Movies Worth Watching

Residency taught Josh many skills. Among them: How to restart someone's heart. How to drink coffee. How to treat cancer. How to avoid hobbies. And how to fall asleep during any movie.

That last one is a running joke in our home. Sometimes I think he doesn't like my choice of movies (not a stretch given my taste), but every once in a while he reminds me that no, he's just that tired. Like last night, when he fell asleep halfway through our first time watching Inception.

But even that didn't surprise me as much as our reaction: Neither of us cared enough to stay up and finish it.

I have always loved movies. But lately, I've noticed I love them a little less. Here's why I think that might be the case...

My Age
It feels like I've finally seen or read enough stories that...
-- It's harder to be surprised. I recognize not just the archetypal characters but the elements of storytelling. While I don't love suspense, I do find it's easier to get bored when I recognize the story as one I've seen before.
-- It's easier to be critical, to see how the movie could've been better. Not sure how much of this comes from being an editor and how much is just growing up, but I wish it were easier to turn off.

My Stage
Being a wife, mother, professional, reader, cook, runner, etc means...
-- I'm less eager to spend time in front of the TV. There are too many other things I'd rather do.
-- I'm more sensitive to violent or embarrassing scenes than ever - particularly since having babies. Which severely limits the number of movies I want to watch.

That said, I'm still an avid Entertainment Weekly reader and netflix subscriber, so here are a few movies I've loved since I last discussed movies on this blog (clearly it's been a while): Downton Abbey, The King's Speech, (500) Days of Summer, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, The Dinner Game, Cranford, Last Chance Harvey, Adam, The Young Victoria, North & South, Wives & Daughters, Desk Set, The September Issue, Henry Poole is Here, The Tourist, and Iron Man 2. If you watch them based on my recommendation, I hope you find them worth your time, even if they are slightly predictable, flawed, insignificant, or wince-inducing.