I remember when I was dating and men would ask me, “what’s your favorite movie?!” It was a truly stressful question!!! I mean, how do you possibly choose!? You have classic films (I’ll have another AFI update for you soon) and modern films and horror films and Nancy Meyers and there are just so many great films out there! I am a total movie addict. I tend to go for thrillers or classic films (or documentaries which I completely left off here!), but I love a horror film if I’m with other people (cannot do scary films alone), and if I am sick I will binge all of the cheesy romances.
My all-time favorite films
So anyway, here are my top 5, in no particular order. If you’re compelled, would love to hear yours in the comments.
Romancing the Stone (1984)
I mean, this is just the ultimate. From my youth. It’s action-y but also a romance. Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglass are so good together. And it’s just a bookish girl’s fantasy. Kathleen Turner’s character writes romance novels but leads a pretty boring, dowdy, romance-free life. When she finds herself on a real-life adventure in the Colombian jungle in order to save her sister (who will be killed if a treasure map is not delivered to her captors), all bets are off. Adventure! Romance! It’s the best.
Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
I watched this with a friend a few months ago, so it is an older movie but a newer favorite for me but it stuck with me. I loved it. This could quite possibly be the original twisty thriller. I feel like I’ll spoil it if I say too much so… Leonard Vole is being tried for the murder of a wealthy woman. His lawyer is the legendary Sir Wilfrid Robarts (played by Charles Laughton). The problem is really Leonard’s wife, Christine (played by Marlene Dietrich) who decides to testify against him. The whole thing is very shocking and twisty. It’s ahead of its time and (I think) has inspired countless thrillers since.
High Society (1956)
This one just makes me SO happy. Any time I am feeling sad, I find myself putting it on. I love it. And I am not even really a big musical person. It’s a remake of Philadelphia Story, but (hopefully this is not a sacrilege) I prefer this to the original. It’s just WONDERFUL. When else do you get Louis Armstrong, Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby, and Frank Sinatra in a film together!? The music. The sets. The outfits. I could watch this again and again. My boyfriend is a movie buff and I got him to watch this to me and we both agreed: it is pure magic.
The Shining (1980)
I had to include a horror movie here. I love scary movies (but not by myself) and this is definitely my favorite scary movie. Jack Nicholson is my fav, I love the set design, it’s beautifully filmed, it’s terrifying. Just… a classic. It’s just so scary (and so beautiful – cinematography + colors wise), I love it.
Something’s Gotta Give (2003)
Jack Nicholson, again… just different. This time he plays Harry (an adorable but kind of gross) older bachelor/womanizer in his sixties who only dates women in their twenties. When he crosses paths with Diane Keaton (the mother of his latest girlfriend!), all bets are off. The two fall in and out of love, Diane Keaton gets a taste of dating someone younger with Keanu Reeves (who plays a maybe too-understanding but very sexy doctor)… I just love this one. This is also one of my comfort films as well.
Tell me yours!
Love this post! It reminded me how much I loved romancing the stone! Here are mine in no order:
– Good will hunting
– Sweet home Alabama
– When Harry met Sally
– The Holiday
– girls just want to have fun
Mine are the Lord of the Rings trilogy (ideally the extended versions!), You’ve Got Mail, Casablanca, Pride & Prejudice, and both versions of Little Women (the one from the 90’s and the most recent one). Also love Good Will Hunting as someone else mentioned!
I saw The Shining for the first time this summer and I was BLOWN AWAY. I definitely second the recommendation! I really want to see High Society since I loved The Philadelphia Story and I don’t feel like you can ever go wrong with Grace Kelly.
I feel like a lot of my favorites are weird gems I rented (or my parents rented) at Blockbuster back in the 90s and fell in love with. – Blast From The Past, Almost Famous, Father of the Bride Part II, Elizabethtown, Practical Magic, Dick (with Kirsten Dunst and Michele Williams, a Watergate satire, so good!), The First Wives Club, Erin Brokovich
ALMOST FAMOUS! Yes!
Another vote for Almost Famous: Kate Hudson + Billy Crudup, set in the 70’s= SWOON. Also Frances McDormand, Zooey Deschanel & Philip Seymour Hoffman, come on! And directed by Cameron Crowe. Sooooo good.
Besides the classic others mentioned I tend to like the oldies but not always that old .
I revisited “ The Age If Adelaide with Blake lively this week and still absolutely loved it . It’s a good one. Harrison Ford is in it too. She’s so Beautiful. Magical film .
Dirty Dancing
Grease
Saturday Night Fever
Somewhere In Time
Ghost
About Kast Night
An Officer and a Gentleman
Pretty Woman
You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, The American President, It’s Complicated, The Wedding Planner, 10 Things I Hate About You, Catch and Release
So much fun! My faves are:
Singing in The Rain
Sabrina (w Audrey, obv)
Love and Basketball
The Princess Bride
Eddie The Eagle (lesser know but totally worth a watch! Feel-good sports w Taron Egerton in an early staring role)
I love Eddie the Eagle!!!
Love this! Romancing the Stone just took me back haha. It’s so hard to pick but:
– Pride & Prejudice (Kiera Knightley version of course)
– Little Women (Greta Gerwig version)
– Call Me By Your Name
– The Before Trilogy
– Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Okay and honorable mentions to In the Mood for Love and Rear Window!!
I totally forgot about Romancing the Stone! Ahhh. Thanks for the reminder. Need to watch ASAP.
Gosford Park
Spotlight
The English Patient
Gidget
Sleepless in Seattle
I forgot about Gosford Park! Iconic.
Leap year (Amy Adams/Matthew Goode)
Chorus line
Under the Tuscan sun
It’s complicated
Four weddings and a funeral
How to lose a guy in 10 days
Let’s give them something to talk about (Julia Roberts)
Runaway bride
The proposal
While you were sleeping
Mamma Mia movies
YESSS the Mamma Mia movies, good one!
“Romancing the Stone” is such a forgotten classic at this point! We used to watch it all the time growing up. There’s no way I could pick any one movie. I love too many, but my favorites include Jaws, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Casablanca, Last of the Mohicans (1992), Wall Street, and Pump up the Volume.
Too many, this is tough….
You’ve got Mail, Almost Famous, Dirty Dancing,Empire Records, Hocus Pocus, Adventures of babysitting (original), It’s complicated, the proposal, pretty woman….
Christmas movies alone:
The Family Stone, Christmas vacation, The Holiday, Home Alone, just friends
I love this!!!
– Little Miss Sunshine
– A League of Their Own
– Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
– Clueless
– Jurassic Park
I took a screenshot of your original post because I haven’t seen Witness for the Prosecution! I’m excited to see what everyone else says!
Little Miss Sunshine was a true gem.
I use movies as a lighthearted escape for my imagination. My favorites are the Original StarWars trilogy (4,5,6), Big Trouble in Little China, Mulan, National Treasure, The Princess Bride and The Mummy. I love the idea of ordinary people caught up in grand, yet ridiculous adventures.
My favorite topic! My top five are:
-When Harry Met Sally
-The Apartment
-Before Sunset
-The Philadelphia Story (I’ll give you a pass for preferring High Society, Grace)
-Lady Bird
Honorable mention to The Silence of the Lambs and Vertigo.
Love this list!!
Some of my faves:
Dirty Dancing
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Wedding Crashers
You’ve Got Mail
Garden State
I’m sure I’m missing more!
Oh and The Big Short – amazing movie!
I’ve actually NEVER seen Romancing The Stone but I’m going to watch tonight! Also thank you for sharing the website justwatch.com recently, it’s been so helpful in looking up where I can find movies!
OH MY GOSH PLEASE REPORT BACK. Just “knowing” you from the comments section here I think you’re going to love! I hope you love it as much as I do!!!
I love this list! Hands down, my two personal favorites are The Princess Bride (currently available streaming on Disney+) and Auntie Mame (not currently included in streaming packages but it available to rent for 2.99 on Apple TV, Amazon and YouTube)
I think it would be very beneficial to include where we can find your favorites too please
Love both these films. My family watches Auntie Mame every Christmas!
I’d have to say CODA for every single reason – the storytelling, the creativity, the art direction, the music, the acting(!!)… no surprise it won Best Picture!
A few of my other “comfort movies:” Mean Girls, Little Women (Greta Gerwig), Moneyball, Pollyanna, About Time, and A League of Their Own
I LOVE Moneyball!! Yes.
The Royal Tenenbaums.
-great expectations
-gone with the wind
– virgin suicides
– steel magnolias
– the little princess
The Other Woman! I feel like no one knows about this movie because I never hear it referenced. Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, & Kate Upton—it’s so good!! Funny and such a cute testament to female friendships!
A few of my favorites are:
Foul Play (Goldie Hawn, Chevy Chase, Burgess Meredith)
What’s up Doc? ( Barbra Streisand, Ryan O’Neal and Madeline Kahn first movie) – great chase scene in SF
Young Frankenstein – can never go wrong with a Mel Brooks movie
Practical Magic (Sandra Bullock)
Something’s Gotta Give (the kitchen need I say more)
LOVED Foul Play!! Chevy & Goldie at their best!
Almost Famous and It’s a Wonderful Life! 🙂
Going through these comments like, “YESSSSSS!” So many good flicks. Grace… you had me at Romancing the Stone. Iconic. Some other all time favourites are: Reality Bites, Dan in Real Life, The Philadelphia Story, Rear Window, To Catch a Thief, Goodfellas, The Italian Job, The Bourne Identity, Beetlejuice, When Harry Met Sally, Clueless, Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, Rocky (original is a masterpiece, but the sequels are also delicious.)
Dan in real life! Love!
Gone with the wind! its amazing!
So hard to pick;
I think you are right about Witness for the Prosecution ( such great twists!)
Almost any Hitchcock (Rear Window is my favorite)
Same for Mel Brooks ( Blazing Saddles is hilarious, not pc but at as a Jewish man that was Brook’s point)love the cast Madeline Kahn is brilliant as are the rest.
The Wedding Date
Any Nora Ephron or Nancy Meyers
Any Cary Grant movie
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ( Gene Wilder, the Johnny Depp one is creepy)
The Jane Austen Book Club
Basically every film mentioned by the rest of the commenters
For a long time my favorite film was “Little Big Man” staring Dustin Hoffman; it’s a comedy but also a moving story about the destruction of the Native Americans and their culture during the Wild West. In the film the tribe that Mr. Hoffman’s character is adopted into call themselves “Human Beings” and the Settlers “White Savages”. His character ends up torn between the two cultures. It’s really worth a watch.
I love almost any genre, not too big on horror ( definitely need to watch with someone)but love thrillers and mysteries
The Parent Trap
It’s complicated
All the Bourne Movies
Oceans Eleven
Gone in 60 Seconds
The Wedding Planner
Love hearing other people’s lists! Here’s mine (not in order):
1. Clueless
2. Speed (my love for Keanu runs deep!)
3. Some Like It Hot
4. The Birdcage
5. Get Shorty
I love Jaws, Julie & Julia, all Nora Ephron really. All About My Mother, I love Almodovar, everything always looks beautiful, the colors!! Casino Royale is also excellent, as is Ocean’s 11. Spy Game with Robert Redford and Brad Pitt: 10/10.
Oceans 11
It’s Complicated
Clueless
Easy A
Love these lists!
I love this question and agree, we simply cannot choose just ONE!!
-Clueless
-Selena (Jennifer Lopez)
-Father of the Bride
-Beaches
-Romeo + Juliet (Claire Danes version!)
-Little Women (also Claire Danes version LOL)
-The Parent Trap
-The Devil Wears Prada
-Rear Window
9 1/2 Weeks
Desperately Seeking Susan
The Other Woman
French Kiss
Something’s Gotta Give
Unfaithful
The Godfather
Wanderlust
Dirty Dancing
When Harry Met Sally
The Family Stone
Scream
Scrooged
Parenthood
The Switch
The Sound of Music
When a Man Loves a Woman
This is 40
If Lucy Fell
Kissing Jessica Stein
Waiting
Moulin Rouge
Honeymoon in Vegas
The Holiday
Rock Star
Almost Famous
The Doors
Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion
Fried Green Tomatoes
The Shawshank Redemption
Not a huge movie person, but this post and the comments are inspiring me to watch some of these!! My all-time favorite is Good Will Hunting
From the 80’s…Body Heat
I LOVE Something’s Gotta Give! And any other Nancy Meyers movie is just pure comfort. A few of my other favorites that I would pick:
– Lady Bird
– You’ve Got Mail
– The Gift (such a great and twisty thriller!!)
– Sideways
– Silver Linings Playbook
This is such a good question!
Some go-to comfort movies for me: While You We’re Sleeping (who doesn’t love ‘90s Sandy Bullock & Bill Pullman?), You’ve Got Mail, Princess Diaries, Miss Congeniality, and Sabrina (the 1997 version with Julia Ormond and Harrison Ford).
I also love The Intern, The Talented Mister Ripley, Best in Show (hilarious!), and Marvel movies.
A recent/new all-time favorite of mine is CODA. Heartwarming, funny, and inspiring, but also eye-opening for those who do not have deaf family members. I think it’s a film everyone needs to see.
I love everything and anything Nancy Meyers but recently rewatched the original League of their Own. Highly recommend! I need HBO Max and Prime recs all the time. Thanks Grace!
-Shawshank Redemption
-Almost Famous
-Goodfellas
-The Right Stuff
-The English Patient
Dirty Dancing
Footloose
Pretty Woman
LA Confidential
No Way Out
Romancing the Stone
Adventures in Babysitting
Mystic Pizza
Anne of Green Gables (Megan Follows)
Romancing the Stone is one of my favorites too! I love movies with sequels. My other favorites are the Before Sunrise trilogy and the Surrogate Valentine trilogy.