16 Movies That I Can Watch Over and Over and Over Again
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One of my favorite pastimes each year is to watch the 1983 classic, "A Christmas Story." Something about the adventures of little Ralphie, his little brother, his doting mom and his quirky pop (Darren McGavin) that keeps me glued to the screen. Doesn't matter what's going on around me; I'm just drawn to it.
What is it that makes certain movies watchable, over and over again? For me it is a combination of certain factors...funny, touching in some way, sincerity, humor that can be incredibly dumb but you can relate to it in some way, nostalgia and certain unique, memorable moments (check out clips at the bottom of this post for a few favorites).
Perhaps the clearest distinction of these 16 magnetic movies is an "underdog" element that keeps me coming back for more. They all are endearing to me in their own way.
To be clear, this is NOT a list of all-time best movies. Perhaps a couple of these would make that list (Shawshank and Forrest might make the cut). This is a list of films that have the ability to retain my interest and amusement after multiple watchings.
So with no further ado, here is the list of the other 15 "Movies That I Can Watch Over and Over and Over Again":
Forrest Gump (1994) starring Tom Hanks. This is one of my all-time favorite movies with so many classic, memorable scenes that I can watch this movie anytime. Some of these scenes are shown at the end of this post.
Back to the Future (1985) starring Michael J. Fox is just such a great movie. I just love the skateboard scene (see bottom of this post).
Shawshank Redemption (1994) starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. This is one of the few non-comedic (not to be confused with non-comedogenic) movies on this list. Although this movie is about life in a prison in the 1940s, the story and acting is engaging and uplifting, interspersed with sadness and the stark reality of the situation.
Tommy Boy (1995) starring Chris Farley and David Spade as a duo trying to save a company. This movie has me in constant stitches. And it has the funniest "2 guys singing in a car" scene ever (see video below). Classic, just classic.
Groundhog Day (1993) featuring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. Just love the way Murray's character reacts to, learns from and changes his ways by living through the same day over and over again.
Dumb and Dumber (1994) starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels. Another odd movie about 2 guys with very low IQs. The slapstick is hilarious. And this movie must have the most drop dead, funniest, incredibly disgusting, bathroom scene ever (see bottom of post).
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) is Matthew Broderick's initial claim to fame that you can often catch on TV. A whimsical movie about ditching a day of high school.
National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) with Tim Mathesen and John Belushi is an all-time cult classic college movie that I'll Tivo any day.
Brewster's Millions (1985) featuring the late Richard Prior and the late John Candy at some of their comedic finest. The humorous story of good guy Monty Brewster (Prior) who must spend $30M in 30 days with nothing to show for it to earn a $300M inheritance. I just love this movie and could watch it every week. The movie originated from the 1901 novel where Brewster had to spend $1M in a year to get another $7M. The 2008 version was called Paulsen's Billions, where all the big banks were given billions with nothing to show for it.
Rain Man (1988) starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise is a drama with many endearing, memorable scenes and is such a neat combination of acting talent.
Cast Away (2000) starring Tom Hanks. Though some stretches of this 2 1/2 hour movie movie move way too slowly, Hanks' metamorphosis on the island from Fed-Ex middle manager to lean island warrior (he dropped 50 lbs for this role) is just amazing. What a performance. And I love his handprint ball friend Wilson, who frankly should have won Best Supporting Actor that year.
King Pin (1996) starring Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid and Bill Murray. This oddball movie is somewhat crass but I must see for any bowlers looking for some belly laughs. OK, OK, it is kind of an odd addition to this list but I still like it and willingly subject myself to it repeatedly.
Jerry Maguire (1996) is a great movie starring Tom Cruise, Renée Zellweger and Cuba Gooding Jr. Some classic lines like "Show me the money" and "You had me at 'hello'."
The Truman Show (1998) stars Jim Carrey. This movie is about a guy whose whole life is a nonstop TV show. Quite fascinating watching how Truman (Carrey) finally figures it out.
National Lampoon's "Vacation" (1983) starring Chevy Chase, who as Clarke Griswold as the well-intentioned orchestrator finds himself in a bind at every turn. Just another one of those silly movies that I've gotta watch if I'm flipping through the channels.
So here are a few fun scenes from movies that I've watched over and over and over again!
