top five movies

Woo hoo for the fifth! It's top five day!

This month we decided to focus on our top five favorite movies of all time.  This one was ridiculously hard to narrow down... but we did our best! 

Here's Lindsey's list:

1. African Queen- This movie has it all: adventure, love, leeches, and most importantly a strong female character.

2. Shawshank Redemption- A heartbreakingly beautiful story of love and friendship, hope and resolve.  I can't help but stop and watch this movie every time I run across it.

3. Monty Python and the Holy Grail- The hold hand grenade, demanding a shrubbery, African or European swallows, there is almost too much good stuff.  High school would not have been the same without this movie.

4. To Kill a Mockingbird- No other movie adaptation of a book has done both justice- in my opinion.  I drool over Gergory Peck/Atticus Finch.

5. 28 Days Later- This movie scared the crap out of me.  Seriously, it still haunts me today years after watching it.  Like good sci fi the thing that spoke to me the most wasn't the fictiony bits but the social commentary. How quickly humans would resort to their basest animal tendencies, how enduring kindness and decency can be.  How we always hold out hope.

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melissa's list:

1. fellowship of the ring

2. empire strikes back

3. west side story

4. home alone

5. babe

(when asked to comment on why she chose each movie, melissa responded, "because they're freaking awesome!")

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cmv's list:

1. Spellbound-  I just love this movie.  Though it's a documentary, the kids are all so cooky that they seem like caricatures.  I love me some cooky kids. (especially when they're homeschooled! (sorry- couldn't help but add that))

2.  West Side Story-  I can't possibly tell you how many times I've watched this movie (many many many of those times with melissa- it's not surprising it's on both of our lists)

3. Life is Beautiful. Besides being a stunning movie with so much to say about the power of attitude and the human character, I think this was the one and only movie I've seen in the theater with just my father.  That made this an especially touching experience.

4. Rocky III-  I love all the Rockys of course (except five-- ick!!).  And am completely helpless to resist the many Rocky marathons you faithfully find on tv (the sandwich spent many a day sucked into a Rocky marathon in our college days).

5. WSS cont... I will admit that I had a hard time deciding between West Side Story and Sound of Music.  If the contest were for most watched movie, the latter would have won hands down (my friend and I used to fall asleep to it every night when we were young).  But Bernstein & Robbins will kick Rogers & Hammerstien's butts anyday.

6. City of God (Cidade de Deus)- This film is emotionally riveting, visually incredible and of course, as an ex-resident,  I have a special weakness for any excuse to hear brazilian portuguese.  

Phew! That was hard, I almost feel a sense of betrayal to some of my other favorites.  As I was typing this I was wondering if we should have waited for the 10th and made it a top ten list this month!

So, we'd love to hear your favorite movies!  What are your top five?

-cmv & the sandwich