Pick me

To list is to be alive. So, I sit here and dilligently work on my 'top 100' movies list, revising last year's list, contemplating those movies I've watched in the past year, and trying desperately to determine which movie of the hundreds that I've seen is #1. For #1 last year, I went with my passion and chose Moulin Rouge, a movie that surprised me with its musical selections, wooed me with its story line, and won me with its acting, singing and grandeur. I still feel overcome when I watch the scene where the hero waits while the woman he loves rendezvous with another to preserve the facade of art and beauty put forth by the "cast" of the brothel at which she works.

This year, I feel compelled to forage in my memory to capture the essence of those films that have mattered to me and influenced me in a profound way. I remember seeing Tootsie and The Muppet Movie in the theater as a kid. Course, I had no idea that Tootsie was pushing the boundaries of gender roles; I just thought it was funny when Charles Durning's character tried to kiss "Dorothy" played by Dustin Hoffman. And, as awful as it is upon a re-watch, I loved being allowed to see my first PG-13 movie, Mad Max, Beyond Thunderdome - man, Tina Turner was bad-ass. Are these movies list-worthy? Maybe Tootsie, since it is recognized as a top-notch comedy, but the others, probably not. So I make this determination, but I leave another movie very near my top 10 that most people would cringe upon hearing the title (forget about actually watching it): Labyrinth. I am entranced every time I watch this movie - I love the imagination and darkness; the fantastical creatures and interesting sets; and yes, even the lesson learned by the heroine makes me cheer a little for the power and strength of a young girl who has tested her limits and found that she can control her own life. So, I am not sure what this list will ultimately prove, since I like such different films than the other contributors, but I do know that taking the time to sift through the experiences and memories of movies watched is a singular task that illustrates the connections betwixt and among humans. And it reminds me that there are many more scenes to watch and so many more actors to pan, all the while keeping David Bowie up on that golden pedestal of 'top 100'. Make your own damn list.

Happy birthday to Mark - it's all in your head. Besides, like a fine Keaton film, we get better with age.