's got a beautiful heart and a powerful message, and if you're me, the ending came as one hell of a surprise. I can quote most of it by heart.

Other favorites of mine are:

Bob Roberts: If you haven't seen it, rent it. It's a sort-of-mockumentary of a conservative folk singer (Tim Robbins) running for Senate. It was made in 93, but is even more relevant today. Also has a young Jack Black in a perfect role for him.

Dazed and Confused: I was only a little kid in the 70s, but from what I can tell, this is spot on. Plot- On the last day of school, kids in a small Texas town do stuff. Okay, that's a terrible plot summary, but it's the only way to get it in a sentence. And it's really good.

Unbreakable: This is my absolute favorite Shyamalan movie. It's a real-life comic book movie, and it's a fantastic story of a man finding his place in the world.

Strictly Ballroom: Baz Luhrmann's first film, a sweet romantic comedy about teenage ballroom dancers.

I keep reading comments and then I think of more movies:

LABYRINTH with Jennifer Coleman and David Bowie
JESUS OF MONTREAL -- amazing
LOCAL HERO -- odd little story with a Mark Knofler soundtrack
BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM
HOLLYWOOD BOLLYWOOD -- wonderfully odd
MISSISSIPPI MASALA
MISSISSIPPI BURNING
FRENCH CONNECTION -- great chase scene

Peace,
Milton

Here are a couple more for you, Gordon.

THE MIGHTY - a wonderful movie based on the story "Freak the Mighty," about two outcast boys who become friends when the brainy one is asked to tutor the brawny one in reading. Sharon Stone and Kieran Culkin are the stars and they just blow me away every time. We've seen it many times and watched it with our church youth groups.

DAS BOOT - just in case you wondered what it was like on German U-boats during WWII. Hope you're not claustrophobic.

SLIDING DOORS - Gwyneth Paltrow in a "what-if" romance that plays fasts & loose with time and choices. Really interesting flick with a great supporting cast.

BOONDOCK SAINTS - two Irish brothers kill lots of people because God told them to protect the innocent. Well, it's more complicated than that, but it's a great movie.

TOMBSTONE - my pick for 'most quotable movie ever,' probably because my college roomies and I watched it over and over and over. Val Kilmer's portrayal of Doc Holiday is just insanely good, and of course Kurt Russell seems to be Wyatt Earp reincarnated. Plus, it's got Sam Elliott - how can you go against a western starring Sam Elliot?
Favorite quotes:
"I'm your Huckleberry."
"You gonna do something, or just sit there and bleed?"
"You're so drunk you're seeing double!" "I have two guns - one for each of you."
And my personal favorite:
"Nonsense, Wyatt, I've not yet begun to defile myself."

I had a short list of movies that immediately came to mind, but as I scrolled through the comments, most of them had been mentioned already:

The Shawshank Redemption
Sliding Doors
The Remains of the Day
The Princess Bride
Office Space

There are three, however, that I'm surprised haven't been mentioned:

Good Will Hunting--the non-stop f-bombs bother some folks, but I'm not one of 'em. Great story about wounded people whose lives intersect. There are no flat characters in this movie--everyone changes through the course of the storyline. Love it love it love it. "How do ya like THEM apples?!?!"

Monty Python's Life of Brian--skewers all that is wrong about religion while never crossing the line to imply that religion itself is wrong. Frickin' funny too...

Casablanca--I'm also not one to worship movies just because they're old, but sometimes a great movie is just a great movie. Some of the most quoted lines in pop culture come from this movie, and I'm a sucker for a good "star-crossed lovers" story. "We'll always have Paris..."

http://lutheranhusker.blogspot.com

Has anyone watched "Searching For the Cross-Eyed Jesus" -- it's a wonderful documentary about music/religion and life in the South. Incredible soundtrack.

Talking Taco

Dazed and Confused.

I grew up in a smallish town in Oklahoma in the 1970s and nothing has so captured my experience in its details as that movie. It calls to mind the sociologist Raymond Williams conception of "structures of feeling."

I have a friend, very nearly my exact same age, who grew up in central L.A. and identifies Boyz in the Hood as being uncannily close to her experience.

It was meaningful for us as friends to be able to share those "background notes" with each other. Really surprised both of us -- we met in a much more homogenized place, Northen California -- and it added new layers of understanding and respect.

Movies I force - ah, lovingly ask - my close friends to watch:
Charade - Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn in a thriller. Need I say more?
Bull Durham - "Don't think. It can only hurt the ball club."
Presumed Innocent - Almost as good as the book. And I *heart* Harrison Ford.
Noises Off - I know some who prefer the play (which is pretty great), but I love the casting. And the jokes. And the falling.

Others that are high on the list (some of which others have mentioned) - Princess Bride ("You fell prey to one of the classic blunders..."), Office Space (filmed in my town, Austin!), Holy Grail ("Come back, I'll bite your kneecaps off!"), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (Tom Stoppard's highly literate, funny, fantastic play as a pretty darn great movie with Tim Roth and Gary Oldman), The Big Lebowski ("That rug really tied the room together") or pretty much any Cohen Bros.

Definitely see LOTS of others on this thread that (a) I love also or (b) I need to see.

This is a longer post than I meant it to be. But I was a theater major and am still a film/theater/pop culture junkie and could go on FOR EVER. And sometimes do.

-mlmcreynolds

We share a lot of faves. I'd like to recommend "Saved" a look at students in a Christian high school. The "in" crowd just doesnt' get it, while the outsiders, the marginalized, etc. do in spades. Satiric and funny!

Annemarie

Was just re-watching The Philadelphia Story on TCM last night, also a fantastic movie. Whip smart dialogue with Katherine Hepburn, James Stewart, AND Cary Grant- all in their prime. Such a classic, beautiful, smart movie!

I could have recommended the Princess Bride, if I hadn't read the book about 20 times before I saw the movie. But life isn't fair. If you haven't seen it, I would suggest A River Runs Through It. I found it a very powerful movie, perhaps because I spent a lot of time fishing with my brother while growing up.

Ahhh, a movie post. I loooove movie posts!! Here are some I think you'll like based on your list o' faves, in no particular order:

• Fearless: Jeff Bridges best role, and I think, Peter Weir's best movie. There's a scene where he uses Henryk Gorecki's 3rd Symphony that will break your heart (if you've never heard it, it's one of the most haunting pieces of music ever - make sure you get the version with Dawn Upshaw).
• The Power of One: It could have been so movie-of-the-week cheesy, but between Armin Mueller-Stahl and a young Steven Dorff, it's a fantastic story of courage.
• Radio Flyer: The two boys in this movie are great - a beautiful story of brotherly love.
• And my two French faves - Toto the Hero and The Eighth Day: Toto is about a man who holds a grudge his entire life, frame in three different time periods. Eighth is about a man with Down's Syndrome named George. They're both fantastical and gorgeous.
• Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels: If you liked Snatch, you'll love Guy Ritchie's first film. Funnier, better story and not as tricky.
• V for Vendetta: It could be seen as just another action movie, but there's something deeper here and I can watch it over and over again.

I think that's enough for now... enjoy the retreat!

Cheers,
Kevin Lawver

It's great that you included The Iron Giant in your list. For another animated movie I would recommend Triplets of Belleville. And for something completely different, The Manchurian Candidate (1962 version).

Hi
The Color Purple. Don't know if anyone has said that already. But watching it time and again makes me wish Oprah had made more movies. So rich.

Am I really the first to mention Moulin Rouge? I'm astounded. A few others off the top of my head:
The Life Aquatic
Big Fish
The Professional
Rocky