I am not a movie watcher. My older children have a home movie night with their Dad several times a week, but I usually read or catch up on blogging or something. Every once in a while my husband or my daughter or a visiting friend asks me to watch a movie with them. So here are a few I watched just to be nice and actually ended up enjoying.
I don't demand reality or even plausibility in a movie -- in fact the more absurd the better, as long as it's the right kind of absurdity. I probably usually like movies for kids better than movies for grownups, though I do like most BBC literary remakes.
1.
Wall-E. Very Catholic. He's actually my role model for doing repetitive and seemingly useless household chores with a joyous, grateful spirit. I even can bear to watch Barbara Streisand in Hello Dolly now just because of that song "Put on your Sunday best" which Wall-E made me love.
2.
Signs. I like this one because my kids like watching it and because of the tinfoil helmets. One of Liam's tutors at college made a case that the movie encompasses all the seven sacraments.
3.
Enchanted. I like this one for the same reason I like Wall-E, because getting cockroaches and rats to do housekeeping for you sounds like a metaphor for a good life
4.
Gods and Generals. We watched this in 30 minute installments over the course of about a week. I think I could sit down every evening for the rest of my life with my shotglass of Jack Daniel's and watch battles and prayers.
5.
Alice in Wonderland. My youngest, Paddy, and I both loved this one. Especially the Mad Hatter.
6.
Despicable Me. We just watched this one last week. During the first 10 minutes I was pretty sure my husband had finally missed one and spoiled his perfect record for knowing what movies I would like. But the movie grew on me. By the end I loved it.
7.
The Fantastic Mr Fox.. I LOVE this movie. It's near-perfect in absurdity. I'm going to ask for it for my birthday.
I too love Fantastic Mr. Fox. Every time I watch it, I find something more to hoot over. I've never seen Signs but everyone tells me it is good. I'm not big on scary movies. I actually lose sleep over them.
ReplyDeleteI know Wall-E is good but I can never bear to watch it. Something about the soundtrack depresses me. Can't put my finger on it.
Anyway, thanks for all the great reviews! I enjoyed reading them.
Faith, I am so glad you love FMF too.
ReplyDeleteIt's true wall-E isn't one of those movies you want to watch over and over again.
signs has a couple of scary moments but most of it is focused on the family and really not many bad things happen. I liked the Sixth Sense but I would hesitate to watch it again because it really appalled me, but Signs wasn't quite so creepy. I'm a bit squeamish about movies, I even got creeped out by Star Wars when I was a teenager.
"getting cockroaches and rats to do housekeeping for you sounds like a metaphor for a good life"
ReplyDeleteAnd it's how housekeeping actually got done in our place.
Well said, Clare, and it still is that way, except that I am trying to train the squirrels now.
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