New Top 5 Movie List

In our Sunday School class this morning, we all fessed up to the last movie we saw from beginning to end. A lot of facts and trends stood out to me (Taken is getting mad Sunday School reviews; parents in general seem overjoyed just to see an entire movie sans kids, no matter how bad it is; parents don't like the movies they watch with their kids), but the most telling observation was the simple fact that as a group we weren't wild about our latest film choices.

And now that I think about it, I'm having a real hard time remembering the last film that I loved. 

Just to be clear, I've seen plenty of movies I thought were really good over the past several years. I enjoy almost every movie I watch. I'm no film snob. And when it comes to movies, I probably play it freer and looser with the word great than just about anybody I know (my brother Steve comes to mind as a clear exception). 

But I wouldn't say I LOVED a movie unless I really do love it so much that I simply must see it again. To love it, it must change the way I think about my life. If I really, truly love a movie, when I see its name pop up on the channel guide, I won't flip by without checking out a few minutes of it. That's a rare flick that captures my affection so strongly. It can't just have great action. It can't just be hilarious. It has to become a part of my consciousness.

And now that I think of it, I have to go back many years to find a movie that I loved and still love. It's been probably 10, 15 years since I amended my Top 5 movie list, so here's a new one:

The Last 5 Movies I've Loved (in reverse chronological order of first viewing)

1. Happy Feet

2. Good Will Hunting

3. Pulp Fiction

4. The Shawshank Redemption

5. Se7en