A Tribute to Flickers

We watched The Maltese Falcon the other night for the umpteenth time. I wasn't sure I wanted to sit through it again, but my husband insisted. So I settled in to the familiar story, told in noir style, of a treasure hunt littered with casualties. I still don't get the attraction between Mary Astor's and Humphrey Bogart's characters. Mary Astor is just an asshole as far as I can tell. But the movie is so beautifully shot and the story so well told, that I settled in and found myself noticing things I hadn't before.

That's the beauty of a great movie.

Others favorites that we've viewed over and over include Casablanca, Wizard of Oz and Citizen Kane. In the category of holiday classics, I still enjoy It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol (appreciated in its many forms, including Mr. Magoo's version and Scrooged), The Ref and the Bishop's Wife.

In another category altogether are the guilty pleasures, the movies I watch with my son. There's the pair of Adam Sandler flicks, The Water Boy and Happy Gilmore. Plus Uncle Buck, My Cousin Vinny.and Animal House (with a preamble to remind my kid that, while I find the movie hilarious, I in no way condone these kinds of shenanigans in real life).

Then we come to the movies that are mine, the ones I watch when the house is empty of testosterone. The Bridges of Madison County. The Desk Set (or any Hepburn/Tracy flick). Educating Rita. The Enchanted April. First, I go to the Baskin Robbins at the corner, grab me a milk shake, then hunker down for a couple of hours of pure escapist joy.

I also enjoy early comedies, a la Charlie Chaplin, the Marx Brothers and W.C. Fields. And who can resist Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and their amazing dancing and wise-cracking humor set to the music of Cole Porter?

My tribute to film would not be complete without mentioning the 15-minute favorites. My husband, like many males of our species, is a compulsive channel changer. It is not uncommon for him to land on one of several movies for which we always seem to catch the last 15 minutes. We've gotten so we know some of them by heart. They include, first and foremost, Rio Bravo. Also The Shawshank Redemption, Green Mile, and the Guns of Navarone.

If I had to, I could live without cable television. But I'd be hard pressed to go on without my favorite flickers.

This weekend, we'll be watching The Quiet Man, in honor of St. Patrick's Day. And yes, I'll still roll my eyes a little when the woman says, "Here's a fine stick to beat the lovely lady." But I'll laugh and love it all the same.