Movies That Manage To Still Hold Up
My “Mind the Gap” series has been both embarrassing and enlightening. Being transparent about the truly humiliating gaps in my movie knowledge has actually helped me broaden my horizons and check out many a film I’d meant to see for ages. And in my journey, I ran across quite a few that were phenomenal, with or without the nostalgia, which is a true sign of a classic.
Jurassic Park
Maybe it’s due to the evergreen nature of imagining a seemingly impossible situation, but despite technology making huge strides since it was captured in this film, a world able to recreate dinosaurs still holds some magic. Rather than seeming dated, it’s just as enchanting and terrifying as it always had been. (Probably not) Hot take: the OG is leaps and bounds better than any that has come after it.
The Mummy
There’s a charm to this flick that makes its spot in pop culture history not a bug but a feature. Quaint feels like an infantilizing adjective but it seems suitable. It’s a hybrid monster movie and adventure epic led by two incredibly charismatic actors. For Brendan Fraser alone, it’s worth revisiting. Or just watching for the first time. But maybe pretend the other films in this franchise don’t exist. Just enjoy the first. Trust me.
Good Will Hunting
Hey, did you know this movie is incredible? Even without any nostalgia attached? And maybe these actors/writers are gonna be significant in the future. But what do I know. I’ve been the victim of too-high expectations many, many times. Movies I would have probably enjoyed just cannot life up to the hype. Surprisingly, this was not one of those. Maybe I’m accidentally doing this to anyone reading this, but you know what? It’s so worth it.
Alien
Once upon a time, I said I didn’t like horror movies. That’s accurate still for about 60% of them, but I’m learning more and more that my definition of horror was far too broad. Alien is a chilling space film that managed to avoid being too jump-scare-y. Knowing so much about the creature, thanks to being very invested in pop culture as a whole, helped. Sigourney Weaver is a complete and utter badass, and that will always stand the test of time.
Interview with a Vampire
Confession: Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise are two of those actors I can never fully forget are famous when I watch them in things. That did make this movie a bit difficult at times, but they clearly immersed themselves in this world. Everyone was chewing the scenery, rocking some period-appropriate hair and fully decked out in some fancy gentlemen’s clothing. Historical and fantasy tend to age decently since they aren’t tied to their release date, and this is proof.
Rear Window
Somehow I have only seen one Hitchcock film, but I picked the perfect starting point. Or maybe the worst, because I legitimately loved that and I’m worried I won’t like the other Hitchcock masterpieces as much. I did see Disturbia before I ever saw this, but it’s no surprise that the original is better than the remake. Not only is the film itself fantastic, but I’m enamored with Grace Kelly and every aspect of her character in Rear Window, especially her wardrobe.
When Harry Met Sally
Everyone knows about the fake orgasm scene. It’s just a thing. Pop culture has taken it and run with it. And with that being my only true knowledge of the movie prior to watching, I had a bit of apprehension going in. I couldn’t figure out if it would truly age well or would feel like a parody. Thankfully, I fell in love easily with the story and was thrilled to see Carrie Fisher (she quickly became my favorite character in the movie).
The Godfather
This just in: one of the most famous movies of all time is, in fact, fantastic. I am ashamed to admit that I saw The Irishman before seeing this, so having that in my mind and seeing the almost-three-hour runtime, I felt like I needed to brace myself. Instead, it flew by and I was irrationally invested. I also was not prepared for very young Diane Keaton, but that’s beside the point.
Love & Basketball
This…may be one of the best romantic comedies ever made? I am not sure if I’m just late to the game or this is extremely underrated, but the range of emotion this film covers while still making the story grounded in reality is something to be truly applauded. Love & Basketball creates a beautiful relationship, handles time jumps admirably and draws you in without missing a beat.
A League of Their Own
I haven’t watched the new show remake of this because I am too worried it won’t be as good as the movie. There are definitely some dated aspects of the story, but it makes it more of a period piece than a movie that doesn’t age well. The cast is next level good and the movie lover in me was over the moon to finally hear the “there’s no crying in baseball” quote in context.
Young Frankenstein
While I may not have a long history with this specific film, I am quite familiar with Mel Brooks’ other masterpiece, Robin Hood: Men in Tights. However, there is a level of sophistication to Young Frankenstein that pleasantly surprised me. I watched it for the first time with my best friend who is a HUGE fan of it and both of us had an absolute blast. If that isn’t a true test of a film, I don’t know what is.
The Sound of Music
Confession #2: I expected not to like this because…..I didn’t like Mary Poppins. I know, I know, I’m sorry. But this is about The Sound of Music. And it fell into that category of “oh no, look how long this one is….” like The Godfather and then turned right around and wowed me. I had prepared for this and was cleaning while watching to help keep my brain busy, but I quickly found myself sitting on the bed, enraptured.
Funny Girl
My only true knowledge of Funny Girl is thanks to a few mentions on Gilmore Girls (a surprisingly common reference), and I can’t quite remember what made me put this one on. I was delightfully surprised by how much I adored this movie. I had no real feelings either way going in, but it was one I was entertained by from beginning to end.
Roman Holiday
Y’all. I’m late on so, so many things. Despite admiring her from afar, Audrey Hepburn is one of those. She’s the picture of elegance and is deserving of all the praise. None of this is new information, of course, but she is every inch a star. The plot of this is entrancing and it’s so evergreen. There are so many romance tropes scattered in the story that I adore, and they manage to execute one after the other flawlessly.
Practical Magic
Nicole Kidman. Sandra Bullock. Magic. What more could a girl want? This movie is so moody and gorgeous, and I wish I had these two women as my aunties as well (no shade to my actual aunts, of course). I am legitimately planning on making it a tradition to watch this every spooky season. It’s the perfect combination of darkness and humor. And isn’t that what spooky season is all about?
The Truman Show
I’m not always the biggest Jim Carrey fan (sorry to my fiancé, who adores him), but I should have listened when everyone told me how utterly amazing this movie is. It’s innovative, it tugs at the heartstrings and it’s truly beautiful to watch. It quickly became my number one Carrey movie, with nothing else coming even close. There’s something special about this movie that seems to stand the test of time.
Are there any other movies that you think should make this cut? I’m always looking to find new-to-me classics I may have overlooked.