My Favourite Things . . .

 

A few of the things in life that make my heart go pitty pat. Maybe they will do the same thing for yours. ♥♥♥   Today I'm talking my ten most favourite movies.  (In no specific order, I can't pick a favourite favourite!)

 

Our Vines Have Tender Grapes (1945), starring Edward G Robinson, (In a very rare role as doting father), Agnes Moorehead, Margaret O-Brien and Jackie Jenkins.  If I had to pick a favourite favourite it would be this. A Wisconsin farming family takes on the struggles and rewards of rural life. Martinius Jacobson (Edward G. Robinson) is a humble Norwegian farmer, working his small farm with only the help of his wife, Bruna (Agnes Moorehead), and his young daughter, Selma (Margaret O'Brien). Selma and her cousin, Arnold (Jackie "Butch" Jenkins), witness many dramatic episodes over the course of a year, including a neighbor's barn fire, a raging flood and a brief visit from a traveling circus elephant. I think it is just wonderful.  I have lots of happy memories also of watching this in bed with my youngest son. He loved it too.

  

The Moonspinners (1965)starring Haley Mills, Eli Wallach and Peter McEnery.A young girl finds romance and intrigue when she takes a holiday on the island of Crete. Arriving at the Moon-Spinners Hotel, she falls for a mysterious young Englishman who appears to be caught up in a jewellery-smuggling ring. This film is based on a book by the same name by Mary Stewart.  I love this film.  It's got great scenery, a fab story, romance, intrigue and Haley's clothes are just wonderful!

  

The Family Man, starring Nicholas Cage and Tea Leoni. Jack's lavish, fast-paced lifestyle changes one Christmas night when he stumbles into a grocery store holdup and disarms the gunman. The next morning he wakes up in bed lying next to Kate (Tea Leoni), his college sweetheart he left in order to pursue his career, and to the horrifying discovery that his former life no longer exists. As he stumbles through this alternate suburban universe, Jack finds himself at a crossroad where he must choose between his high-power career and the woman he loves. I know it is a Christmas film, but I could really watch this any time of the year!

  

The First Mama Mia, with more stars in it than I can list and a cracking sound track! Donna (Meryl Streep), an independent hotelier in the Greek islands, is preparing for her daughter's wedding with the help of two old friends. Meanwhile Sophie, the spirited bride, has a plan. She secretly invites three men from her mother's past in hope of meeting her real father and having him escort her down the aisle on her big day. A cute story, music by Abba, an all star cast!  This film has everything!

  

A Summer Place (1959) starring Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue.The big-screen adaptation of Sloan Wilson's popular novel follows wealthy Ken Jorgenson (Richard Egan) as he brings his wife (Constance Ford) and teenage daughter, Molly (Sandra Dee), to the Maine vacation spot where he worked as a middle-class youth. When Ken reunites with his former flame, the now-married Sylvia (Dorothy McGuire), it sparks a passionate tryst. Meanwhile, Sylvia's son, Johnny (Troy Donahue), and Molly begin a romance of their own, unaware of their parents' affair.  Plus it has THIS SONG.  The music alone takes me back to my childhood. (Percy Faith and his orchestra.)

 

The Holiday (2006). Dumped and depressed, English rose Iris agrees to swap homes with similarly unlucky in love Californian Amanda for a much-needed break. Iris finds herself in a palatial Hollywood mansion while Amanda navigates the lanes of a picture-perfect English village. Soon enough, both lovelorn ladies bump into local lads perfect for a romantic pick-me-up. The cottage. The romance.  I love it all!

 

Love Story, (1970) starring Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal. When wealthy Harvard University law student Oliver Barrett IV (Ryan O'Neal) meets Jenny Cavilleri (Ali MacGraw), a middle-class girl who is studying music at Radcliffe College, it's love at first sight. Despite the protests of Oliver's father (Ray Milland), the young couple marry. Oliver finds a job at a legal firm in New York City, but their happy life comes crashing down when it's discovered that Jenny has a terminal illness. Together, they try to cope with the situation as best they can. Sigh  . . .

 

An Affair to Remember (1957), starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. A man and a woman have a romance while on a cruise from Europe to New York. Despite being engaged to other people, both agree to reunite at the top of the Empire State Building in six months. However, an unfortunate accident keeps her from the reunion, and he fears that she has married or does not love him anymore. The ultimate Romance film.

 

The Goodbye Girl (1977), starring Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason.Dancer Paula McFadden (Marsha Mason) and her ten-year-old daughter Lucy (Quinn Cummings) live in a Manhattan apartment with her married boyfriend, Tony DeForrest, until one day, he deserts her to go and act in a film in Italy. Before he left and unbeknownst to Paula, Tony subleased the apartment to Elliot Garfield (Richard Dreyfuss), a neurotic but sweet aspiring actor from Chicago, who shows up in the middle of the night expecting to move in. Though Paula is demanding and also neurotic, and makes clear from the start that she doesn't like Elliot, he allows her and Lucy to stay.  Love this, and of course the  song is a huge part of that.

 

  

When Harry Met Sally (1989) In 1977, college graduates Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) and Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) share a contentious car ride from Chicago to New York, during which they argue about whether men and women can ever truly be strictly platonic friends. Ten years later, Harry and Sally meet again at a bookstore, and in the company of their respective best friends, Jess (Bruno Kirby) and Marie (Carrie Fisher), attempt to stay friends without sex becoming an issue between them. I just love this movie. No matter how many times I see it.

  

Steel Magnolias (1989), with its all-star female cast is a real favourite of  mine! M'Lynn (Sally Field) is the mother of bride-to-be Shelby Eatenton (Julia Roberts), and as friend Truvy Jones (Dolly Parton) fixes the women's hair for the ceremony, they welcome a helping hand from aspiring beautician Annelle Dupuy Desoto (Daryl Hannah). Diabetic Shelby has a health scare, which is averted but doesn't bode well for her hopes of having children. Time passes, and the women and their friends encounter tragedy and good fortune, growing stronger and closer in the process. You laugh, you cry and everything in between!

 

Cast Away (2000), starring Tom Hanks.Obsessively punctual FedEx executive Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) is en route to an assignment in Malaysia when his plane crashes over the Pacific Ocean during a storm. The sole survivor of the flight, Chuck washes ashore on a deserted island. When his efforts to sail away and contact help fail, Chuck learns how to survive on the island, where he remains for years, accompanied by only his handmade volleyball friend, Wilson. Will Chuck ever return to civilization and reunite with his loved ones? I thought it was remarkable that one man could be the only person on the screen for 96 percent of a film and keep you totally enthralled.  Its just brilliant!

Okay I did a few more than 10. Once I started, I was on a roll.  There are ever so many more than just these, but these are truly some of my favourite films.  What are some of yours?

A thought to carry with you  . . .

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *Do not lose hope,
please believe that there are
a thousand beautiful things
waiting for you.
Sunshine comes to all who
feel rain. ~r.m.Drake  •。★★ 。* 。 

 

Over in the English Kitchen today  . . .  Poor Man's Apple Pie.  A scrumptiously simple dessert!

Have a great Thursday.  Don't forget!

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And I do too!