Big Fish (2003) [PG-13]

Billy Crudup is Will Bloom, a young man who has a troubled relationship with his father, Edward. It doesn't help matters that his father has always insisted on telling amazing stories about his past, including how Will was born. Will has always thought of his father as a liar. Now Edward is dying and Will has to come to terms with his father, and with his stories.

The movie is directed by Tim Burton, but instead of Burton's usual bizarre and off beat approach, he has filled this movie with wonder and amazement. As the stories unfold, we see that Edward's view of life is not full of lies, but rather his very unique way of interpreting life.

This is a lovely film about the magic of imagination.

DIRECTOR: Tim Burton. CAST: Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Carter, Alison Lohman, Robert Guillaume, Steve Buscemi, Danny DeVito, Missi Pyle, Marion Cotillard.

AWARDS: Nominated for Oscar + 33 Nominations

Singin' in The Rain (1952) [unrated (my rating: G]

My favorite musical! This great movie is all about what happened when Hollywood made the change from silent movies to talkies. The songs are fine, the actors are at the top of their game, and the story is funny, with some romance thrown in. Nominated for many awards, it won a Golden Globe for Donald O'Connor for Best Movie Actor, and Writer's Guild of America for Best American Musical.

The cast includes Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor, and Jean Hagen who is a real standout--almost every time she opens her mouth she makes you laugh. (She was nominated for an Oscar for this role.)

The songs include the title song with water-soaked dancing from Gene Kelly, Make 'Em Laugh from Donald O'Connor, Good Morning and many others. One of the great things about our televisions having closed captions options is to turn the captions on and sing along to your heart's content.

Because it is about a time in history, this movie does not feel dated, other than it being an old-fashioned musical. Great joy for the whole family!

DIRECTORS: Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen. CAST: Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor, Jean Hagen, Cyd Charisse, Millard Mitchell, Douglas Fowley, Madge Blake, Rita Moreno.

AWARDS: Nominated for 3 Oscars + 3 wins + 7 nominations

The King of Masks (1997-Chinese) [unrated (my rating: G)]

This is a wonderful film from China. Yes, a foreign film with subtitles! I know, many of you can't stand those subtitles. But if you refuse to watch foreign films, you are going to miss out on some truly great movies. This movie is a great place to try out a foreign film and see if you can enjoy it even if you have to read the subtitles.

Wang Bianlian is a street performer who almost magically uses paper masks in telling his stories. He is getting on in years and realizes that he doesn't have anyone to pass on his craft and secrets to. So, he buys a young boy to become his apprentice. It looks like it is working out well until it turns out that the boy is really a girl.

The relationship between the two of them, coupled with the amazing performances with the masks makes this delightful viewing. There is a lot more to the story than I am revealing here, because they are called spoilers for a reason.

Great viewing for the whole family, I guarantee you will be spellbound and will end up including this movie in your top 25.

AWARDS: WON 19 International film awards

Lars and the Real Girl (2007) [PG-13]

This is a very sweet film starring one of my favorite young actors, Ryan Gosling. Many people were put off by the advertising for the movie which showed Ryan sitting next to a sex blow-up doll. Maybe they assumed the movie was a nasty porno. It is not. Instead it is the story of a young man in a small town who can't relate to real people, so he gets a life-size blow-up doll and treats her like she was real. The whole town decides to support him by buying into his fantasy, showing him love and compassion.  Of course, that is not how they react at first. This movie is the heartwarming journey of both Lars and the town.

You probably won't want to watch this with the kids, because after all, it does feature a blow-up doll usually used for sexual reasons. You know kids: you'll have to spend time answering their questions about the doll, and maybe even have to deal with their requests for one of their own. But if you are looking for a feelgood movie, this is one.

DIRECTOR: Craig Gillespie. CAST: Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, Kelli Garner, Paul Scheider.

AWARDS: Nominated for Oscar + 3 other wins + 14 nominations

Movies Worth Seeing

Since I am a great movie buff, many of my friends ask me to recommend movies for them. Lately, I am getting more and more requests. Must be the economy is keeping everyone home but in need of entertainment. I decided instead of writing out a huge list, I would start this blog.

The movies I will present here run the gamut from classics to indies to foreign to popcorn movies. Of course, they will be movies I like and think are worth seeing. Sometimes they will not be great movies, but they will be interesting and not boring. Most of all, I want to include movies that many people have never heard of. You will find that I favor happy endings, heartwarming stories.

Also, as much as I love movies, I do not like the movie theater experience. I really enjoy the DVD experience instead. I like the extras, the ability to pause the movie, lying down in bed, and having no one talking or otherwise disturbing me. Most of the movies listed here will probably no longer be available in movie theaters, but they will all be available on DVD.

I also HATE previews. How many times have you realized that after seeing the previews, there is no need to see the movie. Previews for comedies almost always show the best laugh scenes. They often give away the ending or tell you the whole story. The only time I watch previews is AFTER I have watched the movie!

I have a friend who hates getting too much information about a movie before she sees it. She wants just enough to entice her to watch: just the set-up and not what happens. So, Jermana, I write these recommendations with you in mind.

Where we were once at the mercy of the studios, the local movie theaters, and the television networks, today there are so many ways to find movies. I am almost a charter member of Netflix, who I love. I also use my public library which offers many surprising selections. You can buy movies, rent them, view them online, Tivo them, demand them, download them, borrow them from friends, or catch them on television. If there is a movie out there that you want to see, today you can!

I will also now and then talk about some television shows that are on DVD. There have been some great television shows. I watch all television on DVD, waiting for the entire series to be completely on disc before I start watching, so most of the TV shows I talk about will no longer be currently on the air, but will be available on DVD.

I encourage everyone to add their opinions about the movies posted here.