In our house there are two things we spend a lot of time doing; reading and watching movies. On the reading front, I read 5-7 books a week while the hubby reads 2-3. We also tend to watch 4-6 movies a week – mostly on weekends. Good movies are jello for the mind. They go down easy, taste good, and most can be quickly forgotten.

Ever since my dad rented a VCR and brought home The Neverending Story when I was a little sprout in the mid 80’s I’ve been in love with the stories and the escape. I never grew out of my love for movies. Occasionally I’ll be in the mood to watch the same movie over and over again. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen the original Star Wars trilogy (pre re-editing and enhancement). Then there was that phase in university where I watched Platoon at least once a day for months on end… I’m amazed my roomies didn’t throw my butt to the curb!

There are movies that you choose to watch because they’re important – but once watched, no matter how well acted and directed they were – you will never watch a second time. For me, Bastard out of Carolina is such a movie. It’s burned into my mind and I’ll never forget it.

Like comfort foods people eat when they’re upset, I have comfort movies. Depending on the mood I’m in – or want to be in – I’ll choose specific movies to watch from our collection.

When I want a good action movie, I’ll throw on Pitch Black or Chronicles of Riddick. Boondock Saints is our “shoot-em-up” of choice. When I want a good cry, I choose Leon. My classic movie fave is Breakfast at Tiffany’s and for Disney movies I’ve always had a soft spot for Old Yeller. I love Bollywood but it’s a Hindi drama, Mr. and Mrs. Iyer, that makes the top of my list for best Indian productions. I could easily list a dozen more…

This past weekend I had a chance to watch Mrs. Henderson Presents once again. I suspect that this movie will be added to my favourites and spend a lot of time in my DVD player in the next few years. Dame Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins always light up the screen.

The first time I saw this movie was at my parents house shortly before my dad died. Mom and I spent an evening watching it after visiting dad. Because of this I didn’t expect to be able to watch it again this soon. I thought the memory of the situation associated with it would be too raw. Surprisingly I found watching it again soft and comforting. If you’ve got a few hours to burn, Mrs. Henderson Presents is well worth the cost of the rental.

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