My Top 3 is a weekly post where I countdown three things I love in a random category. This week, we’re looking at the three movies I will always rewatch.
When it comes to movies, there are certain titles that I am incapable of passing up when I find them on TV. These films are not necessarily my favorites - but they are the ones I will watch over and over and over again.
I find a film rewatchable when the story is engrossing, the production values are high, and the acting is great. Plus, there is an essence of je ne sais quoi that makes it addictive. A rewatchable film is also one that brings me joy. This is the kind of film I stop for when I can’t find anything else to watch on TV. This is the kind of film I want on in the background when I am tackling a project or just playing around online.
I binge read the book by Andy Weir in two nights. When I saw that the film rights were already optioned, this went right on my watch list. It did not disappoint. The film was a faithful adaptation with perfect casting. I can think of no better person to play Mark Watney than Matt Damon.
This was called competency porn and that is why I like it so much. It’s the story of a group of smart people working through a problem to a (*spoiler*) successful conclusion. Plus, it’s always fun to see the story in your head come alive on the screen.
I know how this ends, but I still get the same bolt of energy when things go wrong.
This movie came out when I was in middle school. I was the target audience for Leonardo DiCaprio and I fell hard. Plus, I already had an interest (actually, let’s go with obsession) about the Titanic itself. This movie was catnip to me and I saw it four times in theatres.
I will admit that the script on this one is pretty bad, but I don’t care. It created a world I am more than happy to watch again and again. The costumes, the set design, the attention to detail, it’s all there.
At just over three hours, this is a long film, but it’s a great way to spend an afternoon or have on the in the background. The music provides a dramatic soundtrack to a day when you want to get chores done and be entertained at the same time.
Plus, when I watch with other people, I get to annoy them with all the facts I know about the ship.
I don’t hold grudges about many things, but one thing I am still miffed about is that Apollo 13 lost out on the Oscar for Best Picture to Braveheart. I think that decision was entirely wrong.
Apollo 13 is my go to rewatch because it is simply an amazing film. The story is tense, the acting superb (it is the perfect cast), and the production is amazing. This flick came out in 1995. The CGI, somehow, still holds up. Because of the way the editing was done, you cannot tell that the special effects are over 20 years old.
In addition to be a great film, I love that they got the history right. I read Lost Moon by Jim Lovell, the book on which the film is based, and little of the true story was changed.
Also, Tom Hanks just makes anything good.
Pasta is one of my go to foods. Next week, we’re counting down my top three pasta shapes.
This post is a part of the free preview. My Top 3 will go behind a paywall on September 1, 2022.
3 movies I will always rewatch (being your basic GenXer):
Office Space
Dazed and Confused
Dirty Dancing
Must be an age thing, re: Titanic. I was in my early 20s when it came out and I couldn't have been less interested. For a long time, it was a real point of pride for me that I'd never seen it, kind of like how I hadn't read or seen Twilight a decade later. But I did read Twilight and see the first movie last summer. They were mediocre, but not as bad as I thought they would be. So I finally will watch Titanic, now that it's supposedly back on Netflix. I hate DiCaprio, though -- he's the main reason I've avoided it. And the length of the movie. And Celine Dion. But yeah, the costumes and Kate Winslet -- those parts should be fun! Love her.
I liked The Martian, after having been dragged to it reluctantly, but you're right that competency porn is very satisfying! Haven't seen Apollo 13. Not very interested, but I don't have a hateful grudge against it or anything. It's funny, I love Tom Hanks the human being, but I was so deeply scarred by Forrest Gump that I haven't seen many of his films after that. But I will always love Big and A League of Their Own.
I am looking forward to your pasta shapes, Meghan!