My Mom's 10 Favorite Movies

With today being Mother's Day and my post about Sarah's favorite movies being such a hit, I thought it would be fun to share my thoughts and ranking on my Mom's 10 favorite movies. This ranking was a lot easier to do than Sarah's ranking as my mom and I share many favorite franchises and movies such as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Indiana Jones, and Harry Potter so it was a lot easier to share my thoughts on them without bashing on them too hard. One interesting thing about my mom's favorite movies is that a majority of them are based on books that she read before watching the movies. With that being said, here are my thoughts and ranking of my Mom's 10 favorite movies.

10. Charlotte's Web (2006)

Charlotte's Web is one of my mom's favorite books and evidently one of her favorite movies. She said that the book began her love of fantasy/talking animals and that she still watches the movie/reads the book every so often as an adult. This movie is a very classic story that most people probably read as kids. I thought the story was very heartfelt and had quite a few sweet movies. At its core, this movie is about the friendship between Wilbur and Charlotte and how Charlotte is determined to help Wilbur and not let him be sent to the smokehouse. The movie also has a few notable actors in its voice cast with Julia Roberts as Charlotte and Steve Buscemi as Templeton. However, there are a few things that keep this movie from being a higher-level film. The biggest issue is that the story doesn't effectively come across in live-action form. Since they look like real animals, the main characters are unable to emote and thus emotion is very hard to convey. They can't convey facial expressions and so can't provide any real emotion to the story. I also thought there were a few too many subplots in the film with Fern and her guy friend as well as Templeton vs the crows. Overall, while this is a sweet classic story, there are a few things about it that just don't translate well to live action.

Score: 6.5/10 Grade: B-

9. A Christmas Carol (1984)

A Christmas Carol is another classic book that my mom likes that has become one of her favorite movies. She likes this movie because of the life reflection and life changes because of the visits by the ghosts. She also likes that it isn't scary and doesn't give her nightmares. I like this movie for similar reasons. It is a traditional telling of a classic Christmas tale. It delivers solid emotions and gets you to feel good at the end of the story. After seeing this story, it always makes me want to be a better person. There isn't a whole lot to say about this movie. The reason it is so low is that this movie just isn't one I watch a lot. While it is very good, it isn't one I watch every year nor one that I really have any sort of connection with. Overall, this is a great classic story, just not one I really connect with or have fond memories of.

Score: 7/10 Grade: B

8. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is my mom's favorite Harry Potter film. She likes this film the best because it is the funniest. Several parts make her laugh. The part she likes the most is when Hermione hits Harry on the head when he jokes about being the chosen one. I enjoy the film for many of the same reasons. This film probably has the most laughs out of any of the films. Ron and Harry deliver some standout moments. This movie also gives us some great Dumbledore moments as we get to see him spend some more time with Harry. This movie also has a darker tone which is really effective in portraying Voldemort's return and his rise to power. This movie also gives some very emotional moments with an ending that really gets you in the feels. While this is my mom's favorite Harry Potter film, it is actually one of my least favorites. I am not a huge fan of the hormonal Harry that we get in this film. This film also cuts so much out of the books to the point where there are some noticeable gaps in the story in the movie. In the end, I still enjoy this film but it just has too much source material to really deliver this story to its full potential.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

7. Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe is another classic book that my mom likes that turned into one of her favorite movies. She likes it because of the big fantasy aspects, battle scenes as well as the biblical allegory. I really enjoy this franchise and this movie specifically. It is such a classic story that I remember reading as a kid. I also really like the world-building involved in this story. We get to see a really fleshed-out Narnia with all of these creatures. The movie does a great job of establishing the opposing sides and the overall conflict of the story. The movie is also given enough run time to tell an effective story without really rushing through things. I really enjoy the fantasy aspect of the story and all of the mythical creatures we get to see. I also really enjoy the big battle sequence at the end. It is very cinematic and exciting and is actually portrayed better in the film than in the book. The only thing really holding this film back is that I wasn't a fan of some of the character portrayals. The Pevensie children are quite annoying at times. Peter can be really mean at times and Susan comes across as quite bossy. Overall, this is a great fantasy story that just had a few annoying character portrayals that held it back.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

6. Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman is my mom's favorite superhero movie. She grew up with Wonder Woman and says she is her favorite superhero. She also enjoys the movie because it can be extremely funny at times. For me, Wonder Woman was definitely a breath of fresh after the overly bleak films up to this point in the DCEU. The film is very uplifting and inspiring. Gal Gadot does a great job as Wonder Woman in being able to pull off her confidence and make her independent while also not compromising her femininity. I also really enjoyed the fish out of water aspect of the film. It added a bit of lightness to the tone and made for some pretty funny moments. I also really enjoy all of the side characters on Wonder Woman's journey, they are all memorable and aid in her growth as a person. Steve Trevor, specifically is very fun as he has such a likable personality and some witty dialogue. He also allows Wonder Woman to grow and change the most and really impacts her as a person Finally, the action is really well done in the film specifically with the No Man's Land sequence. What holds this film back for me is that the third act turns a little bit generic and has a really bland villain spouting video-game-level dialogue. In the end, this is a solid film that almost stuck the landing to make it a top-tier DC superhero film.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

5. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Star Wars: The Forces Awakens is my mom's favorite Star Wars movie. She likes it because of all of the funny Harrison Ford moments. Initially, she said her favorite Star Wars movie would be just a montage of Harrison Ford clips but since that isn't a movie, she opted to go with this film. I really enjoy this movie as it is a great return to form for Star Wars films. It feels like such a homage to classic Star Wars more so than trying to be like the prequels. It has such a great story with a bunch of fun new characters. Both Finn and Kylo Ren add layers of complexity to the story and their individual characters. This is such an exciting movie and feels like a roller coaster ride of excitement from beginning to end. The movie also has quite a few funny moments mostly coming from either Finn or Han Solo. I also found the film to have some very emotional moments specifically in the final act of the film. Finally, I really like the character portrayal of Kylo Ren. There is so much conflict in him and at the time it really set up some great potential for his character to go. The only hold-up I have of this film is that it is a bit derivate of A New Hope. However, it is done in a way that feels more like a love letter than a remake. Overall, this is a great Star Wars film that really set the expectations high for what could come next.

Score: 8.7/10 Grade: A-

4. The Martian

The Martian is another book that my mom really enjoyed and resulted in it being one of her favorite movies. She really enjoys the Sci-Fi aspect of it and all of the real science behind it. She also thinks it is very funny and enjoys the parts with Abba music in it. The Martian actually surprised me with how funny it was. There are a lot of moments in the film that make me laugh out loud. I also really like all of the science and math stuff that is throughout this film. As a huge nerd, that stuff really interests me. Matt Damon really nails the role here. He is really able to pull off a compelling performance while having no one else on screen with him for 90% of the movie. The movie also has a very solid supporting cast. There are many standout actors apart of the Hermes crew and they all play off of each other very well. I also like how the movie handles its pacing. While not exactly, a fast-moving plot, the way the story is told never allows the movie to drag or feel boring. Finally, as this is one of the movies my mom and I share as a favorite, it always brings some good memories for me. There really isn't anything that holds this film back for me. Every movie at this point is in my top 25 favorite movies so the only reason this is at number 4 is because I just like the top three even more.

Score: 9.5/10 Grade: A

3. Ready Player One

Ready Player One is the first of Steven Spielberg's films to be on this list and is yet another book that my mom likes and became one of her favorite movies. She really enjoyed the Sci-Fi aspect of it as well as all of the 80s nostalgia and pop culture references. I, just like my mom, like this movie a lot more than most people do. I also really enjoy all of the references to movies, retro video games, and 80's pop culture (basically all of the stuff I am into). I also really like how it includes a lot of cool movie icons, such as the Back to the Future DeLorean, the hotel from The Shining, and the Iron Giant, as main components of the plot. I think the world-building for this movie is really well done. It establishes all of these different concepts and locations that are really interesting and fun to see. I also like the whole treasure-hunting aspect of the plot and think it is a really fun way to take us through this world. Finally, I really enjoy all of the characters in this movie. They are all very compelling, add important aspects to the film and interact with each other really well. The only reason, this movie isn't in the top 2 is that this movie relies a bit too much on CGI compared to the two above it. Overall, this is a really fun movie with all sorts of references and nostalgia.

Score: 9.6/10 Grade: A

2. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is my mom's favorite of the Indiana Jones franchise. She likes this film the best because of all of the funny banter between Harrison Ford and Sean Connery. I really enjoy this movie. It is in my top 5 favorite movies. Harrison Ford is the perfect person to play Indiana Jones. This movie is just really funny and does a great job of including humor in the overall adventure story. The action sequences in this movie are also really well done. They are all done with practical effects and stunt work and with no CGI which a lot of movies just don't do anymore. There are some very exciting scenes such as Indy vs the Tank that are some of my favorite movie scenes ever. The best part about this movie is the dynamic between Indiana Jones and his dad. Their chemistry leads to some really funny moments. It is also really fun to see their differing approaches on how to handle certain situations. Finally, the score in this movie is just so good. John Williams really killed it with the music. This is a perfect movie and the only reason it isn't number one is because the top spot is even more perfect. In the end, this film is so much fun and clearly takes the name of the greatest adventure film of all time.

Score: 10/10 Grade: A+

I. Lord of the Rings

Lord of the Rings is both my mom's and my favorite movie of all time. While The Lord of the Rings is technically three movies, I have always viewed them as one movie as they are all one complete story. This has been my favorite movie ever since my mom introduced it to me as a kid. It is nothing short of epic. The story itself is expansive and well-told. It takes time to introduce you to all of the characters. With a runtime of 9+ hours, the story really allows for things to build and grow and for all characters to get their time in the spotlight. All of the characters are super fun and memorable and you really get to spend a lot of time with them throughout the three films and really see them grow and change. The action scenes and battle sequences are also so cool to watch. They all are done on such a large scale and are such amazing scenes. There are so many scenes in this movie that give me chills every time I watch them. The score in these films is always quite good. The music really nails the tone of the scenes with so much of the music adding to the overall epic-ness of the movie. Overall, my mom and I just love this movie. We can both watch it over and over again and never get tired of it.

Score: 15/10 Grade: A+++