I'm Laughin' At Clouds

Upon looking through my past few posts, it seems I have either been bitching about something or shamelessly plugging my book (for sale HERE!!) as of late. So, how about some lighter fare for a change?

A friend called me yesterday afternoon in regards to a movie he thought I would enjoy; knowing, as many do, that I'm a big Wes Anderson fan (Moonrise Kingdom for those of you wondering). After we hung up, I began to think about all the movies I love so dearly.

I then began to contemplate my favorite movies of all time.

After which, I decided to narrow them down to my "Top 5 Favorite Movies Of All Time".

This sort of thing is always drawn-out for me. I take it entirely too seriously, because for me, there are so many factors to consider. It means nothing to anyone but me, yet I want to be thorough. I want it to be my truth.

So, here you go; a day later: my top 5 favorite movies of all time...in very particular order:


5. Meet Me In St. Louis - When I was a little girl, I wanted to grow up to either marry Johnny Castle, Don Lockwood...or John Truitt...the ultimate boy next door. Those of you who have followed my blog for awhile probably already know how much I love musicals. I was raised on them. I've said many times that the hard times wouldn't be so hard if they had a song and dance to go along with them. Also, I'm pretty sure it's a federal crime to not love Judy Garland. I have seen this movie no less than 300 times and I cry each time grandfather gets his old suit out of mothballs so he can take Esther to their last dance in St. Louis; and when he twirls her behind the Christmas tree only for John to be the one twirling her back out. It's about home. It's loving the place you live.

4. Giant - One day, many years ago, I discovered that I share a birthday with James Dean. Of course, I felt the need to get to know more about this iconic man from Indiana who only made three movies in his short lifetime. I watched all three of those movies, and I walked away unable to shake the feeling that I felt while watching "Giant". I love a good epic movie anyway. In fact, this very movie is the one that nudged Gone With The Wind out of my "Top 5". As I've grown older, I've grown to love Reata more than Tara. To respect Leslie more than Scarlett. Just don't make me choose between Bick and Rhett. That I could never do. It's about family, evolution, love, respect and acceptance. Epic indeed.

3. The Royal Tenenbaums - I'm a big Wes Anderson fan. That being said, it wasn't hard to choose my favorite Anderson flick. Maybe it's Alec Baldwin's voice. Maybe it's Richie's beard. Or maybe it's the house on Archer Avenue. Heck, maybe it's even Pagoda's pink pants. Whatever it is, I will always go to this movie when I need a little quirk, and Baldwin's soothing, slightly monotone voice.

2. Arthur - Now let's get something clear. I am referring to the "Arthur" starring Dudley Moore, Liza Minelli and John Gielgud. In no way is this blurb, in any way, endorsing the disrespectful piece of crap that came out last year. I haven't even watched that one. I won't watch that one. Poor Dudley and Sir John must be tired of rolling over in their graves by now. Okay, now that I've finished my rant, I'll get to why I love this movie. It's the perfect comedy. It's hilarious without trying too hard. It's timeless with lines that I repeat on a daily basis. It's about a spoiled rich drunk with a penchant for hookers. What's not to love? Yes, I hate Perry's wife, and you should too.

And now...

~Drumroll~

1. Singin' In The Rain - I never get sick of this movie. Ever. Period. I love Don Lockwood. I love Kathy Seldon. I love Cosmo. I even love Lena. The songs get stuck in my head for days. The dancing makes me feel joyful. Gene Kelley makes me swoon. I could talk about plot and dialogue and direction and whatnot; but ultimately, that isn't what makes a movie timeless. It isn't what makes each person in the world have a different favorite movie. Yes, this is an excellently produced movie for its time, but I don't care about that. I care about the look on Gene's face when he sings, "Come on with the rain, I've a smile on my face". It simply makes me happy, and isn't that what entertainment is supposed to do? Who wants to watch a movie that makes them feel like sticking their head in an oven?

Okay, so those are my top 5, now I want to hear yours. Comment here, e-mail me, or post on the "Lindsey Stuffel, Author" page on Facebook (click, HERE!). This is my first official "Participation Blog". So don't let me down, kids! I want to know what movies you love and why you love them. If you just want to give me one, that's fine. Leave me your top 5, or even your top 6. Not sure where I'm going to go from here, but I'm sure I'll figure it out.

Thanks in advance!

Grouch

I often find myself aghast at how disappointing humankind can be. People seem to be coming out in droves lately in an effort to remind us. Between the liars and the thieves and the jerks, I went to bed last night practically vibrating with anger. I performed my nightly ritual: wash face, moisturize, let Twink outside one last time and crawl into bed. After that, I arranged my pillows in the perfect configuration (yet still managed to wake up with my back screaming in pain) and say my "Thanks". My thanks for the day; for my loved ones; and for those I couldn't bring myself to love for all the money in the world.

Once all that was finished, I remained awake; stewing. Why do people treat one another the way they do? Why do people think they're more deserving of things they haven't worked for than those actually in possession of the things they have worked for? Why can't people grow up and stop looking for the greener grass, when they already have more than they deserve?

Humanity is in a sad state. Extreme oversensitivity battles blatant disrespect everyday. People are either afraid to open their mouths, or they open them entirely too much with uninformed opinions that only serve to puff up those who have to make an issue of every word a person utters. We're locking our doors in what are supposed to be small, quiet, peaceful towns and can't take our eyes off our belongings for a second. This isn't the world that raised me. It's disappointing to know it is the world in which my niece and nephew will grow up.

What happened to taking responsiblity for our actions? Why has it become so perfectly acceptable to offer up an excuse for our own shortcomings instead of standing up and admitting we've done something wrong? It seems people are clamoring to be the next great victim instead of putting forth the effort to be the hero. Leaving your family for someone else isn't respectable. Walking up to people and punching them for no good reason doesn't make you tough. Stealing someone's purse doesn't make you rich.

After my rage over the thieves and the liars and the cheaters and the scum who have been screwing with the people I love for the past few weeks; I pause to ponder. I remind myself that everything ebbs and flows. When the storm hits, the mess gets cleaned up. When someone breaks your heart, it will mend, as long as you let it. When you suddenly find yourself without, you adjust. As humans, we're designed to be resilient, and it's up to us as individuals to exercise that resilience when things get rough.

The bad stuff will go away, but the good stuff usually sticks around. You may have to look at it in a different light, but it's always there.