We all have those movies that shaped our childhoods. As a kid, you never care whether or not your favorite film was critically acclaimed or a box office hit, but you loved it no matter how cheesy or ridiculous it was. Here are mine:
10) The Princess Bride. (1987).
Wesley and Princess Buttercup. A rhyming Andre the Giant. Fred Savage. A love story of epically comical proportions.
Anybody want a peanut?
9) Hook. (1991)
Robin Williams in green tights and Dustin Hoffman as Captain Hook. This movie version of the Peter Pan focuses on the “Grown up” Peter Pan. Peter has a family and a successful job and has forgotten the life he lived in Neverland until he pays a visit to his childhood home where Captain Hook seeks his revenge on Peter by kidnapping his children and forcing Peter to revisit Neverland and to remember the life he once lived. Along the way, Peter realizes how far he has come from the free-spirited Peter Pan he once was and must put his own children first before they forget him forever.
8) Fried Green Tomatoes. (1991)
A sad and depressingly beautiful movie, that despite my obvious taste for movies with lots of overacting, cartoon characters, and beautiful princesses as a child, I somehow managed to fall in love with.
7) The Never Ending Story. (1984)
A boy who gets picked on, escapes his tormenters by hiding in an attic and reading a magical book alone on a rainy night find himself drawn into the storyline. The hero gets to save the princess, while riding acorss the sky on a friendly luckdragon named Falkor, nonetheless. What kid doesn’t wish that this would happen to them? I think this movie inspired an entire generation of children to read. The story is amazing and the graphics are STILL better than alot of movies being made today.
6) Sleeping Beauty. (1959).
Does anyone else look back at some of the old classic Disney movies and notice how dark, depressing, and haunting some of them are? I mean isn’t the witch Maleficent just about the scariest villain? Her voice and laugh still gives me goosebumps. And what was with her creepy minions and that annoying pet crow; not to mention that long rod she bang on the ground all the time.
Kids these days have it easy…it’s all sparkly vampires and wizards.
But really, I think this might have been the first animated Disney movie I ever saw and definetely cemented that “prince charming” complex I suffered as a result.
I loved the three fairy godmothers: Flora, Fauna, and (especially) the chubby troublemaker, Merryweather.
(seriously how cute is she with those chubby cheeks?)
My favorite scene in the movie is when the three of them are trying to prepare a surprise 16th birthday party for Princess Aurora without the help of magic. Unsupsringly, a kerfuffle insues. Meanwhile, Princess Aurora is in the forest singing and dancing with the forest animals. Classic!
5) The Adventures of Milo and Otis. (1989).
Growing up, I had a VHS tape with Milo and Otis and Sleeping Beauty on it. I literally wore that tape out. I would watch one after the other over and over (great parenting mom and dad) and I was utterly distraught when the tape died. Thinking back on it now, it never occurred to me to ask for a new copy of my two “Cant live without” movies from my parents…but maybe by then I had moved on to greener and more musical pastures (see movie below) or maybe my parents were sick of me hogging the t.v.
That kooky cat and silly pup and there whirlwind adventures were mesmerizing to me. Plus, I remember thinking that a talking cat and dog was the most hilarious thing ever.
FYI: Recently, I was reading an article on Milo and Otis and found out that the movie was orginally japanese and the movie was re-edited with English Speaking dialog.
– also the same article said there were some serious concerns regarding the safety of the animals in the movie and that several animals died during its making. Thankfully, I only just became aware of this recently or I would have been traumatized as a child and the movie would have made a much different list. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Milo_and_Otis)
4) Little Mermaid. (1989)
It seems that alot of my favorite childhood movies involve dancing and singing. Little Mermaid is no exception. A sassy, independent, red- headed mermaid dreams of being human and falls in love with the handsome Prince Eric. With the help of a flustered and anxious fish and a possibly gay lobster with a French (or Caribbean) accent try to keep Ariel out of trouble. Also noteworthy cameo appearances by: a mentally ill seagull with hoarding tendencies, an overweight French cook with an anger problem and fat evil half octopus, half human villain.
3) What About Bob. (1991).
Still one of my favorite movies today, What About Bob is one of those rare movies from my childhood that I love more each time I watch it. Probably the only movie to make the cross over onto my “top ten movies of all time” list, What ABout Bob introduced me to Bill Murray and since then I have never looked back. (Okay, except maybe when he was the voice of Garfield a couple years ago or when he did Osmosis Jones).
What About Bob taught me some important life lessons:
– that having mental illness and phobias was cool.
– that stalking is socially acceptable.
– that keeping your pet fish in a jar around your neck is an excellent way to travel with beloved pets.
– that trying to communicate to your children with scary sock puppets that are creepy versions of yourself is not cool.
p.s. Someone please tell me where I can get that “Don’t Hassle Me, I’m a Local” t-shirt?!! (wait nevermind, just found it…here for $21.95 http://www.founditemclothing.com/t-shirts/dont-hassle-me-shirt.html …a little pricey, but I’m thinking this may make a good halloween costume)
Here is a clip of one of the many hilarious scenes:
2) Home Alone. (1990)
I never quite got over my crush on Macaulay Kulkin thanks to Home Alone. Today, whenever I see a picture of him, my heart beats a little faster and I spontaneously whisper “I love you Kevin.” I think enough time has past now that I can admit to the fact that I wrote him several fan letters and my dad got me a signed picture of Macaulay for Christmas one year.
But seriously, ever child’s dream. Being forgotten on a family vacation and having free roam of spacious house, free to do what ever you want, eat ice cream until you feel sick, watch rated R movies and sleeping in late. That is, until two menacing (but thankfully idiotic) burglars terrorize the neighborhood and Kevin somehow manages to make some of the most ingenious and painful traps that left audiences grimacing.
1) Newsies. (1992).
My love for Newsies bordered (okay still borders) on obsession. Featuring a young Christian Bale as a homeless streetwise but tenderhearted tough kid and his gang of fellow whippersnappers, selling “paps” on the streets of New York. Accompanied by some of the best choregraphed dancing sequences and heart wrenching songs.
Ask any girl born between approximately 1981 and 1992 if they have seen Newsies. The answer will most likely be “yes” and “YES.” And if it happens to be me you ask…be prepared for a ten minute choreographed rendition of the movie complete with ACCURATE lyrics and horrible leg kicks.
(And yes I still know all the words to this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av77_epf3l4)
Our Wild Precious Lives 