I admit it: I like books better than movies.
Not that I don’t like movies; just that the movie version of a book is never as rich or as nuanced as what is in print.
Nevertheless, as Thanksgiving and Christmas approach, it’s time to look to film. Hollywood releases some of its highest profile pictures at this time of year, and 2011 is no exception.
So what five pictures have brought me the most movie watching enjoyment over the years? Some are light-hearted and irreverent while others are whimsical walks in the park. Here they are:
5. Ghostbusters. If you were in church this past Sunday, you know I had the shirt. It was the summer of 1984 and Julie and I returned from our honeymoon to find a nation transformed by Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, and Ray Parker, Jr.:
4. School Of Rock. Implausible, impractical, irresponsible … and irresistible. I smile the whole way through the final two-thirds of this one:
3. A Few Good Men. Tom Cruise transforms from a ne’er do well to a man with a mission and Jack Nicholson gets my favorite movie line of all time. Beware: language in this clip is … colorful.
2. Sophie’s Choice. When I saw this in the theater, the entire audience gasped at the final scene. None of us could even move from our seats as the credits rolled. Meryl Streep is brilliant and the conclusion is transcendant.
1. Field Of Dreams. When I saw this one in the theater, I thought it was a beautiful movie about baseball, corn fields, and personal dreams. Then I twice became a father and so when I rented it and watched it with my kids 20 years later, I learned it was about fathers, sons, and saying what you need to say.