#5: It’s a Wonderful Life
A Christmas-time classic and overall a beautifully woven tale of a man who sacrifices everything for the people he loves and cares about. His selflessness and sacrifices shown throughout his lifetime are truly heart wrenching, and as you watch George grow and develop as a person, you too develop a deep connecting with the man and his ideals on helping the community and his friends, and in all, just doing what’s right. The way the film starts out with us being told that George is suicidal due to him feeling that his life never amounted to anything, we have this lingering doubt and fear throughout the movie that George will actually go through with his plan. But the Angel has a clever way in solving this issue, for he grants George’s wish that he’d never been born and he is able to see what an effect he had upon everyone in the community’s life, and how even though he hadn’t gone through with all his plans for life, George had still led a generous and selfless life, creating a better life for all those he loved. The message in this movie i find to be absolutely beautiful and i couldn’t help but put it on my list.
#4: Wizard of Oz
Another classic of epic proportion, the Wizard of Oz is one of my all time favorites. The magical aspects incorporated with the lessons tied in with the personalities of each character, and i love the overall idea that makes up the plot. The number of references toward this movie and the spin offs that have been made, such as one of my favorites, “Tin Man”, just add to it’s overall appeal. Not to mention the music and songs incorporated within the movie such as “Follow the Yellow Brick Road” and “We’re Off to See the Wizard” add another level to the story, and the parallel attributes to the citizens of Oz to those in Dorothy's life was quite intriguing, especially at the conclusion of the movie, when she finally wakes up from passing out during the tornado, and you see that the entire adventure was really all a dream.
#3: Lord of the Rings
Moving on from some of the older classics, the Lord of the Rings falls into my love of the times of kingdoms and realms and fantastical adventures. With a complex plot line that reels you into the magic of this completely new world, with languages and creatures never seen before, and the beautiful settings and overall effects used to relay the type of world these characters live in, and I just find this all amazing. The action sequences and fight scenes, along with the extremely realistic costumes and overall design of the sets, and the effects in the creations of characters such as Gollem, the regal beauty of the elves, the humble beginnings of the hobbits, and the righteous bravery of the knights tie together with a complex plot of the struggle between these realms to create a series that I can watch time and time again.
#2: Pirates of the Caribbean
My list wouldn’t be complete without this series of movies. From the snarky, sarcastic and manipulative Jack (who adds most of the humor and comic relief throughout the entire series), to the strong-hearted and courageous Will, to the strong-willed, stubborn and loyal Elizabeth, these characters drive the films through the main trilogy and storyline, building our relationships with them and our overall want for them to succeed in each of their goals, no matter how contradictory they may seem. The soundtrack to these film as well is as compelling as the story and characters, creating familiar atmospheres as the series progresses. The plain insanity of Jack and his plans, and the sheer luck that everything works out for him in his manipulations of all of these pawns he collects, no matter how dim witted and insane he might seem, his insanity is genius and is honestly one of the best parts of these movies. On another note, the sets and the costume designs of the authentic 18th century clothing just pulls the entire series together into an epic phenomena worldwide.
#1: Catch Me If You Can
This may seem like an odd conclusion and number one to my list, but i have to say, this is one of my all time favorite movies. My father and I watch this whenever it’s on, no matter what, and frankly, I just absolutely love every aspect of it. Pluuuuus, having Leonardo DiCaprio as the lead character doesn’t hurt, haha. And the fact that this is based off true events makes it even more captivating story. When Frank Jr, runs away after his parents get a divorce, he relies on constant financial scams to gain money n order to survive, and the longer this goes on, the better and more ambitious he becomes. Starting as a substitute teacher, and eventually boldens into conning as an airplane pilot, doctor, and lawyer. The one thing that does get in his way at one point, is that he falls in love with the nurse Brenda as he impersonates a doctor, tying him down to one place for too long where he is almost caught by Agent Carl Hanratty, who becomes in essence his only real friend sense his life turned upside down. The way we watch Frank’s life unfold and the decisions he makes and just how he manipulates all these people in such an intelligent way, this is honestly one of my favorite characters and movies of all time.
