Have you ever been asked “What is your favorite movie?” Of course you have. It is one of the more common questions posed by people when they are trying to get to know someone better. The responses to the inquiry vary as wildly as the people giving them and every film genre (no matter how unique) is represented on somebody’s list. When I am asked this question, my reply is even more uncommon because I answer the question with…another question: “Which list?”
After viewing a film, I put it into one of five categories. The first three are similar to what many of you would classify a movie as: terrible, decent but not memorable, and good but not great (aka the “It’s worth spending $1.00 at Redbox” movies). The final two choices include great films, but I split them into one of two possibilities:
Movies I believe are great that you can watch over and over again and never tire of them. I will be the first to admit that they are not great from a critic’s standpoint (none of these will ever be considered a classic) but for some reason, you can watch the movie multiple times in a short duration and enjoy them the same every single time. The National Treasure movies, Independence Day, the Back to the Future trilogy, Dodgeball, and The Replacements are just a few examples.
Movies that are great, but you can only watch them only so often. These movies are often higher up on the critic’s and fan’s all-time best movies lists, but they are so heavy and powerful that time is needed to digest it before you can view it again. My favorite movies of all time fall into this category and include The Count of Monte Cristo, Gladiator, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Illusionist.
You may disagree with these categories. You certainly may disagree with the movies I have included in each category. But to me, when I am asked what my favorite movie is, I have to ask “Which Iist?” My selection for date night is vastly different than one I would like as background noise while I am cleaning. My choice for one to watch to unwind after a long day might contrast the one I desire to attend the midnight showing of. My favorite movie is…dependent on the situation.
Snapurly 