1. Raiders of the Lost Ark. A masterful creation by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, combining great storytelling, wonderful effects, humor, and of course the ever-handsome Harrison Ford. "It's not the years, it's the mileage."
2. E.T. Another Steven Spielberg film, this timeless friendship movie captured my heart, and still to this day, I cry at the ending.
3. Star Wars. The first film I saw more then once, and it forever changed the way I looked at movies.
4. The Breakfast Club. Really the only John Hughes/'Brat Pack' type movie I feel I can relate with, although I enjoyed the others. This film defined my generation as I was a high school student when this film was released.
5. Sleepless in Seattle. I'm not really into 'chick flicks,' but this one is an exception to the rule. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are wonderful in this film, and I loved all the references to An Affair to Remember, and of course living in Seattle gave me a personal connection to this film. "Destiny is something we've invented because we can't stand the fact that everything that happens is accidental."
6. Dances with Wolves. My all-time favorite film. I love the story, the imagery, touches of humor, and being culturally and historically told. I prefer the extended four-hour version of this film.
7. The Sound of Music. My second all-time favorite film. My first experience with musicals that I have come to know and love. I remember watching this with my parents and sisters on NBC, year after year, and love it as much now as I did back then. When in Salzburg a few years ago, I loved "The Sound of Music" tour, and visiting many of the sites associated with both the film and the real von Trapp family.
8. Dirty Dancing. I was working at a movie theater in Portland, Oregon, when this film was released, and remember sitting in the auditorium on my breaks watching Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze dance. I loved the music and the dancing, and of course, Patrick Swayze!
9. Fiddler on the Roof. One of the first films I remember seeing with my parents and sisters at a movie theater. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the acting, and the music.
10. The Wizard of Oz. Can't forget this timeless classic and another annual tradition film, I watched every year with my parents and sisters, after all; "There's no place like home." My favorite character, of course, is the Scarecrow.
11. Field of Dreams. I just love this beautifully told baseball story, and then the ending when he sees his father, and discovers it was all for him, still brings tears to my eyes. My all time favorite sports movie. "No, Ray, it was you."
12. Back to the Future. What's better then building a time machine out of a Delorean? The loved the comedy, the actors, the music, the comic timing of Christopher Lloyd, and then the whole premise of traveling back in time and missing up your future. My personal favorite line is when Doc Brown asks who the president is in the future and Marty says, "Ronald Reagan." Truth is stranger than fiction.
13. Bambi. The first Disney movie I ever saw, and the first movie I saw in the theaters. I remember being upset when Bambi's mom was shot by those hunters and being frightened for Bambi in the forest fire.
14. The Pink Panther (Peter Sellers). My parents took us to theater one afternoon for a Pink Panther marathon. I loved the slap-stick and comic timing of Peter Sellers, who played the bungling French police detective Jacques Clouseau.
15. Live and Let Die. The first James Bond movie I ever watched, and becoming intrigued by spies and espionage. Although I enjoy Roger Moore, Sean Connery is still the BEST Bond.