I've stated elsewhere that I hate favorites, so I'll never list them. How convenient that someone else will list my favorites for me!I had a much-needed lunch today with my friend Jared, whose blog can be found at Because You Care What I Think (Don't You?). My history with him is brief, beautiful, and wistful, and I am very glad that he's my friend. He made this list for me, forgot to bring it to lunch, and then e-mailed it to me. I've written brief notes on each one. I think it's more fun than actually making a list of my own.
12 Monkeys: I love science fiction and crazy people depicted well. Bruce Willis and I have the same birthday.
American Beauty: I am in love with Alan Ball's writing; I finished watching the last episode of Six Feet Under last night. I saw American Beauty for the first time with a friend at the Crest, a local cheap second-run theater. It destroyed me.
Barton Fink: I saw this with my ex-fiance. Yes, I was engaged. It was some years ago now, and it was a bad idea for everyone.
Before Sunrise: I'm a sucker for sad love stories.
Blood Simple: Haven't seen it.
Donnie Darko: Talk about crazy people and films destroying me; this was the last movie I saw with the only man to break my heart (not his fault, it was the timing). We caught the Director's Cut at the Metro on Queen Anne and I couldn't talk for about an hour afterward. It hit a little too close to home.
The Elephant Man: I haven't seen this since I was a kid and I don't have a particularly clear memory of it, but some of the images rise out of my subconscious every so often.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: This was the first movie I was with the aforementioned man-who-broke-my-heart. It was our first date, which lasted two days and occurred over my birthday. The universe has a wonderful sense for foreshadowing, in my opinion.
Fargo: Always good.
Fight Club: At the time, I identified plenty with this movie and wished that someone knew enough to make something with the same feel for women. Later I wrote Space.
The Fisher King: Yes.
Glengarry Glen Ross: My ambivalence towards David Mamet aside, I can't deny that he's a master craftsman.
The Manchurian Candidate (1962): Classic.
The Ice Storm: If I had favorites, Ang Lee might be my favorite film director.
Lost in Translation: If I make plans with someone to see a movie, and then they see it without me, it is 99% likely that I will never see that film. This happened a lot when I was dating Adam. Therefore, I've never seen Lost in Translation, but I've always suspected that I'd love it.
Manhattan (1979): My sister hates Woody Allen, because he reminds her of our mother. I kind of love him, because he reminds me of New York. The further I go, the more I miss New York.
Mulholland Drive: The first movie I ever saw in the theater was David Lynch's Dune. It certainly had a defining effect on my artistic sensibility.
Rear Window: I AD'd a stage version of Rope and made my way through the more significant part so Hitchcock's canon at the time. So, yes.
Ronin: Haven't seen this one. I'm not sure that I'd like it.
Secretary: Loved it. Last year I dated a guy whose blog nickname was Mr. Grey (Jinny gave it to him).
Traffic: Missed this, again, not sure if I care. I really should see it. Didn't it win some awards? I'm clearly paying attention.
Trainspotting: I saw this in the theaters when it came out on an awful, terrible date with my ex-boyfriend's friend. I was seventeen and had just had an abortion about a month before with said ex. I fell in love with Ewan MacGregor, of course, and every time I tell this story Patricia tells the one where she bummed a smoke to Ewan, assuming he was a street person. She wins, I think.
Vertigo: As above, per Hitchcock.
Wonder Boys: Haven't seen it.
