I Like Chick Flicks

Bob the Movie Guy

I like chick flicks… Maybe that makes me not such a manly man. I don’t know. Couple that with the fact that I do not care at all, not one bit, for tractor pulls and WWF wrestling and I think maybe that says something. I do like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood though so maybe I am not totally lacking in testosterone. And I yell at other drivers in traffic when they are acting stupid. I guess it kind of balances out.

I watched the film “27 Dresses” the other day and found it totally likeable. Every time I see beautiful, wondrous Katherine Heigl I think that every man who meets her has to be totally smitten – smart, funny, a knack for great physical comedy, and gorgeous in a funny-face sort-of-way. That’s what she is. And she’s not even my favorite! What about Kristen Bell? Or Jennifer Aniston? Or Emma Thompson, Kelly McDonald and SELMA BLAIR! Wow! Guys aren’t supposed to like those movies, but how could we not, really? I think maybe guys just don’t want to admit they like those chick movies. What’s so bad about looking at beautiful women for ninety minutes? Oh, there are some that aren’t worth the effort it would take to blow the master copies to hell – Prince of Tides comes to mind (what drivel) – or anything soap opera-ish that isn’t poking fun at itself (like that stupid Magnolia or Eyes Wide Shut – what was that all about?). But a well-done romantic comedy just makes me realize what I am missing in my own sorry-ass life! Of course, there are advantages to having my life…

I was thinking about my favorite movies, and I could never select just one. Or even ten. There are so many. One thing I hate about Hollywood these days is they seem to have run out of ideas – all these sequels and remakes – what a waste of time (for the most part). If they can’t take an old idea and make it fresh and NEW, then don’t bother. But I have seen formulaic films, the same story that has been told a thousand times before, made with a twist or a wrinkle that turns the story on its head. Those I can like. I cannot wait to see the Coen Brothers take on True Grit. So I guess I like SOME remakes...

Jeff Bridges' grittier Rooster

Anyway… my top twenty film favorites, as it stands today; I’ll try to pick just twenty, mostly sticking to those I have collected; just twenty. (OK, so I finally picked 37. So I have an honorable mentions category following the twenty!) Sorry, some are chick flicks. Others are not great art, but that is not always my criterion for a favorite movie. My favorites will always be about love, about adventure, or maybe the triumph of good over evil! They’ll be fun to watch or keep you on the edge of your seat. So without further ado, my top twenty….

#20

Phenomenon: Among my favorite John Travolta roles (along with Michael). I like John much better as a lover of humanity and life than I ever did as an “action” star – but he is an actor who almost always convinces in his roles. I think he’s underrated. And he was great in “Get Shorty” too!

#19

The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain: The story has been said to be true – and others say it isn’t. If it isn’t, it ought to be. I suppose the truth is in the middle? I like this for the performances of Colm Meaney and Tara Fitzgerald and the warmth of the villagers for each other was heartwarming. Their sly conniving to keep the British in town made the movie. I wish I knew someone named Morgan the Goat!  About as close as I can come would be my friend Molina the Dog!

#18

Waking Ned Devine: Comedic films from the lands of the United Kingdom are among my favorites and this one is near the top of the list. The humor in “Waking Ned Devine” is at once subtle and uproarious. The denouement with Lizzie and the phone booth was both evil and immensely satisfying; this is a film of contrasts!  I cannot help but laugh when I think of Michael buzzing along starkers on that ridiculous motorbike!

#17

Patton: Possibly the best character study I have ever seen on film and historically accurate enough to satisfy even my critical tastes. I cannot see a photo of George C. Scott without thinking of this film. What a great job the filmmakers did in re-creating both the grandeur and the misery of the stage that Patton strode across for those film-compressed three long years. I doubt that it was a simple task to succinctly capture the thoughts and actions of the greatest American military leader of all time but they succeeded. The one "error" is that Scott's voice is nothing like that of the character he played.  General Patton reportedly had a wheezy high-pitched voice, I guess maybe something like Andy Devine?  So George C. Scott has to be an improvement in that regard.

#16

Hunt for Red October: How could anyone hate Russians after seeing the story of Red October? We can hate the evilness of governments, we can hate the imperialist aspirations of individual men and the abuse of civil rights – but people are just people in the end. I doubt we’ll ever learn that completely. Some folks get it – but many more never will. What I like about the film – I love the sea and ships – I love the actors in the film whose parts show the good side of men – how they tried to give the positive possibilities the chance to prove themselves – the Admiral, the Defense Secretary, the American sub captain on the USS Dallas and of course the Harrison Ford character. One of my favorite scenes is right at the end of the film as the Red October sails slowly up the Penobscot River in the dark.  This is very romantic and reminiscent of any journey conducted in the dim light of night -- very much like the atmosphere surrounding Tom and Huck as they drift on the Mississippi; the darkness surrounds the conversation, makes it more intimate and focused.

#15

The Electric Horseman: I love cowboys. I love the west and western people. Americans love stories about doing what’s right and going against the grain to do that. We want to see the frauds and the hypocrisy of big business and hucksterism take the Big Fall. We want to see the “sell outs” get it right. This film touches all those soft spots, and we get to hear Willy’s wonderful, sentimental songs and see the majesty of the western landscape all at the same time. Perfection. Seeing a near-perfect horse strolling across a stage full of half-naked show-girls is pretty good too.

#14

Doc Hollywood: I want to live in a town where this David Ogden Stiers is the mayor. I want to be in the Grady Squash Festival and see fireworks over the town lake… I want to walk my pet pig all over town and I want Bridget Fonda to plant a big one right on me. This film made me want to find a small town like Grady and live there. It’s everything about the idea of the small town we love – and even made the negatives look pretty good (everybody being in your business). Too bad life really doesn't imitate art... I doubt there's a real town anywhere that is like Grady.  The film has a pretty good demonstration of effective fishing technique too -- although it is an old joke, that alone was worth the price of admission.

#13

A League of Their Own: One of the best sports films ever – I never tire of seeing Tom Hanks’ masterful and hilarious portrayal of roguish coach Jimmy Dugan as he slowly comes to terms with being forced to coach (sneer!) women. And who says Madonna can’t act? The friendship portrayed by her character and that of Rosie O’Donnell (whom I do not care for at all but who was a perfect fit in this role) is a triumph of talent and directorial art (Bravo, Penny Marshall!). Seeing this film makes me wish we still had women’s baseball… maybe it would be a more authentic game than what major league ball has become.

#12

Gettysburg: This was a great film, I think because it showed the humanity of the combatants so well. You could not help but wish both “sides” could have won. The music is magnificent, heart-swelling, noble and beautiful. The battle scenes are horribly authentic. If the human species ever gives up war it will be because we finally realize how horrible and devastating it truly is. This film portrays that – but also the love and friendship of the men on both sides. The peaceful glow of the evening camps, contrasting with the stark horror of the daytime battles, this film is a masterpiece of its genre. One small criticism; I can’t quite see Martin Sheen, great actor though he is, as Robert E. Lee. It’s the voice. Lee could not have sounded quite so effeminate.

#11

Fried Green Tomatoes: What a great story of friendship and community this one was, from every angle. It sucked me in from the beginning and held me until the very end and left me wanting to hear more of the story. I will never look at barbecue quite the same way again – at least not without a chuckle. Life changes though; people and even places come and go, even though we wish they wouldn’t. In a perfect world, we’d still be able to visit with Ruth and Idgie at the Whistle Stop café; we’d still be able to visit the family farm and see the old folks and our home town the way they “always” were. In this film, for just a few moments, we can.

#10

A River Runs Through It: Norman Maclean’s story of his boyhood and life in and around Missoula, Montana and the death of his brother would move the heart of any stone-man. It is fly-fishing the great rivers of the west as a metaphor for life – or getting through life. This one is more drama than comedy – but the script shows the nature of a good American family, their ideas of morality and right and wrong, in a time now passed. In the time of the story, the decisions of “good” people were not made as pragmatically as they might be today, things seemed more black and white to them. In addition to showing the struggles (and joys) of the Maclean men, the film is a poignant look back at the stock from which many of us came.

#09

The Unforgiven: Clint Eastwood doesn’t get the respect he deserves. He probably has more movies on my favorites list than any other director or actor. I love Pale Rider, Pink Cadillac, the “every which way” films, and others I’m forgetting right now – like Gran Torino and Heartbreak Ridge. Unforgiven is near the top – its gritty portrayal of violence for what it really was (and is) is sobering and thought-provoking. No glamour here. Through Eastwood’s lens we see the everyday humor of life, plus a thorough debunking and transformation of time-worn romantic “old-west” myths. We see the everyday mundane (like the sadly-lacking skills of the great gunman-marshal "Little Bill" as he "roofs" his house) superimposed on the great “glory” of those old west themes and gunfighters. This was one of Gene Hackman’s best roles, in my opinion. In the end, violence, whether perceived to be necessary or not, is just meanness, and life is just "ordinary."

#08

Second Hand Lions: Did I say I love Robert Duvall? I will go see anything he’s in. I feel this way about very few – even Morgan Freeman -- I haven’t seen all of Freeman's (although I might some day) – but Duvall, he’s my actor-hero. Michael Caine is not too shabby either. This is a manly man’s film – a swashbuckler sans pirate ship. How these two knights of the world choose to shuffle off this mortal coil is classic – especially as we get to see some of the fun they have in the red biplane prior to that exit… and they give salesmen their just desserts, so that’s a plus.

#07

Mystery, Alaska: This film is notable for Burt Reynolds’ wonderful job as the town judge, the bonking of an indiscreet hockey player with a frying pan, and “Bailey Pruitt.” You have to love Bailey Pruitt. Colm Meaney does a great job as the Mayor and Mary McCormack has one of the best lines I’ve ever had the good fortune to hear in a film.

#06

Love Actually: Several magically interwoven and related stories about the triumph of love – of them I doubt I could pick an absolute favorite – although the writer and the Portuguese housekeeper story line is probably that one that I liked most. “Thunder-thighs and the Prime Minister” is pretty good too… this film is an exercise in optimism and human warmth.  We do get it right occasionally.

#05

The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn: Sidney Poitier is one of the great actors of our time. The touching triumph of simple and good over the manipulative bastards in this film, of innocence over the world, is the way it ought to be in real life, but seldom is. That’s what Hollywood is all about though, isn’t it? At its best, it’s life as we want it to be. This film was my introduction to the wonders of Mary Louise Parker (or maybe it was Fried Green Tomatoes, I’m not sure); if she will just come to the house I would make her an apple pie and spoon feed it to her, just one American to another. Brenda Blethyn is also wonderful here, and Mr. Poitier is marvelous in the lead role.

#04

Lilies of the Field: I started this black and white film off near the bottom of my list, but it kept creeping toward the top. This warm, funny film completely endears itself to me each time I see it – the way Mother Superior bullies poor Homer (Sidney Poitier) and makes him her slave in spite of his righteous resistance. Slowly, we grow to respect her perseverance as we learn of her hard past, what she came through and what she and the other sisters accomplished. We know almost from the beginning that Homer Smith is a good, even a great man (in a normal, everyday way) – and as the film makes that plainly clear, we can feel good about ourselves for "knowing" that right up front. As the chorus of “Amen” fades away in the end while Homer drives away… well, never a chick flick moved me more!

#03

Lonesome Dove: I’m not sure there has ever been a buddy film that ever captured the wonderful nature of guy-friendship as well as Larry McMurtry did in Lonesome Dove. His story was also a showcase for hard American morality – the propensity of our fathers to do what they thought was right even if it was personally distasteful to them – what was “right” had to be done, no matter the cost. Men were more likely to stick to their word and didn’t need contracts to bind them. There was good in that – and evil as well. It is good that we remember that. The film was true to McMurtry’s novels in this regard – and the story is a masterpiece, both as written and as filmed.

#02

The Milagro Beanfield War: Robert Redford has made more than one of my favorites. This one is near the top. The love and care of a people in danger for each other and for their land is on display. Like we all want it to, but know it doesn’t always in the REAL world, it wins in the end. Throw in the help of ancient men, angels and maybe Kokopelli himself, and some great humor driven by the confrontation between developers, their supporters and the other resisting locals, and you have a film that will always be at the top of my list. We don't call New Mexico the Land of Enchantment for nothing.

Sheriff John T. Chance

#01

Rio Bravo: Howard Hawks’ definitive 1959 western… John Wayne, Dean Martin and Rick Nelson rock and stand off the bad guys against all odds. The interplay between the characters like Carlos and Chance, Stumpy and the jailed Burdette, and the sly humor that twists and turns between Chance and Angie Dickinson’s saloon girl Dallas… I can watch this one again and again. I never get tired of it. Many films like this one will be on this list – films with heart and humor.  But this one is Number One. The old west as film created it is best represented when Chance and Dude go out in the evening once more to patrol the town!

The Honorable Mentions… (not ranked)

Hitch: Will Smith is another of my favorites… and Eva Mendez totally disarms as the cynical sweetheart. This twist on the romantic comedy formula was a delight to watch.

Silverado: Another favorite – from the opening gunfight, to the loyalty of the four buddies for each other, the treachery of the bad guys and the culmination of the action in the final showdown – the storyline makes this a quintessential western – as it was intended to be. I love all the main characters – and especially Linda Hunt as the Evening Star.

The Sure Thing: Probably my favorite of all the Rom Coms ever! Daphne Zuniga is girl-next-door perfection, and while at this age she hadn’t yet learned to act very well, she was fairly convincing as an OCD nerdy-klutz! While predictable, the story is fun to watch. I love the performance of the college professor.

Bull Durham: This one I liked I think because of the charisma of Kevin Costner – and his mentor relationship with the young pitcher and the team. And I love the camaraderie of the team and baseball in general. Highlights for me were the attack on the clown prince and Millie. Kevin’s soliloquy was great too.  As a lover of both beisbol and roadtrips, I wish I could always be with the team on a baseball roadtrip -- riding along in the bus!

Shawshank Redemption: I think Morgan Freeman walking down the Mexican beach at the end, free and in friendship is one of my greatest-ever moments in film. All through the film, you wish and hope for these two friends to conquer in freedom and dignity – and when they do, the moment is sublime.

Starman: Hey, who doesn’t like a good alien film and this one didn’t come to eat us! We probably ought to be careful about inviting them to come here though – some others of them might not be so nice in the real world. Karen Allen had the prettiest freckled face in 80s films!

The Right Stuff: This is a film about America, in all its 60’s space program glory. I saw some of these people -- not the famous ones of course (and avidly watched every Space program launch that I could) -- but my Dad and his working peers at White Sands Missile Range were part of this. Our entire country was caught up in the excitement. And the flavor captured by the film is exactly the way it was (or at least the way it was presented to us). That’s why I like this one – it is large scale – it is magnificent – and it captured the spirit and heroism of those heroic and competent Americans in one of the most exciting decades in American history (despite the tragedies). The only negative is the false portrayal of Gus Grissom – nothing I have ever read about him shows him to be the simpering, bumbling wimp pictured in the film. His characterization in this film was in NO way factual.

Casablanca: The only Bogart film I currently own – and I watch it from time to time just for the glory of it. The filmmaking is dated – but I cannot help watching it again and again just to hear the classic words of the screenplay.  If you want to see just how far SFX has come in 70 years, watch the departing airplane sequences in this film. 

The Final Countdown: A nonsense film that is every schoolboy’s dream – go back in time and change (or try to change) the outcome of a major battle! Fight a civil war fight with M-16s… show up in King Arthur’s court with some hand-grenades or something… I’ve always been a sucker for the time travel flicks – like Timerider, or reincarnation films like Dead Again. Anyway, who could possibly resist Katherine Ross and Kirk Douglas. In this film, the USN cooperated with the film-makers and mixed up supersonic F-14s with actual WWII-era aircraft (AT-6's and SNJ's made up to look like Zeros and Vals).  It was a treat to see these marvelous machines flying together in the same airspace.

Paper Moon: My favorite Bogdanovich film – you pull for Addie from beginning to end.

Roxanne: I never felt like there could be any real love match between the two main characters – it just doesn’t work – but the humor of the film is second to none. Michael J. Pollard is fantastic – and the physical comedy never fails to make me laugh. That's not to say that Steve Martin and Daryl Hannah aren't good in their roles -- they are -- I just didn't think the romance was plausible.  Oh wait, now that I think about it that was kind of the whole point, wasn't it? 

Where the Heart Is: A sweet film that is stolen by Sister Husband (Stockard Channing). Pretty hard to do when your scene-stealing competition is Ashley Judd and Joan Cusack…

Nobody’s Fool: Paul Newman carries this film with help from Bruce Willis, Melanie Griffith and Jessica Tandy. All are believable in their roles, but Newman shines. You almost wish he had run away with Melanie at the end – or at least got the snow-blower for keeps.  This is the Newman film I love the most -- although I also own Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I just don't like the ending of that one...  In thinking about this, I wonder if "Cool Hand Luke" should be on this list...

The Princess Bride: The whole story is great, but the highlight for me is the transparent love of the Grandfather for his grandson shown at the end. Billy Crystal and Carol Kane are a hoot -- I've never had an MLT and I probably won't.  I'm just not much for mutton, no matter how highly it is recommended.

The Original True Grit: Back when this one came out, I probably saw it 20 times.  To this day, I can recite the script along with the actors as they were filmed.  The cinematography was magnificent, the characterizations perfect, the humor uproarious. I like the Coen Brothers remake as well, and it may be truer to the author's intent and the tone of the original story, but John Wayne's film will always be one I go back and watch again and again. (Although I now own both films).

Swashbuckler: The best pirate movie of my generation – and is there anyone as physically magnificent as was James Earl Jones in his youth, or Geoffrey Holder, for that matter. Robert Shaw looks like he could have BEEN a pirate – and most people would never have dreamed that Peter Boyle could perform a role like this – if all they had ever seen of him was his “Raymond” role. This one is just pure, unadulterated fun!

Most of my favorites are not among the greatest films of their time – but they tell uplifting stories, warm the heart – or entertain. And that’s what I want to see on film – entertainment.  It has occurred to me that many of these are not chick flicks at all... I think I will go watch a movie!

Updated October 11, 2014