Movies We Live With

I started off detesting my film class, but I've realized that there's no reason silently seething in the second row, refusing to do unnecessary assignments and unconsciously hating all the readings when I do them, when I could instead try to find ways to enjoy it. So I spent the weekend reading Michel de Certeau's The Writing of History, which only gets good in the 8th and 9th chapters, and began to start liking it. And then, just a few minutes ago, upon watching The Sound of Music for, oh, probably the thousandth time, I remembered something Professor Conley said about "living with" films, and how there are films, and films we live with, that we watch tens, hundreds of times, films we've seen often or which have just had a remarkable impression, etc. It made sense to me, and it especially makes sense now, sitting on the couch, watching a movie that never fails to arrest my attention for its full 174 minutes.

So, I present:

MOVIES I LIVE WITH

*: definitely seen over 10 times

**: definitely seen over 30 times

The Sound of Music, 1965**

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, 1971

Breathless (A bout de souffle), 1960

Contempt, 1963

Grease, 1978

Citizen Kane, 1941

The Godfather, 1972

Juno, 2007

Trainspotting, 1996*

Matilda, 1996**

Forrest Gump, 1994**

Hans Christian Andersen, 1952

Gattaca, 1997

Pink Floyd's The Wall, 1982

Fight Club, 1999

Hook, 1991*

Tootsie, 1982

Doctor Zhivago, 1965**

Office Space, 1999

Mary Poppins, 1964*

The 40-Year Old Virgin, 2005

Amelie, 2001**

American Beauty, 1999

The Big Lebowski, 1998

My Fair Lady, 1964*

Requiem for a Dream, 2000*

Meet Me in St. Louis, 1944**

The Matrix, 1999

The Fox and the Hound, 1981**

Donnie Darko, 2001**

Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 1975*

Oliver & Company, 1988**

2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968

Moulin Rouge, 2001**

A Clockwork Orange, 1971

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, 2004*

The Parent Trap, 1998**

Edward Scissorhands, 1990

The Lion King, 1994**

The Ten Commandments, 1956

Bring It On, 2000*

Lassie Come Home, 1943*

American Pie, 1999*

Make lists of your own! It's great fun.