Shakespeare in Love
I appreciate the classic movies and my husband is an avid watcher of Turner Classic Movies. But when I am home and unencumbered, my eyes no longer able to focus on the printed page and I choose to relax alone at night, I have my go-to favorites that I watch over and over. I admit it; I love a good romance, even better if it is a costume drama.
My all-time favorite movie (as noted by the Featured photo) is Shakespeare in Love (1998). I know…it beat Saving Private Ryan for Best Movie of the year and my husband will never let me live that one down. You must understand, I think Romeo and Juliet is the finest play ever written. I always wanted to play Juliet and was hughly disappointed when I realized I was too old. So seeing the supposed origin story of the play, with witty intermingling of other quotes from Shakespeare interspersed was just heaven. It became migraine therapy for me. When I had taken all the medication I could that day, I would run off to see this again; it played a mile from my house. I saw it 15 times in the theater; yes a record for me. I still love it.
The Last of the Mohicans, 1992
I saw this movie the night after Thanksgiving, 1992, in a tiny theater in Hamilton, NY while Dan’s parents babysat. It struck me like a bolt of lightening. I had to see it over and over again. It took me years to understand why it had the impact on me that it did (it had to do with loss and my father, whose birthday was November 23; he had only been dead a few years then). I became obsessed with Daniel Day-Lewis, as I recounted in My Love Affair With Daniel Day-Lewis. (Seeing DD-L in My Left Foot years earlier did not have the same affect). I find it holds up well and I still enjoy it.
Pride and Prejudice, 2005
I know many prefer the Masterpiece Theater version with Colin Firth. I love this one and find it satisfying to watch it over and over again. Keira Knightly was a relative new-comer and very good in this.
Dangerous Beauty, 1998
One you’ve never heard of, directed by a Brandeis friend (Marshall Herskowitz). It did no box office, but I saw it on Boston’s opening night and fell in love. It takes place during the time of the courtesans in Venice with lush costumes and scenery, plenty of sexy romance, a strong female lead. Jacqueline Bisset plays the mother. I saw her at the Nantucket Film Festival a few years ago and told her this was a favorite (just as I’ve told Marshall, who is a classmate of my husband’s). Both remarked that the film has a cult following. Guilty as charged.
Dirty Dancing, 1998
Love the music (Solomon Burke’s “Cry To Me” makes me melt), the dancing and the romance. Not much more to say except, “No one puts Baby in a corner”.
I love anything with Audrey Hepburn but particularly enjoy Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Two for the Road, and a small gem with Peter O’Toole called How to Steal a Million; light as a feather, it’s an art heist in Paris with some romantic entanglements and great Givenchy clothing.
West Side Story and To Kill a Mockingbird are timeless. I can’t believe Spielberg is remaking WSS! Sacrilege!
At Christmas time, I must watch Miracle on 34th Street, White Christmas, and It’s a Wonderful Life. I have them recorded on my bedroom DVR, safely stowed away for all time.
Neither avant-garde nor New Wave, though we do see try to see all the Oscar-nominated films and enjoy foreign and indies. We see a lot of movies each year, but those listed above are the films I watch over and over. They do not disappoint.
Betsy PfauRetired from software sales long ago, two grown children. Theater major in college. Singer still, arts lover, involved in art museums locally (Greater Boston area). Originally from Detroit area.
You’ve made clear in your other stories, Betsy, that you are a hopeless romantic — though I’m never sure why anyone considers that condition to be “hopeless”; it sounds pretty hopeful to me. And you have also written about your love affair from afar — or at least your healthy obsession — with DD-L. So your bountiful compendium of re-watchable movies is not at all shocking.
But, all that said, having seen almost all of these movies myself (once, anyway), I think this is a wonderful list that you have put together. (And, for the record, I also preferred “Shakespeare in Love” to “Saving Private Ryan,” and thought it was a better piece of movie making as well.)
Not surprisingly, the only newby for me on your list is “Dangerous Beauty.” Based on your good taste and other brilliant slections, I’ll definitely have to track it down. Plus, how bad can two hours with Jacqueline Bisset be?
Thank you, John. Yes, you’ve been around long enough to remember my DD-L story. I actually didn’t much like “Phantom Thread”, despite the critics swooning over it, and sorry that he chose to end his career there. As for “Dangerous Beauty”, Catherine McCormack has the leading role, and she is worth watching too. Jacqueline Bisset plays her mother!
Thanks for sharing so many films that I can check out. I also loved Shakespeare in Love, but I’m afraid it will never live down that Saving Private Ryan comparison. Dirty Dancing is the one I’ve seen the most, probably because my daughters were obsessed with it. We watched it together many times.
Glad you liked my choices, Laurie. I confess to rewatching Dirty Dancing again recently. Gets me every time.
Oh, Shakespeare in Love! Definitely rewatchable…adding it to my notepad. Now that I think about it, the movie I probably rewatched the most times is West Side Story…I think I saw it on the big screen when it came out at least six times. Great list…I just might watch both versions of Pride & Prejudice, always fun to compare.
Thanks, Barb. Glad you agree. West Side Story is another one that I have a saved recording on one of my DVRs and also go back to, without owning the disc. Great music!
Great movies all Betsy!
We also watch Turner Classics and have watched or rewatched so many this Covid year!
May we be back in the theatres soon!
Thanks, Dana. We would love to get back into theaters. Actually, Dan goes to MV next Wed and is going to the art house film center that night. They are only allowing a very small number in, so he feels very safe.
Go with him!
Not until late May. He golfs; I don’t.
Of course!
Terrific list, Betsy, especially since I’m also a major Shakespeare in Love fan. After the first time I have watched it at home, though, because there are many, many “English major” in-jokes in the movie, and in theater I was the only one laughing and later had to explain to my date what was so funny. Tom Stoppard is a genius.
Totally agree about Tom Stoppard. What a treat that movie is!
Wow Marian, I’d forgotten that Tom Stoppard wrote the Shakespeare in Love screenplay. I was an English major too, and yes he is a genius!
There’s a new Stoppard biography out, would be a fascinating read I’m sure!
I believe he came in to doctor the script after the initial draft, but I’m sure he put in all the clever stuff.
I dimly recall seeing Shakespeare in Love, and probably missed all the in-jokes that would have resonated were I more Shakespeare and English-major literate. Maybe I should find the right companion and give it another try!
Khati, it helps to know the various famous plays to get the references. Throughout the movie you see Will hear the references, then the wheels turn in his head as he makes note, knowing they will eventually appear in the play, which is a great gag. But you’re right; it helps to know the original. But the costumes and romance are lovely too, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Betsy, I’m a romantic too, and I agree with all of your choices except Last of the Mohicans, which I’ve never seen (and never wanted to, because I hated the book when we had to read it in school). I would choose Shakespeare in Love over Saving Private Ryan any day, so for once I agreed with the Academy on that one. Glad you included Audrey on your list too. How to Steal a Million is fun (and note that it is one of the movies I own, as shown in my featured image), but in that crime-caper-and-Givenchy-clothing genre, I think Charade is even better.
Glad to meet another another true romantic (I’m not surprised). This latest rendition of Mohicans uses the book as a jumping off point. “Natty Bumpo” is turned into Nathanial Poe, and you’ve never seen Daniel Day-Lewis play action hero before. He is magnificent. He and Cora develop a burning romance with the best kiss of 1992 (according to Playboy Magazine). It is bloody and violent, if that bothers you, but all about Native Americans getting along with the settlers, taking care of the land and its people and Russell Means, who was a Native American activist, plays Day-Lewis’ father. It still gets my heart beating faster.
Dan had never seen Charade, so we watched it recently. There is much to love in it (Cary Grant for one), but I still prefer the lightness and comedy of “How to Steal a Million”. We certainly agree on Audrey!
A great list, Betsy. I think the DD line “nobody puts baby, etc.” is one of the classics. Patrick Swayze’s untimely death probably cut short a panoply of films that you would like. I think that Ghost is just such a one. As for DD-L, actually I really liked My Left Foot as well (and cringed at the real world after story). Brings to mind the post “Lincoln” clip that Obama made pretending to be DD-L playing him (“gotta get the ears right”)
Thanks, Tom. I, too, loved Swayze in “Ghost”…saw it while mourning for my father, so you can imagine how it affected me!
Don’t misunderstand my comment about Day-Lewis and My Left Foot. I loved the performance and do rewatch it (I own EVERYTHING he ever made; before a basement flood, I even had a direct-to-video awful movie called Eversmile,NJ, which I taped off TV, but got destroyed and believe me, is NOT worth watching and not available anywhere). But I didn’t fall in love with him, based on that performance. It is Mohicans that draws me back, over and over again. As soon as my husband leaves for the Vineyard in a few days, I plan to rewatch Lincoln, something I’ve only done once. Funny Obama quote!
I thought Daniel Day-Lewis’ Oscar-winning performance in My Left Foot was a tour de force.
I don’t remember the after story, advise!
I agree, his performance was a masterpiece. I think Tom is referring to Christy Brown’s real life saga, which is not portrayed in the movie, and I just googled. He was evidently happily involved with an American woman, but was lured away by an Irish woman who, it was revealed after his early death, abused him terribly (his body was covered with bruises) and cheated on him.
Oh dear, sad to hear.
As for awarding actors for their skill, I feel sometimes actors – especially the really well-known and acclaimed ones – are almost playing themselves. I like to see actors tackling really challenging roles like Day-Lewis in My Left Foot!
I truly believe that Day-Lewis is/was (not dead, just retired) the finest actor of his era and believe me, I have STUDIED him. No one inhabits a role as he did.
Exactly
He is wonderful indeed, must rewatch his films!
I should have put “Dirty Dancing” on my list!
It’s not too late. I give you permission to go back and edit your story; at least correct the record for the future if you look at it again.
I have not seen The Last of the Mohicans nor Dangerous Beauty. I will take your inclusion of these two as a recommendation for future watching!
I hope you enjoy them, Michael.
“Dangerous Beauty” just went on my list of films to see.
I hope a) you can find it (its fairly obscure), and b) you enjoy. Now I feel pressure.
I watched “Dangerous Beauty” yesterday. At first I thought it was just going to be a standard love story with some scenes featuring a beautiful woman, but then it wrapped up with her trial before the Inquisition. That was powerful.
I then Googled “Veronica Franco”, and learned that she is the subject of a project at USC, examining the life and works of a very important early feminist. Now I’m going to order the book about her and the book of her poems. Thanks for a great suggestion.
So glad you enjoyed it, Jeff. I watched it again the night we exchanged comments and still thoroughly enjoyed it. I bought the book the movie is based on (years ago), but confess that I never got into it. But this new info about the project at USC is interesting. Thank you for that added bit of news.
I just ordered the DVD of “Dangerous Beauty” from Amazon. It got very high ratings and comments there.
And John’s recommendation, “Wonder Boys”, is available for free for Amazon Prime customers.
Now you’ve inspired me and I’ll watch it again tonight! My husband just left for Martha’s Vineyard, so I can rewatch all my favorites!!