If you Googled “Top 100 Movies of All Time” you probably wouldn’t see many of my favorites.  Most of the movies that made the cut were “classic” or “legendary” in the sense that movie critics appreciated them.  Something made them all stand out professionally, and if we’re going to be honest…the majority are in black and white.  Hidden inference?  They stopped making movies like they used to.

Well, to be honest, that’s not always a bad thing.  My inlaws live with us.  Occasionally, I will sit on their couch and watch an “old classic” with them.  The plots are typically thin, the acting, for the most part, is borderline melodramatic, and the special effects…non-existent.  But, they were clean, again for the most part, and usually resolved with the good guys winning in the end.  That is a trend that seems to be disappearing altogether.  

As I pondered these movies, scanned the list of history’s greatest, I thought I’d put together a list of my own.  I don’t have time or space to list 100, but I can give you my top 10.  I’ll also add a brief plot description and the reason it made my top ten.  I hope you will ponder your own list and take a moment to see why you chose the ones you did.  Maybe start a conversation with someone today about the topic.  Or, if you have time, sent me your list.  I’d love to see what you think.  In David Letterman style, I’m going to list my top 10 in reverse order.  

10.  Inception – A bold, creative movie where all of the action takes place within the mind of a character.  The hitch, everyone else is in that

                           person’s mind too.  And, like being conscious during a dream, those who are skilled learn to manipulate elements of the dream                                world.  I love it because it helped me solve a dilemma I was having during the writing of my Young Adult Fantasy Series:  The                                    Canaanshade Journeys…specifically, how to manipulate time when you have a dream within a dream.

9. Wonder Woman – A clever movie version of the origin story behind Wonder Woman.  Perfect casting of the star characters:  Wonder Woman =                            Gal Gadot & Steve Trevor = Chris Pine.  

8.  It’s a Wonderful Life – The story line I think most of us would love to experience for a brief moment.  Wouldn’t you love to see what the world                               would have been like if you’d never been born?  I wonder that often.  Have I made a difference?  Would anything change with my                               absence?

7.  Frequency – A little known film starring Jim Caviezel and Dennis Quaid about a young man who lost his father to an explosion years ago.                                   Now, because of a natural phenomenon, he is able to reconnect with him over a ham radio…years in the past.  I love the way their                             relationship develops and the intricate way changes in the past affect the future.  A great example of the butterfly effect.

6.  Silverado – A very clever spoof on the classic western.  It’s just serious enough to allow the sarcasm to trickle through without hammering the                           audience on the head.  Great cast as well.

5.  Stranger Than Fiction – One of Will Ferrell’s best movies.  He doesn’t try to be funny at all.  He plays the straight man, an IRS agent and                                         creature of habit(s)…many of them.  He suddenly hears the voice of a woman, narrating his life, then discovers he the protagonist                           in her next tragedy.  

4.  Forrest Gump – Who doesn’t love Forrest Gump?  To think John Travolta was the first choice to play Forrest blows my mind.  No one…and I                                mean no one…could have been Forrest Gump but Tom Hanks.  Clever weaving of historical events and Forrest’s kind-hearted                                  blundering through time.

3.  Captain America:  Civil War – By the way, this is probably my wife’s least favorite movie of all time.  For one thing, she hates continuous fight                            scenes.  Secondly, because she hates it when groups/friends end up fighting each other.  It’s my favorite because of the cast of                                characters, the depth of Captain America (Chris Evans), and the heart-wrenching struggle Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr) goes                                    through.

2. Galaxy Quest – A wonderful, tongue and cheek, spoof of my beloved Star Trek.  Hilarious and yet touching.  Excellent cast of characters.

1.  Princess Bride – A classic spoof (I think you’re starting to see the pattern here) of fantasy hero films.  Clever writing…excellent                                                       acting…repeatable lines.  This is a great film for classic memes.  If you’ve never seen this film…stop right now and watch it.  By                                 the way, the book is even better.

I know these weren’t critical assessments of the stories, plots, acting or ground-breaking impact on the film industry.  But, they are great movies to watch.  So, kick off the shoes and escape for a little while with a good movie.  By the way, a movie doesn’t have to have nudity, extreme violence or rude language to be good.  Now, how about your list?  Would you let me know?  I’d love to hear from you.

Mitchell