Worth Watching Twice

Anthony Hopkins is great, isn't he?

I was lucky enough to see him on stage at the National Theatre, London, back in the 80s.

He played King Lear and the lead role in "Pravda", a play about a Russian newspaper tycoon...both were fantastic.

KP

A couple of days ago, my husband remarked about how a certain scene in "Philadelphia" had affected him. We decide to watch it, for a second time. I had seen it some years ago, and thought that it was a great movie.

This time, watching the film, I realized how talented Tom Hanks is. I found myself really getting caught up in his character, and predicament. The scene where Hanks is in the hospital, dying, and talking to Denzel Washington, with Maria Callas singing in the background, was heartbreaking.

If you have never seem this gem, check it out!

Hey, Phoenix and Pete,

Funny, I just saw Anthony Hopkins in Legends of the Fall again last night.
Everyone in that movie was good, and I particularly liked the ending.

Phoenix, did Elton John also sing a song as the closing theme of Philadelphia? And, indeed Tom Hanks was superb. I believe that movie was Jason Robarts last.

Letty- It was Neil Young

Thanks, Phoenix. I must be thinking about another movie where someone is dying with AIDS.

Hiama's list is pretty good: there are only a handful that I would take issue with (among them The English Patient, Dances With Wolves). In general, I love to watch my favorite movies over and over again. In fact, I don't quite understand why someone would want to own movies but not see them multiple times. So any movie that's worth owning is worth seeing again and again.

And in that regard, here's my list of 100 movies that I want to own.

Watched a nice family movie this weekend, think I'll watch it again: Secondhand Lions

In this family-friendly comedy drama, Walter (Haley Joel Osment) is a shy and bookish boy just short of his teens whose mother impulsively decides to leave him for the summer with his eccentric grand-uncles, Hub (Robert Duvall) and Garth (Michael Caine). Walter isn't especially happy about being left in the middle of Texas with two old men, while Hub and Garth aren't too pleased to be stuck minding a boy, especially one who isn't accustomed to hunting, fishing, or firearms. When Walter starts hearing local gossip about his uncles' wild and wooly pasts, he begins asking a few questions, and while Hub and Garth don't enjoy having the boy poking into their pasts, as they start telling tales of their youthful adventures, they find themselves itching for some new adventures in their lives. Soon Walter is a semi-willing accomplice as his elderly guardians rediscover the wild, impulsive spirit of youth.

You might get a tear.

I watched Philadelphia for the second time last evening and I agree with Phoenix that the scene with Callas (Andrea Chenier, I believe) in the background was heart-wrenching. That was Bruce Springsteen singing The Streets of Philadelphia, the one that got the Oscar for Best Music. Neil Young sang the one called Philadelphia.

And, I watched for the third time, To Kill A Mockingbird. Such a beautiful movie.

In Philadelphia, isn't the scene with Callas in the background after the loft party, when Tom Hanks' character plays the record for his lawyer, Denzel Washington and Denzel has big ol' tears in his eyes.

Raggedy, I'm surprised that you've seen "Mockingbird" only 3 times. Is it unusual to watch particular movies every time they're on tv, year after year, until you've seen it so many times you can recite dialogue?

That's the scene, EOE. What a heartbreaker! Barely a word spoken by Denzel - all the emotion right there in his eyes.

When I like a movie I put in on VHS, but the problem is I get so many I don't have time to watch them more than twice. (lol). So last night was a treat when To Kill A Mockingbird came on TCM.

I remember that whenever "Mockingbird" came on television, the world would stop in our home. My mother adored that movie, loved Scout, and watched it every single time it was broadcast.
I've got the tape and the dvd but watched ten minutes of it last nite on TCM just because.
I've been wanting to see that movie, husker. I'll watch anything with Michael Caine and Robert Duvall.

I did enjoy "Second Hand Lions" at the multiplex, husker. It would not be on my list to revisit for a few years and I did find its sentiment was in the right place.

As you might expect "To Kill and Mockingbird" is in my collection. Just appreciating the first rate performances is enough to see it over and over. I like to leave some time so I hopefully forget the outcome in every detail!

I know. I'm odd but I loved the group singing Mr. Sandman in Philadelphia:

Mr. Sandman

Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream
Make him the cutest that I've ever seen
Give him two lips like roses and clover
Then tell him that his lonesome nights are over
Sandman, I'm so alone
Don't have nobody to call my own
Please turn on your magic beam
Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream


Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream
Make him the cutest that I've ever seen
Give him the word that I'm not a rover
Then tell him that his lonesome nights are over


Mr. Sandman, I'm so alone
Don't have nobody to call my own
Please turn on your magic beam
Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream


Mr. Sandman bring us a dream
Give him a pair of eyes with a come-hither gleam
Give him a lonely heart like Pagliacci
And lots of wavy hair like Liberace


Mr Sandman, someone to hold
Would be so peachy before we're too old
So please turn on your magic beam
Mr Sandman, bring us, please, please, please
Mr Sandman, bring us a dream
The Chordettes

Those notes--the ones that each singer had to do, would have been worthless had each individual not have had perfect intonation...you know, the ones that go--bong bong bong bong bong bong bong bong bong bong bong bong bong.

And, Mr. Wizard, I think we still agree that Truman Capote ghost wrote To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee needs to acknowledge that. grrrrrrrrr.

I'm sort of a comedy lover myself, and a typical generation MTV (old school, though)... and I'm a sucker for mafia movies, too!

Blues Brothers (never BB 2000)
Snatch
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Monty Python's Meaning of Life
Pulp Fiction
Home Improvement (not a movie, but I love the reruns!)
GoodFellas
Knockaround Guys
Godfather I
Mulholland Falls

I remember seeing Seven Brides For Seven Brothers 57 times,...............I was a cinema projectionist

kaylee, hilarious...As a kid, I worked at the concession stand in a movie theatre. I saw the original body snatchers with Boris Karloff and it is still the scariest damn movie I have ever seen. Must admit, I haven't seen it in a while. I can still visualize that ride in the carriage with Karloff's body falling over the driver saying, "Toddy--Toddy"

truth
Any movie (except Mission Impossible) with Kristin Scott Thomas. Why don't we see more of her work?

J.L. I don't ever know Kristen Scott Thomas, but I agree about Mission Impossible. Maybe that's why I don't know Kristen Scott Thomas.

Some movies aren't worth watching once. Went to sleep while the mystery of Natalie Woods was being aired.

Baraka

I bought Shawshank Redemption and put on the DVD machine. Twenty minutes into it I realized I had already watched it on a UHF channel. While once was okay, I had no intention of seeing it twice. Anybody want a new DVD?