Longish post.
I have a change to the bottom list. While The Graduate spoke to me very deeply when I was younger, I think I’ve grown past a lot of the insecurities it spoke to. There’s a part of me that’s terrified of change, that no longer loving the things you used to love means that part of your life was somehow meaningless, that you’re a totally different person now with no connection to your past self, rootless. But recently, in no small part to Hannah Jane Ginsberg, I’ve been trying to frame things in terms of growth. I still think The Graduate is an all-time classic of filmmaking, but it’s not really a “me” movie anymore. It hasn’t been for a long time, but I’d always say it was since it was such a big part of younger me. I’m typing all this just to say it out loud to make it real. I’m a very different person now than I was, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s scary. But not bad.
I think I’d replace it with When Harry Met Sally. I’ve loved it since I first saw it in college, but it speaks to me even more strongly in my 30s. It’s a movie about the slow process of building a life together over many years and across many different stages. I guess that’s the process I’m really wrestling with in this post. So to sum up, in no particular order:
1) Muppet Family Christmas
2) When Harry Met Sally
3) High Fidelity
4) Amadeus
5) Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny
Maybe this will be my list for a long time. Maybe it won’t. We’ll have to wait and see what changes are in store! :)
