# What Is Your Absolute Single Favorite Movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2019, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-single-favorite-movie/839092 "2019-08-23T07:24:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![PitJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9bcb4/32.png) [@PitJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PitJ)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2019, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-single-favorite-movie/839092/161 "2019-08-27T11:32:09Z")
Oh man… that is difficult. There is a devastating number of bad or at best mediocre movies out there but some are different, they stand out and shine. After reading the entire thread I recognized many that are among my favorites, plus some that I didn’t have on the radar yet but according to the respective comment might be worth watching. When thinking about these favorites of mine I noticed that I, like many other commenters on this thread, have a hard time putting one on top, thereby degrading others that don’t deserve it, so it despite OP’s request will become a list depending on age, mood, degree of intoxication and other reasons. Okay, here goes: - 2001 - A Space Odyssey - Blade Runner (yes, with voice-over, what else?) - Pulp Fiction - Life of Brian - Up In Smoke (you know who you are) - Casablanca - The Maltese Falcon - Heat (just for watching Robert and Al) - Baraka - 12 Monkeys - The Big Lebowski - Spirited Away - Zoomania Have your pick. I couldn’t decide. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2019, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-single-favorite-movie/839092/162 "2019-08-27T11:35:08Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > _Witness_ That is a really great movie and features one of my favorite ever scripts. It is very clever that the standard dirty cop drama unfolds while the detective on their trail is elsewhere, involved in an Amish love triangle. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2019, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-single-favorite-movie/839092/163 "2019-08-27T15:33:20Z")
> [@cutman74](#): > > For the record, I am also absolutely in love with Life of Brian > [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Shut up, Big Nose. > [@cutman74](#): > > splitter! We’ll have none of your imperialist tidbits. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2019, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-single-favorite-movie/839092/164 "2019-08-27T20:00:28Z")
The original “The Thing From Another World” (not the John Carpenter Thing, though I did enjoy that), or Blade Runner. Depends on what day of the week it is. ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2019, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-single-favorite-movie/839092/165 "2019-08-27T21:56:02Z")
Lots of films tied for #2, but #1 is absolutely _Local Hero_. “I’ll be a good Gordon, Gordon.” ---
**Author:** ![HyacinthBucket](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hyacinthbucket/32/3063_2.png) [@HyacinthBucket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HyacinthBucket)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-single-favorite-movie/839092/166 "2019-08-28T02:32:09Z")
_The Lion In Winter_. Katharine Hepburn is absofeckinlutely BRILLIANT. The rest of the cast ain’t half-bad either. First Runner-up - _The Adventures Of Robin Hood_. Yes, the Flynn version. Is there any other? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-single-favorite-movie/839092/167 "2019-08-28T04:13:19Z")
> [@HyacinthBucket](#): > > _The Lion In Winter_. Katharine Hepburn is absofeckinlutely BRILLIANT. The rest of the cast ain’t half-bad either… “Why are we all rushing off to Rome?” “That’s where they keep the _Pope_, isn’t it?” ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-single-favorite-movie/839092/168 "2019-08-28T05:15:47Z")
> [@HyacinthBucket](#): > > _The Lion In Winter_. Katharine Hepburn is absofeckinlutely BRILLIANT. The rest of the cast ain’t half-bad either. > > First Runner-up - _The Adventures Of Robin Hood_. Yes, the Flynn version. Is there any other? 😃 Don’t you worry, never fear Robin Hood will soon be here ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-single-favorite-movie/839092/169 "2019-08-28T11:20:10Z")
The 1972 film _Play It Again, Sam_ ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-single-favorite-movie/839092/170 "2019-08-28T13:25:01Z")
A lot of good choices here, but True Romance is still the best for me. “I’d fuck Elvis” “Ain’t it nice to meet people with common inerests!” ---
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-single-favorite-movie/839092/171 "2019-08-28T14:45:25Z")
My second favorite film is “Shaun of the Dead.” It’s got humor, pathos, drama, romance and action. It is tightly scripted and brilliantly edited. It rewards rewatching to find the foreshadows and call backs. It’s much like my favorite movie in that way: > [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](#): > > Did I miss it? > > Why hasn’t anybody said “The Princess Bride”? > > It’s got “fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles…” Agreed. > [@LVBoPeep](#): > > Trainspotting…never gets old. 2nd place is a tie between The Godfather and In Bruges. There must be a Men in Black flashy thing at the end of In Bruges. I’ve seen it four times and I remember really liking it but each time I watch it, I forget every part of the plot and dialog by the next day. I should rewatch it. > [@Eclipse\_Chaser](#): > > Groundhog Day. > > Because it’s about redemption. In my top five, for sure. > [@What\_Exit](#): > > Arthur is a very good movie, I still use Hobson’s “I’ll alert the media.” from time to time, though no one seems to know it anymore. I use this line from time to time but if I ever knew it was from Arthur, I’d long since forgotten. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-single-favorite-movie/839092/172 "2019-08-28T15:11:14Z")
Oh good, haven’t seen **Raiders of the Lost Ark** yet, so I’m taking that one. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-single-favorite-movie/839092/173 "2019-08-28T19:24:43Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > “Why are we all rushing off to Rome?” > “That’s where they keep the _Pope_, isn’t it?” That was one of the historical inaccuracies of the movie. Pope Lucius III wasn’t in Rome in 1183, which was the year the film was set in. The Pope and the Emperor were having an ongoing dispute and the Romans were siding with the Emperor. So riots have driven the Pope out of the city. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-single-favorite-movie/839092/174 "2019-08-28T19:40:51Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > Photographed. > > I’m a Cinematographer. The word doesn’t get used that way !!! > > Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk Thanks! I know I’d never heard it, but I was unsure if photographed was the proper word. Oh, and I agree about _Real Genius_. It’s really held up. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-single-favorite-movie/839092/175 "2019-08-28T19:49:11Z")
> [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](#): > > My second favorite film is “Shaun of the Dead.” It’s got humor, pathos, drama, romance and action. It is tightly scripted and brilliantly edited. It rewards rewatching to find the foreshadows and call backs. It’s much like my favorite movie in that way: > > Agreed. > > There must be a Men in Black flashy thing at the end of In Bruges. I’ve seen it four times and I remember really liking it but each time I watch it, I forget every part of the plot and dialog by the next day. I should rewatch it. > . I originally thought _Shaun of the Dead_ was an almost perfect movie, but I hated how irritating his pudgy friend was throughout the movie. Until I realized that he _had_ to be that annoying so you wouldn’t mind so much how he ended up. _In Bruges_ was on our On Demand menu forever a number of years of ago. I avoided it because the synopsis didn’t grab me. But I broke down and watched it and **really** liked it. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-single-favorite-movie/839092/176 "2019-08-28T21:03:33Z")
Since people are giving more than one. My top 10: Arthur (1981) Airplane! Harvey Born Yesterday (1950) The Nun’s Story To Kill A Mockingbird On the Waterfront Murder By Death Little Shop of Horrors (1988) The Philadelphia Story ---
**Author:** ![MacCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maccat/32/216_2.png) [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2019, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-single-favorite-movie/839092/177 "2019-08-29T01:36:37Z")
Easily _Groundhog Day_ Second favorite is a tougher choice… ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2019, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-single-favorite-movie/839092/178 "2019-08-29T04:39:44Z")
Harvey. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2019, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-single-favorite-movie/839092/179 "2019-08-29T10:53:10Z")
> [@MacCat](#): > > Easily _Groundhog Day_ You’ve mentioned that before. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2019, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-single-favorite-movie/839092/180 "2019-08-29T14:18:22Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > You’ve mentioned that before. We’ve got him, babe. If I can mention some others on my all-time favorite lists: _Breaker Morant Limitless Pride & Prejudice Notting Hill Star Wars: A New Hope True Lies Memento Notorious Trading Places Ghostbusters Saving Private Ryan Dark City 2001: A Space Odyssey Raiders of the Lost Ark In the Line of Fire Groundhog Day_ All very different, but each, in its own way, an outstanding film IMHO. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-single-favorite-movie/839092.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-absolute-single-favorite-movie/839092.md?page=10)