Film Recommendations

Movies!!!!  I grew up living vicariously through EVERY movie I saw.  I love film!  One of my dreams was always to act and work in some capacity in the film industry.  To my adolescent self, it represented the greatest of all artistic creations in one – writing, acting, music, scenery, directing, and overall storytelling production.  Coming from my team-focused, athletic background, I saw filmmaking as the ultimate team job in the “real” world.

Film took a slight back seat once I was introduced to live musicals, but the biggest draw to both is the same.  Everyone knowing their exact role in the production/process and in most cases, LOVING their exact role.  And therein lies the real gift…assembling & managing a team where you get the best of everyone for the greater good of the overall production.  Once “auditions” are completed, there is no competition.  At least, for the BEST productions with the BEST leaders, there is only cooperation to attain the highest potential for the group as a whole.  Just like in athletics…an arena I know well.

The films listed below represent only a very short list of all my many, many favorites.  I tried to remain with the same theme – those that most affected me on my journey.  (I will stop after the first 30 that come to mind.)  It is likely that I will reference these and other films in many of my podcasts/videos.  Make a list of your own and see what it reveals, if anything, about you to yourself.

Films with release dates listed are identified as Alyson’s top 5 most influential films on her journey thus far.

  1. Into the Wild – released 9/21/07
  2. Rudy – released 10/13/93
  3. Man Without a Face – released 8/25/93
  4. Goonies – released 6/7/85
  5. The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood – released 6/7/02
  6. Inception
  7. Fight Club
  8. K-PAX
  9. Shawshank Redemption
  10. The American President
  11. Dave
  12. V for Vendetta
  13. American Beauty
  14. Stand By Me
  15. The Big Lebowski
  16. The Visitor
  17. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
  18. Good Will Hunting
  19. Gattaca
  20. Out of Africa
  21. The Great Gatsby (Robert Redford version)
  22. The Matrix
  23. Waking Life
  24. What the Bleep do we Know?
  25. Higher Learning
  26. Dangerous Minds
  27. Lean on Me
  28. Stand & Deliver
  29. Freedom Writers
  30. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind