Monday, March 18, 2013

TOP TEN MOVIE COUNTDOWN BLOGFEST


                                                                   


Today Alex J. Cavanaugh is hosting the  TOP TEN MOVIE COUNTDOWN BLOGFEST.  Be sure to visit all of the participants who will be sharing their lists. Many thanks to Alex, and here's my journey through the movies.

The scene begins where Barbra Streisand is singing, "The Way We Were."  Robert Redford and James Brolin are in the audience cheering her on, as my life flashes before my eyes.

The first movie I remember seeing with my family was The Sound of Music, and  I still get teary eyed every time I watch it. When I was about eight, my parents took my brother and me to see The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie with Maggie Smith. My brother said I made a huge gasp when I was exposed to my first nude scene. It was tastefully done with one of Maggie Smith's students at an all girls school, but I still couldn't believe that I was allowed to watch it. Of course my parents were as surprised as I was, but for different reasons.

As a teenager, not only did I love Funny Girl, but I wanted to sing like Barbra Streisand. Blazing Saddles is still my all time favorite comedy. In the early seventies, the big movie premieres were featured in large historic theaters with balconies in the heart of downtown before they came out to the suburbs. It was a big event going into the city with our parents, and it really made us feel grown up.

Annie Hall symbolized my teenage years. I always loved Woody Allen movies, but I could especially relate to Diane Keaton's funny, awkward character. I even started wearing the same over-sized tortoise shell glasses that she wore in the movie. I thought I was sheik, though my fellow classmates didn't view me the same way in my rose colored glasses.

The best part of the next movie happened off screen. Shortly after my husband and I started dating he took me to see Legal Eagles. It was a cute romantic comedy starring Robert Redford, Debra Winger, and Daryl Hannah. When Robert Redford was trying to decide between his two co-stars my future husband whispered to me, "I have the best of both worlds, because you're pretty like Daryl Hannah, and smart like Debra Winger." Of course the rest of the movie was a blur.

Other movie classics include: The Godfather, the war movie featuring a real double-amputee war veteran The Best Years of Our Lives, and the foreign Holocaust film, Life is Beautiful.

I'll never forget when I took our older son to see his first movie, The Jungle Book. He was about two years old, and we went with my best friend and her little boy. Though the movie came out in 1967,  it was re-released in 1990. It was such a special moment when my boy held his hand in mine as the lights went down in the movie theater before the cartoon began. At first he was frightened by the dark, and relieved when the colorful characters appeared on the screen. It was wonderful seeing the movie through his eyes. This proved how sometimes the experience surrounding the movie is as magical as the movie itself.


64 comments:

  1. Some great movies you have here and I love the little stories you tell with them.


    ~Naila Moon
    http://yaknowstuff.blogspot.com/2013/03/mondays-music-moves-me-and-top-10-movies.html#comment-form

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  2. Your hubby sounds like a keeper! I still love the Jungle Book and can remember most of the words to the songs. I longed for My Own Home, too. Sadly I didn't know it came with so many chores!

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  3. Aw, I can't wait to take my son to his first film!

    I love The Sound of Music. I must have seen it over fifty times by now.

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    1. Talli - Your little boy is such a cutie, and you will love every first you have with him! I've also seen The Sound of Music many times, and it was very emotional when they had a cast reunion on Oprah a few years ago.

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  4. Nalia - I thought I'd try something a little different. Thanks Nalia!

    Jenn - It's true that they had less housekeeping chores in the Jungle Book, and of course hunting was out of the question because they wouldn't want to hurt their friends! Hubby is a keeper though I can't remember the last time he whispered those sweet nothings! Thanks Jenn!

    Julie

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  5. Oh, Life is Beautiful was such a powerful movie. And you've reminded me of another Barbra Streisand movie with Ryan O'Neal called "What's Up, Doc?". That was such a great comedy and I remember watching it as a kid. It's been years, but I need to go hunt that movie down and watch it again. (:

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  6. I loved The Way We Were and saw it countless times. I was hoping the end would change each time. Failing that, I looked forward to a sequel, but alas, that was never to be.

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  7. Legal Eagles... was a great film. Good Call!

    Jeremy [Retro-Z]
    Howlin' Wolf

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  8. Great list of movies Julie. I love the Sound of Music.

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  9. I don't think I could come up with ten movies. Field of Dreams is my all time favourite. I watch it every time it comes on tv. The last movie we watched was a Chipmunks movie. We took our grandson to see it. I loved it. We asked him if he liked it and he said "NO".

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  10. Sure have the bear necessities, great list.

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  11. I love the Sound of Music, but my husband really doesn't so I don't get to see it that often. If I watch it he goes to play with his 3D printer downstairs :). Blazing Saddles is such a fun movie; Mongo is just brilliant.

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  12. Excellent choices. I could have put a few of those on my list, especially Jungle Book and Life is Beautiful. And what a sly romantic you married! :)

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  13. Blazing Saddles just missed my top ten. Best comedy ever.
    Thanks for participating in my blogfest!

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  14. Following from the Top Ten Movie Countdown BlogFest.

    I used to love plunking myself down in front of the tv any time The Sound of Music would come on...then the network started looking for ways to squeeze in more commercials. Making cuts was bad enough, but when they started taking out the middles of songs???? Puh-leeze!

    Two thumbs up for Blazing Saddles too. And now I've got a couple more movies for my never-watched-but-it's-on-my-list-to-be-watched-now list.

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  15. Such an awesome list! Now I want to see Life is Beautiful again. :)

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  16. I've never seen Jean Brody, but have always heard it was a great film. I may have to check it out :)

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  17. I knew you would come up with a creative way to do your list, Julie. Love it! And, I had totally forgotten about the movie Legal Eagles but I loved that movie, how fun. Unfortunately I don't have a story as romantic as yours to go along with it. Your husband hit it out of the park with that! :)

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  18. The Sound of Music would definitely be on my top ten list. I've seen it so many times that I've lost count. : )

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  19. The Sound of Music! God that brings so many memories. And Life is Beautiful almost made my list. Great movie!

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    1. Mark - It was a great movie! Maggie Smith from Downton Abbey won an Oscar for her performance.

      Julie - Did I mention he was just getting to know me then?!

      Susanne - I've also seen it so many times, and it never gets old.

      Al - Both were extraordinary award winning movies!

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  20. Elise - "What's Up Doc?" is a very cute comedy, and Madeline Kahn really stole the show! Life is Beautiful is very powerful, and also has light and funny moments too.

    Arleen - I always wanted to see a sequel with a happy ending too.

    Jeremy - I liked the cast, but the memory holds even more meaning for me.

    Rhonda - I remember sitting in the front row during the Sound of Music, as all of the performances were sold out.

    Delores - Field of Dreams is a great movie! I love the story about your grandson!

    Pat - The Bare Necessities is a great song from The Jungle Book, and now I won't be able to stop singing it!

    Natasha - Sorry your husband doesn't appreciate the Sound of Music, but I'm sure he would enjoy watching Blazing Saddles with you!

    Luanne - Life is Beautiful and The Jungle Book are both classics. Yes, he was quite the "sly" one back then! Now he doesn't bother me while I'm happily eating my popcorn at the movies!

    Alex - I agree that no one has ever topped Blazing Saddles. I think there was talk of making it into a musical.

    LuAnn - I never noticed that they edited the songs. Every song has a special meaning, and shouldn't be cut down especially from the middle.

    David - I also think that Life is Beautiful is defintely worth seeing again!

    Julie


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  21. Julie I love your list~ YOU covered so many wonderful flicks~
    I'm craving popcorn, after reading your post :D

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  22. Ahhh, The Godfather! Seen it at least 50 times. Never gets old.

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  23. Hi Julie .. I loved your story about Legal Eagles and as they say the rest is history!! Some of these I haven't seen .. I really need to see The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - I'm sure I've seen parts but not all the way through ...

    Cheers Hilary

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  24. Ella - Everything is better with popcorn! Thanks Ella!

    Nancy - You are absolutely right about The Godfather!

    Hilary - I think that you would really like The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. I tried to find it on Netflix but it wasn't available which is surprising due to Maggie Smith's success on Downton Abbey. Thanks Hilary!

    Julie

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  25. I love the Jungle Book. It's the first movie I bought. I still have the songs memorized. This is a great list, Julie.

    xoRobyn

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  26. The Jungle Book will always hold a place in my heart as I remember my aunt taking me to see it at the movies when I was a little kid. This was in the day before DVDs and VHS.

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  27. Robyn - I still can't get The Bare Necessities out of my mind! Thanks Robyn!

    Stephen - It's a nice memory to have with your aunt! Even with DVD's there's still something special about going to the movies, though some movies should only be seen on TV.

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  28. I loved listening to Barbra Streisand's singing and Funny Girl. I also liked Legal Eagles. :-)

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    1. Sia - I was so excited to hear her sing The Way We Were during the In Memorium segment at the Academy Awards! She also did a great job playing Seth Rogen's mom recently in Guilt Trip.

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  29. I really enjoyed this stroll through your life in films. I remember taking my kids to see Ghostbusters and ET. They loved it :-)

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    1. Rosalind - Those were both really good movies! When our kids were little we went on the ET ride at Universal Studios. I think I had more fun than they did! Thanks Rosalind!

      Julie

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  30. The SOund of Music made my list, too. It's my favorite classic.
    Nutschell
    www.thewritingnut.com

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  31. I love the way you shared the "why" for each of your picks. And it's a very nice list.

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  32. Nutscell - I agree that Sound of Music is a classic, and I'm glad it made your list too!

    LD - I really love movies, and this really helped me narrow it down. Thanks LD!

    Julie

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  33. Greetings my human friend, Julie,

    Apologies for such a late arrival to your posting. I was having a well deserved doggy nap :) Oh, I very much like your movie choices. And my human, naughty man, reminds me of a certain campfire scene, some beans and you know the rest from "Blazing Saddles"! :)

    Pawsitive wishes,

    Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar! :)

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    1. Penny - That's also one of my favorite scenes in the movie, and I don't think I've eaten baked beans since! Pawsitive wishes to you too Penny, and say "hi" to Gary for me!

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  34. Very sweet post and I love how you interweaved your fave movies with key moments in your life. Very creative! The only movie I've actually seen on your list is The Jungle Book although I've seen bits of some others. A cool first movie to see at the cinema!

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  35. Your husband is Mr. Romantic :)
    Great list - I loved the reasons why you chose these movies.

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  36. Ha! I haven't seen Blazing Saddles in ages. I think it's one of my hubby's favourites too.

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  37. Thanks Nick! It was fun coming up with the list!

    Carol - Keep in mind this was about twenty seven years ago! Thanks Carol!

    Lynda - I remember how outrageous that movie was when it first came out, and now it's considered to be pretty tame by comparison.

    Julie

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  38. oh you have one of my favs on here--the way we were is one of the best!!!! and the jungle book has special meaning for me----great subject :)

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  39. Yes! "Blazing Saddles" and also "Young Frankenstein"! I love those two great comedies from Mel Brooks. You have a bunch of wonderful picks here - I enjoyed reading about them. :-)

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  40. My all time favorite from your list was Funny Girl. Streisand was wonderful. Never could sing though...darn.

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  41. Lynn - Glad we have similar taste in movies! Thanks Lynn!

    Lexa - I also saw Young Frankenstein the musical on stage, and it was quite a treat! Thanks Lexa!

    Sharon - I loved Funny Girl, and still remember the words to most of the songs! Thanks Sharon!

    Julie

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  42. I still tear up when I hear Barbara sing that song. Happened again at the Academy Awards this year. I'm so soppy.

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    1. Lee - I felt the same way when I heard her sing a tribute to Marvin Hamlisch at the Academy Awards. It was very moving.

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  43. Wow, how did I miss this? I haven't seen your blog on my reader for a while, and haven't heard from you, so I thought I'd just check to make sure you're okay.

    Yep. Good taste in movies, too!

    I remember going to the drive-in with my parents as a kid and seeing "Ma and Pa Kettle" movies, going downtown to a fancy theatre with my grandmother to watch "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea". (And getting scared half to death... good thing we didn't watch it TWICE!)

    I love, love, LOVE "Funny Girl" and can sing every darned song from it. I may not sound like Barbra, but I sure make a joyful noise!

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    1. Susan - Sorry I haven't been over to visit in a while. I've been trying to get organized for A to Z, and with the holiday I don't know whether I'm coming or going! The boys also had their spring breaks, so things have been more hectic than usual. Thanks for thinking about me, and I'm ready to belt out Don't Rain On My Parade with you anytime!

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    2. No need to apologize. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, that's all. I hope you had a super visit with your boys. Good luck with the A-Z. I'm not gonna be blogging in April, but I'll try to stop by a time or two to see what you're doing with the Challenge.

      Didn't you go to Israel last year? If so, did you go through Ben Gurian airport? (I've never been, and have no idea if there's more than one major airport there.) I came across a video of the waterfall in that airport and included it on my post (I think it was called "In Praise of Water" or something like that.) a little bit ago. Anyhow, that waterfall looks soooo incredible, and I was wondering if you got to see it in person. (I had NO idea it was possible to make water do that kinda stuff!)

      Ready to sing when you are...

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    3. Susan - We went to Israel in the fall of 2011, and I don't think it was built yet. My husband went back with his brother last year, and they also hadn't seen it. He has lots of family out there, and of course you're the first person to tell us about it! We are planning a family trip to go again, and thanks to you we'll be on the lookout for the fountain! Now I have to find your story.

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    4. Oh, cool! You'll have to take some pictures. (Or better yet, video!)

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    5. I'm sure the quality won't be as good as the one you found Susan!

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  44. Hurray, lots of films there that I've seen and enjoyed. The Jungle Book was my first date with my ex-husband though so that's not so good! I've been visiting these posts but no one as yet has included that old classic, Casablanca. They don't make films like that anymore!

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    1. Rosalind - Sorry the Jungle Book brings back bad memories for you. Someone did mention the classic Casablanca, but of course I can't remember who it was. Happy Pesach Rosalind!

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  45. Just dropping by from the blog hop. Our lists don't overlap but you've some great variety in your list. :3

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  46. My hubby and I still amuse each other with spontaneous quotes from "Blazing Saddles". We have seen it so many times. Great movie choices!

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  47. Capillary - Thank you, and I'll head over to your list!

    Susan - It's been so long that I'd like to see it again! It's cute that you and your hubby remember the lines so well! Thanks Susan!

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  48. Jean Brodie and The Godfather could make my list.

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  49. Looks like you've seen some good movies. The first movie I ever saw in the theater was the Jungle Book, but not during the re-release, but the original release.

    I hope you're having a wonderful Passover.

    http://joycelansky.blogspot.com

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  50. You have great taste in movies JJ!

    Joyce - I don't remember seeing the movie as a little girl, but I do remember reading the Disney book. Hope you're having a wonderful Passover too Joyce!

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