No, it's Iowa

i'm back in america
(with everything that goes with it)
if you want to hear about canada
call me and i will be happy to tell you about it.

someone asked me my 5 favorite movies
here they are in no particular order

Harvey
favorite actor James Stewart and an imaginary(?) 6 foot tall rabbit named Harvey. there are a few movie characters that i wish i could be, elwood dowd is one of them. the first time i watched it i thought it was very odd, the second time (and every time since) i thought it was beautiful. i cry a little every time. i love it for many reasons, not the least of which is because of who introduced it to me.

"The names Dowd, Elwood P., here's my card."

The Natural
in jr. english i wrote a paper comparing this movie to the classical epic quest. who doesn't love a larger than life story of redemption about america's pastime. every time the lights start popping at the end and the music plays, i stand up and run the bases with Robert Redford (another favorite actor). also, everytime i have a bat in my hands i am swinging for the lights.

"And then when I walked down the street people would've looked and they would've said there goes Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was in this game."

Holiday Inn
oldest on the list (1942). concocted by irving berlin (some would say primarily to feature his new song "White Christmas," which won the oscar for original song) this is my go to holiday movie. starring bing crosby, fred astaire (two more favorites, check out bing in The Bells of St. Mary's) and marjorie reynolds, this movie has it all. singing, dancing, every holiday under the sun, love lost, love found, and general all around holiday feel good. watch it for any holiday or any time you're feeling down.

"I'll capture her heart singing...

Wait til she get's a load of my dancing."

Band of Brothers
ok so it's a miniseries not a movie but if you watch them all together it's like a ten hour marathon movie (which i've done once and attempted three other times). amazing yet true story following a company of soldiers (easy company, US Army 101st Airborne division) from d-day through the end of the war. heroism, comradery, testosterone, making the world safe for democracy, it's hard to be male and not love this (but there are also about 5 places where i lose it). spielberg and hanks take a bunch of actors you've rarely heard of and eight different directors for ten episodes and produce the greatest wwII epic ever. the cinematography is excellent (think spielberg's Saving Private Ryan) and a character unto itself. while the basic neutral graininess is continued throughout, different directors take different approaches regarding first and third person camera work, steadicam and track etc. no one will ever truly capture war firsthand but this can't be a far stretch.

"We're paratroopers, Lieutenant, we're supposed to be surrounded."

ok so all i had in me was 4 so how bout a list of honorable mentions
Hoosiers "Four passes!"

Field of Dreams (i'm a sucker for three sports movies and this is the third) "Is this Heaven?"

The Life Aquatic (is it unacceptable to be our age and not love wes anderson) "You might be on "B" Squad, But you're the "B" Squad leader."

A Bridge too Far (honorable mention war movie, with gene hackman, robert redford, sean connery, laurence olivier, james caan, michael caine, anthony hopkins, others) "Hail Mary, full of Grace..."

there are others but i am tired of this game

which ones have you seen, what are your favorites

chris h