I enjoy a good movie. The trailers of upcoming movies lends its excitement and entices us to find our way to local theaters---"Come! Experience!" With the onset of COVID-19, that halted our migrating to the theaters and brought the movies back home to streaming networks like Netflix, Amazon Prime, or dusting off our DVDs, and in some cases, VHS (Google it kids!) collection.
A Few Of My Favorites
I have my "go-to" movies I could watch multiple times -- and for different reasons (depending on the genre I am interested in at the moment). I find my favorites, usually carry a moral or life advice, that warms my heart and encourages me in one form or another.
Big Fish (2003) PG-13 - It is the story of a father's lifetime--Edward Bloom--his legacy. It sounds so simple to say, but the impactful part for me is Albert Finney, who plays the character, Edward Bloom, reminds me of my father. As a child and as an adult, I loved hearing my Dad's stories of the trips he went on -- about "PM Magazine and the Judge," of the trips to Charleston SC with his crazy "Russian-speaking" friend, the stories of him growing up in the country and adventures on Big Creek, his time as a group adjuster for Nationwide, and his time as an insurance agent for Nationwide. In Big Fish, you are introduced to Edward Bloom as a dying father who is and has been "on the outs" with his only son. Unlike Edward and Will, my father and I had a good relationship. When I want to feel Dad is closer than Heaven, I watch Big Fish.
Madea Goes to Jail 2006 (Play) -Tyler Perry is an amazingly talented man who created and brought to life one of my favorite ladies: Madea. I was first introduced to her in 2006 and continue to appreciate her wisdom, sass, and direct-no-nonsense-tell-it-like-it-is life advice. One of my favorite clips is Madea's words of wisdom on relationships. This advice is spot-on and needed! The movies are great too -- but the plays are more "connected" to the audience.
The Stepford Wives (2004 or 1975) - Either movie is pretty good in showing that individualism is important. Be yourself.
Lord of the Rings Trilogy -- Friendship is important to help us get through this journey of our lives.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) - I watched Mr. Rogers' on TV as a child, and was simply blown away as an adult how much of his character Tom Hanks brought back. "Let's take a moment and think about all those people who loved us into being." Followed by a full minute of silence. Seriously, like one of the most impactful lessons I got out of the entire movie. I find it is impactful to periodically do that. It's not just good advice or good practice for the characters in the movie, but for you and me everyday! We are not broken people - when we get bogged down in our lives, we need to take a moment and follow Mr. Roger's advice.
Other Inspiration/Life Lessons
I reached out to our team to learn about what movies are special to them -- and what life lessons stood out for them.
Kristine Scoon shared:
Herb Decuers shared:
New Day
No matter how long COVID-19 hangs around, there are new movies coming out often -- even via the streaming apps on our phones, smart TV's or back in the theater. Look for opportunities to learn from your favorite movie and cherish the inspirations and life lessons that benefit yourself and others on their journey.