My 10 Favorite Hollywood Movies

Yes I am a movie buff! However, I am not going to put up any pretensions and say that I understand the art and technique of film making, including camera angles, tone of the scenes, editing styles and the like. I am just a regular guy who loves watching movies and is only able to appreciate the plot / story, acting by the lead actors, the music, and the message that the movie is trying to convey. And it is from this limited perspective that I am going to talk about my favorite films; the films that have had a significant impact on me over the years. Here are my 10 favorite Hollywood movies:

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

Usually movies based on bestselling books leave you with a tinge of disappointment. You end up with a feeling that the movie didn’t quite do justice to the brilliance of the book. The feeling of characters not being fleshed out properly, important parts of the book being ignored in the screen adaptation, failure of the screen adaptation to evoke the same emotions as the book. The feeling of the book’s soul getting lost somewhere in the lights, camera, and action. However, this is one movie that did complete justice to Harper Lee’s novel by the same name. The novel is one of my all time favories, and I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve read it. I practically read it every three months or so. It was with some skepticism that I got the movie DVD home. I was unsure how the beauty and innocence of the book would translate onto the screen. However, the movie completely blew my mind. It was as if the characters from the book had actually come alive. Each and every one of them. Atticus, Scout, Jem, Dill, Tom Robinson, Bob Ewell, and Boo Radley. Gregory Peck did complete justice to the role of Atticus Finch. So much so, that whenever I read the book now, having watched the movie, I picture Peck while reading about Atticus. This movie, which deals with the tricky topic of racism seen through the eyes of a young girl is a must watch. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy… but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” Go get the DVD and watch the movie! You won’t be disappointed.