Play It Again, Sam

Do you like movies? Is your idea of a great night at home a favorite flick and a bowl of popcorn? Considering our stay-at-home status for the past three months, I hope that has been part of it. Word is movie theaters will start to open next month, but I won't be one of the first in line. Streaming or even a well-played DVD is the safest choice for Betty and me.

Are there movies you can watch again and again? I have dozens, but here is my shortlist to get you thinking about some of your favorites. 


Casablanca. I am immediately transported to a time of mystery, romance, and elegance. I want to find a club with a piano and the last plane leaving soon. Humphrey and Ingrid are the perfect couple in the perfect movie. And, who doesn't love the French Captain, playing both sides against each other. This is one of those movies I love in its original black and white. Truthfully, I just watched this again last week and fell in love all over again. And, yes, I know the blog title's words are not spoken in the movie, but the phrase has come to represent the film.

French Kiss. Paris and love. A scoundrel with a heart of gold. A man, a woman, and a dream. No matter how many times I see this, I get misty when Kevin Kline sits next to Meg Ryan on the plane in the last scene.

Singing in the Rain. I'm still not sure how Donald O'Connor can pull off the dance moves he does, especially knowing he smoked four packs of cigarettes a day. Gene Kelly and Debby Reynolds are actually believable as a couple, even though there is a 20-year difference in their ages. Gene makes rain and getting wet the height of romance. 

Wizard of Oz. The transition from black and white to color when Dorothy arrives in Oz is still stunning after all these years of technological advances. The Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, and Tin Man are simply lovable. If you have been separated from your family over the past few months, the story must touch you. After all, don't we all want to go home again?

Mary Poppins  (the original). This brings back powerful memories of family nights when the kids were growing up. Singing all the songs, watching Dick Van Dyke do a chalk drawing and a bad English accent, or the proper English Dad getting so frustrated over his kids while loving them to death. This was the perfect family film at our house. The newer version is also a keeper, but I will need many more viewings to have it make this list.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. After seeing this, I grew a mustache and have never shaved it off. The first of the successful "buddy films" made Robert Redford a star. The shootout in Bolivia still brings chills, as does Katharine Ross, but for entirely different reasons.

The Quiet Man. I have been to the tiny Irish village of Kong where much of this movie was filmed. It is every bit as quaint and beautiful as it looks on film. Seeing it takes me back to a simpler (and definitely not PC)  time when "men were men and women were glad of it." I always refer to a hike as just a "good stretch of the legs." This is proof John Wayne could do much more than ride a horse.

Avatar. The story has been told many times before. The characters aren't very memorable. But, seeing this in 4K changed the way I will look at movies forever. The colors, the absolute breathtaking visuals, and the majesty of a magical world take me away. The picture leaps off a 2-dimensional screen like no other movie I have seen. The underlying narrative of the slaughter of native people for economic reasons seems very relevant today and every bit as disturbing.

Frozen. This must make my list because of the number of times I have seen it with the grandkids. Beautifully animated with a strong story. And, I am a lover of anything Olaf: several stuffed dolls, a face cloth, and an Olaf coffee cup. When the character sings about the joys of summer, I always join in.

Mamma Mia. My son-in-law rolls his eyes every time I mention this one. Sorry, I love the music and the scenery. I could live without Pierce Brosnan's singing, but sets are gorgeous, and everyone is so energetic. It doesn't hurt that Betty and I saw the stage show in London's West End 17 years ago. 


Those are 10 movies I can watch again and again. Now it is your turn. What movies are on your list, and why? Leave your comment, and maybe I'll just discover a flick I need to re-watch. Go ahead and give my choices a thumbs up or down. I can take it. 

Go ahead...Make my day.