My top ten (OK really 16)

Seems like almost everyone has a top ten list of their favorite something or other so here’s my attempt to list my top ten movies I’ve seen. (OK so it’s actually 16 movies, sorry.) Some of these are cheesy and clichéd but hey, I liked them for reasons I’ll list next to the title.

For #1 it is a three way tie

1. The Godfather (1972) – still my favorite and one I frequently cited in classes when I would talk about editing and pacing. But I have to admit when I watched it again a few years ago, it didn’t hold up as well as I thought.

1. Casablanca (1942) – I guess somewhere deep inside I’m a romantic and this old tale touches that somehow. And probably every man wishes he could have been like Ric at some point and gotten that girl.

1. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) – classic tale of course but I think my memory of how and where I saw it has as much to do as anything. My dad and I watched at a drive-in in Dallas on a hot summer night. In addition to everything else to like about the movie and the story, I’ve always liked the opening title sequence.

4. Witness (1985) – Not sure where to start but I’ve watched this movie 5 or 6 times and I usually find something every time I watch. A look at culture clash between the English (us) and the Amish with some pretty decent straight drama by Harrison Ford.

5. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) - just a big historical epic with great scenery, a sad story and a beautiful music score.

6. Shane (1953) – an old western with Alan Ladd, Jack Palance, Ben Johnson (Last Picture Show) and even (I think) Ellen Corby (Grandma Walton to most folks). What I remember as a kid who watched lots of westerns was the fight scene in the bar. I guess so many western bar scenes were big noisy places with lots of music and drinking and floozies. I recall this bar having a dirt floor and being very dark. Which is probably more like it really was. The only other western to evoke the same feelings of realism for me was Clint Eastwood’s, “Unforgiven.”

7. Stand by Me (1986) – who’d have thought Rob Reiner could take a short story by Stephen King (The Body) and make what is probably the best coming-of-age movie. And for you "24" fans – catch Keifer Sutherland in this.

8. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) – another one I enjoyed but sorry to say it doesn’t hold up well with age. I guess for its time, there was nothing else like it in terms of an action movie, chase scenes, clever and witty writing and a sort of epic-look without being an epic.

9. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) – unbelievably sad but perhaps Jack Nicholson at his all-time best.

Another tie

10. Dances with Wolves (1990) - Kevin Costner has never been able to match this. An almost epic of the west without being epic. Always hate seeing Eldon (Murphy Brown) get turned into a pin-cushion.

10. Braveheart (1995) – Another historical epic-like movie with lots to learn about character and human nature.

12. Schindler’s List (1993) – I read the book first and knew it would be a great movie and I’ve always been attracted to Holocaust stories (not sure why and not in a morbid way). Along with “The Color Purple” and “Saving Private Ryan”, this represents Spielberg’s best in doing serious work (not excluding ET as some of his best)

13. Back to the Future (1985) – may not hold up as well over time but still laugh-out-loud funny. Maybe I’ve just always liked Christopher Lloyd

14. Silence of the Lambs (1991) – Probably not supposed to like this one but just creepy enough and watching Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster is enjoyable as they “parry-and-thrust” with each other.

15. Kramer versus Kramer (1979) – as movies go not one of the best but will always hold a special place for me since my own life (long ago and far away) so closely paralled the little boy’s in this story. Hard for me to watch ( I read the book first.)

16. The Vikings (1958) – Huh? What in the world is a silly sword and falcon flick doing on a favorites list? This may have been the very first movie I ever saw on the big screen. Several scenes are still embedded in my head like the one where Tony Curtis sort of “sics” his falcon on Kirk Douglas and the bird claws his eye out. (I was six years old OK – boys like that sort of stuff) For some odd reason I always remember when Ernest Borgnine is forced to jump into a pit – sort of Viking hari-kari I guess – and he grabs somebody’s sword and yells “Odin!” and jumps to his death.

So there you have it. My top ten. OK 16 movies that will always be a part of my memorable moving-going experience.

I’m sure I’ve left out some obvious ones.

A short list of honorable mentions: The Big Chill, When Harry Met Sally, Bull Durham. I'm sure I'll think of more.