Comfort Movies:

My Grandma and Grandpa J. had a t.v. that looked just like this.  They called it "Old Faithful" and kept it in Grandma's sewing room.  They probably kept it around because it always worked, even when their newer t.v.'s were on the blink.  Because in the old days, things were built to last.  Like toasters.  

 But that is a whole different story.

Grandma and Grandpa lived in Junction City, about a half hour drive from our home in Eugene, and they had different channels than we did.  Probably Corvallis channels.  At their house, we could watch Captain Kangaroo and his friend Mr. Green Jeans.  Why did Captain Kangaroo wear bangs?


The other night, my BFH and I were watching "To Kill a Mockingbird."   I love that movie.  I love the book too, which is just like the movie ... I appreciate it when the movie people follow the book as written.  

Scout and Atticus Finch

The TCM man said that Harper Lee, who wrote the book, was so happy with Gregory Peck's performance of her father that she gave him her father's pocket watch in appreciation.  (Did you know that you can download and/or print off  "To Kill a Mockingbird"  for free using the Project Gutenberg, over there on my sidebar?  It is legal.  I wouldn't steer you wrong on something like that.)


Anyway, I started thinking about all the movies that are on t.v. and how they are being shown over and over again.  Not just the classic black and white films either.  Nearly every week, you can watch Overboard if you want to.  You can also watch Band of Brothers about as often.  Dances with Wolves, Braveheart, Secondhand Lions, Sleepless in Seattle, While You Were Sleeping, What Is Eating Gilbert Grape ... the list goes on and on.

Cary thinks that the t.v. stations are running out of money and are depending upon re-runs.  Maybe so, but I never get tired of certain movies, and I must not be the only one, since they keep on showing them.  There are other ones that I watch on DVD and VHS every once in a while:  Because of Winn Dixie, The Princess Bride, E.T., Back to the Future, The Secret Garden are just a few.  

Sometimes I wonder why these old favorites bring me so much comfort and good feelings, and why I don't get tired of them.  When Nigel was three, he loved Charlotte's Web.  As soon as we got home from my day of work and his day of daycare, he set down for another viewing.  Every day.  I guess comfort movies runs in our family.

I have gotten tired of other people's favorite movies before though.  (I still do, if you count Band of Brothers.)  When I had my daycare in the 90's, I had a little girl named Ali who watched The Land Before Time every day that she came to my house. The whole year when she was three.  I was glad when Ali grew out of that movie.  That Sarah drove me crazy with her screaming, and I did not enjoy the songs that then got stuck in my head.  Charlotte's Web has much better songs than The Land Before Time.  Trust me on that one.

I'm not going to try and analyze any of this too deeply.  I just wanted to point out that I did notice this phenomenon of what I call "comfort movies".  Anybody out there have personal favorites?  What are yours?