Example, Schindler's List opened my eyes not only to man's capacity for evil, but what it truly means to be moral. By the church's standards, Oscar Schindler was a womanizing, mild alcoholic who did not follow the laws of the land. However, in reality he was probably one of the most decent men of his age, much more worthy of salvation, if such a thing exists, then any of the church's prophets or their legions of moral do-gooders.

Don't have a fave per se, but there are several I've liked over the years:

Schindler's List--for obvious reasons

Reservation Road--Saw it just after I realized TSCC was a crock. Kate Winslet's character really reflected the feelings of being trapped that I had in TSCC

The Fully Monty--out-of-work blokes band together to save their families from financial devastation. The scene with the fat guy's wife saying she supports him...*dabs little tear*

Die Hard--The first one with Alan Rickman as Hans. Makes me want to crawl through some vents and kick in some skulls.

I'm sure some deeper choices will come to me later...

Die Hard is a deep choice. It is the inspiring story of a man, overcoming adversity, in order to protect his family. Also, as a side plot, it shows how taking the time to send someone a Christmas greeting, can have a very emotional and moving effect on them. Ho Ho Ho.

LMAO!!

I would not say that it is my all-time favorite but
The Matrix had a great impact on me. Even more so now that I've learned about the truth of tscc
Good Morning Vietnam as well.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/2012 11:54AM by quebec.

Blazing Saddles

Blazing Saddles was the greatest, the camp fire scene, the toll gate, then the line "I hired you people to get a little track laid, not to jump around like a bunch of Kansas City @#$%&! ".

Mel Brooks was sick,but is funny, so funny!

"they said you was hung!"

'and they was right'

I know, all Stephen King but all great movies.

Shawshank Redemption- Such a powerful movie. I love what the character Andy did over the years to eventually free himself.

The Breakfast Club- Well I love 80s movies and it's a good one.

There are plenty more but those are the two right off the top of my head.

Andy is a lot like an RfM. Imagine if he was instead imprisoned by Mormonism, but over the course of many years, was slowly able to chip away at the walls of its doctrines with his little hammer of reason (it was a science tool in the movie no less) until he had cut enough of it away to make a hole big enough for him to escape.

Brazil

My favorite mainstream American made big studio R-rated movie is 'The Exorcist'. It makes religion, Christianity, & especially Jesuit priests look really good. It's one of the best stories about sacrifice.

Team America, World Police. I consider it educational too since it teaches the important life lesson that Awex Bawdwin is worthwess.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/2012 12:28PM by forbiddencokedrinker.

'nuf said.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
the Kill Bill movies
Good Will Hunting

Even as a TBM (though I think at my peak I was probably only ever a 50% TBM) I thought the movie ratings system was ridiculous, because as far as I could tell the PG-13 rating was invented to accodomate films of a crass and juvenile nature that continually flirted with the boundaries of R-ratedness without crossing them enough to earn the R rating. In other words, when the rating was introduced, you almost never saw films dealing with adult, thought-provoking human issues with a PG-13 rating -- they were usually rated R. For the church it made sense, they didn't want their members to see quality films dealing with adult subjects in an adult way -- better to stick with mindless entertainment.

Monty Python's "The Life of Brian" and "A Fish Called Wanda" are my two favorite R movies from the old days. "Harold and Maude" was another favorite, the director of which was married to my Grandma's sister for a while. "The Life of Brian" should be required viewing for any Christian, forced deprogramming, lol.

Yeah, a PG-13 rating is often a death sentence for my desire to see a movie. Better to be an R or a PG.

Lars and The Real Girl
The Believer
The United States of Leland

Yeah, Lars and the Real Girl was good. Hard to believe a movie where a realistic sex doll figures prominently could be called sweet. Shows how Christians could act if they put their money where their mouth is.

Loved Shawshank, too.

I really enjoyed recently, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" and "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."

Little Miss Sunshine

knows to this movie. She LONGS to be able to watch it now. It is an EXCELLENT movie. Actually, Greg Kinnear acts just like my ex. And the son reminded me of my own son. Love that movie!

"Little Miss Sunshine" is the quintessential "Family movie." The Family is "disfunctional" but they are a loving family underneath it all. Disaster after disaster befalls them. Things start bad and gradually get worse. But it's alright because they are a family that actually loves each other.

None of the fake "winning in the end" stuff to give the movie an "uplifting" ending. The uplifting part, and there is a LOT of it, is their love and support for each other (not expressed in a maudlin, "Disney-ish" way at all) when the bad stuff happens.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/2012 09:05PM by baura.

The king's speech. Love actually. Both make me cry

"The Last of the Mohicans" is by far my favorite but I just watched "Last Night" and really enjoyed that.

Bridget Jones's Diary :)

Last Supper is still my favourite. It's funny and has an interesting message. It's one of Cameron Diaz's early roles.

Luke: "People disappear all the time."

Jude: "Especially in Iowa. We probably saved him from an alien abduction."

This is funny, I've been pretty firm on the no 'R' rating for most my life (even thought I think it's stupid) but I have been persuaded to watch a few good ones. I think I've seen most of the ones that have been listed so far.

A side note, my dad would turn Die Hard on for us when I was a little kid around christmas time to keep us distracted. It was awesome.

I guess some animated things like "Up" and "Despicable Me." It's not that I go out looking for R movies, it's just that the movies I like happen to be rated that way.

Seriously, I'm the first to post Godfather I and II?

Dead Poets Society

A Time To Kill

1. Godfather I and II ("Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes.")
2. Shawshank Redemption ("Institutionalized")
3. Goodfellas ("Go get your f*cking shine box...")
4. Good Will Hunting ("...how you like dem apples?")
5. One Flew Over Cuckoo's Nest ("Whattaya say, Chief?")
6. Full Metal Jacket ("Easy, Leonard...")
7. Butch Cassidy ("Who are those guys...?")
8. Pulp Fiction ("Zed's dead, baby. Zed's dead.")
9. Team America ("Awek Bawdwin...")
10. Johnny Lingo R-version ("Mahana, you ugly, get on your knees.")

Fight Club - and it is uplifting, educational, and whatever else you said.

Schindler's List is very good too.

I been fond of:

Cinema Paridiso
Ordinary People
Jesus of Montreal

The Godfather. This movie taught me all I know about family values. My dysfunctional Mormon family had nothing to offer.

Scarface

Educational with enough real humor to take the sting out of the horrific history it was presenting.

Read the book as part of my Western American Lit class. As usual, I liked the book better - and it was hilarious.

Matrix--just as I was exiting mormonism.

Killing Fields. I made my teenagers watch this even when I was an active member to understand some of what went on during that time.

An oldie but a goodie: The Last Picture Show. It showed me just how old fashioned and mormony my home town was because growing up there was just like growing up in the movie. Only the movie took place 20 years earlier. And had way hornier older women.

Of course the greatest one of all will probably be when they make a film adaptation of "The Book Of Mormon."

The Crying Game

Ran it when I worked in a movie theatre in SLC ages ago. One night I wanted to get out early and when the credits started to roll I cycled up the lights and faded out the screen.

When I came downstairs to lock the doors I was confronted by an openly gay man, who was angry to the point of tears. Turns out his friend who had died was acknowledged in the credits. He asked me to rewind it and play the credits, for him and his friends. I had to explain that its imposible and would have to play the entire film. I gave him free passes for the next evenings show, and asked for the name of his friend in the movie. and I asked that he have the doorman fetch me when he came to see the next nights show.

The next day, I played the entire film credits and all, and when he was leaving I gave him a 35mm that I spliced out of the film print, with his friends credit centered. He cried again, but this time not out of anger.

That was experience with R-rated movies that I recall, and my first time ever knowing an openly gay person in Utah.

V for Vendetta.

Bonus: similarities to being an ex-Mormon

"Dolores Claiborne" but I don't know why. It just speaks to me.

Hair

I saw it when it just came out in the theaters, and was impressed with the music and choreography. Beautiful.

Took my newly-wed TBM wife to see it the second time - she hated it (partly because we went to a Sunday matinee; I didn't realize how bad it was to go to a movie on Sunday. But she didn't object before we went, just afterwards).

All That Jazz. My first boobie viewing.

Ohhh... that's a good one.

Little Miss Sunshine
King's Speech
The Descendants
Body Heat

Deep Throat
Behind the Green Door
Debbie Does Dallas

Oh, wait, . . . those weren't "R" rated.