And we rarely spend our financial capital on its products, but over the years, some gems have been produced. Here's my list of all time favorites...ok, it's my top five, but in no particular order and I reserve the right to substitute at some future point.
1)"Hook" Robin Williams and a cast of talented others remake the story of the lost boys and flying pixies into something even I can appreciate. As much as I love Williams in this film, its Dustin Hoffman that brings the story to life, playing Cap'n Hook as uniquely as anyone ever. When I was a young dad, pursuing graduate degrees, and working full time and trying to run "the race" with all the other "rats", this film gave me great pause, and I can always count on it to take me out of the "Chronos" and into the "Kyros".
2)"The Truman Show"Jim Carey is fabulous like no one else in this story of the ultimate exploitation of the human values of trust, relationship and free will, overcome in the end by that very same human soul. What's more, he does it largely by himself, with the world rooting both for and against him. Many years ago, Kathy once remarked, after we had watched one of the first episodes of an early reality TV program, that this genre of television would one day ruin the world. The Truman Show makes that case with extraordinary passion and clarity. I can watch this film over and over and over...
3)"Harold and Maude" Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon star in this most unpredictable and whimsical look at life, love and death. I first saw it with my buddies while in High School, and we instantly fell in love with its irreverent look at life and its capacity to mock convention and protocol. Take nothing seriously, especially oneself. Cat Stevens added greatly by providing all the musical backdrop, and if you've never seen this film, you're missing out.
4)"What Dreams May Come" Another Robin Williams film, but with very little wide appeal. This is a story of personal and family redemption, the power of love and persistence, and it's told in the context of "eternal life" for the family and its members. I love also that so much power is given to the characters. The film reminds me that God's love is so large, that He's not afraid to grant great discretion to His children, and this film captures life's traumas within this context of ultimate personal and family empowerment.
5)"What About Bob" Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss are terrific, as the irrepressible agoraphobic, and his equally maladaptive and insecure psychiatrist. Of all its themes, what I love most of all is the manner in which Bob Willey takes his care and well being into his own hands....even when the treatment professionals in his life do their best to not only prevent his healing, but actually seek his demise. It's a story of putting one's own strengths and resources into one's healing journey through life.
So, that's my list. If you're bored one day this winter, and you need something different, find any of these and fire up the popcorn popper.
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