Mean Girls- Monica C

When I think of my favorite movie of all time one movie in particular comes to mind. Mean Girls is one of those movies I can watch over and over again. The characters are very vivid and well developed by the writers. It was based off of the book Queen Bees and adapted to screen by Tina Fey who was also a main character in the movie. High school was portrayed somewhat as a jungle where females fought and clashed to get along. The girls were vicious and Kady Heron was drawn into The Plastics who dominated the entire school and intimidated everyone. Eventually she becomes the leader of the group and also has a fall from power.
One of the main reasons I love this movies is because the accounts are very honest when examined deeply. Girls do fight and are capable of ruining each others' lives. Although the movie takes a comedic approach to the characterizations and plays up many negative stereotypes there is truth to the message and the comedy and over exaggerations are merely meant to hold the attention. I believe that there is a deeper meaning, beneath the plastic coating that the characters in the movie work so had to maintain there is vulnerability that they don't want to show. I appreciate the movie because it shows the rise and fall of power in a familiar setting.

Kelsey Wiseman - favorite movie

One of the movies on the top of my list of favorites is Top Gun. The volleyball scene made my life complete because this was back when Tom Cruise was still good looking and not crazy. I love this movie because the quotes and songs can be applied to everyday life. For example, "Hey, can I have some of your french fries?" "That's a negative ghostrider." But seriously, this movie has all the components of a timeless film: the love story between Maverick and Charlie, the comedic exchanges with Goose, and the competition of the Top Gun academy. While the ending is somewhat predictable, the viewer suffers serious heartbreak following the tragic loss of the most lovable character. It's one of those movies where I hope that part changes everytime I watch it. The only downside of this movie is that the volleyball scene is not longer...

Favorite Movie-Iesha Bailey

It is really hard to pick one favorite movie simply because there are many movies that can be considered aesthetically pleasing in their own personal way. Because there are so many different genres of movies, it is really hard to limit yourself to one in particular. However, if I had to choose one movie based solely on my own preferences it would be Mulan. As a child, It was one of the movies that I had no problem watching over and over and that truth still remains the same today.
For an animated movie, I think Mulan has a great story line and on top of that it is an extremely funny. I like the colors that were used in the movie and the way the characters were drawn. This Disney movie tells the story of a young Chinese girl who, posing as a man, joins the army and saves China. I like this movie because it deals with an issue that was once a real. Women were not allowed to be apart of the army in China, and those who were found impersonating men were killed. I like that although this movie is obviously fictional, it could be considered historically grounded. I also enjoy this movie because of the music. To me, music can make or break a movie. Musical selection are really important because they set the tone or mood. Mulan has catchy songs that are relatable to its story line and I think that makes it a good movie.

The Constant Gardener - Kenneth

Before I can choose a single movie to consider my favorite, I must say that I enjoy movie perhaps excessively, especially recent releases. Ever since I begun college, I’ve had to cut back on the films I watch because I am running low on cash most of the time. In considering a favorite film, noting that there are too many possibilities, I chose to think of a ‘favorite’ film as one that not only entertains you, but it is also relevant and leaves you to think about the subject presented. With such criteria, the film the Constant Gardener comes to mind.

The Constant Gardener follows an Englishman (Ralph Fiennes) determined to uncover the murdered of his humanitarian wife as portrayed by Rachel Weisz. The wife became outspoken for her humanitarian work in the slums of Nairobi when she discovered that the drugs that were supposed to be helping these impoverished people were actually dangerous and causing deaths. On the verge of revealing that a major pharmaceutical company was testing drugs on people, she is murdered. The Constant Gardener is a truly powerful story of love, murder, and the powers of imperialism.

By ‘powers of imperialism,’ I mean this idea that persists that industrialized nations can easily take advantage of third world countries. This movie is a reminder of the outrage felt in Africa about colonization where presidents and prime ministers in Europe divvied up the continent in attempt to exploit the natural resources of the land and the people. The movie presents a modern day scenario where a pharmaceutical corporation, hiding behind legal babble and its humanitarian efforts, takes advantage of the people it’s supposedly helping by conducting research on them. Events in the movie are inspired by real events in 1996 in Nigeria where the pharmaceutical company Pfizer tested the drug trovafloxacin on 100 children sick with meningitis. The drug killed off 6 kids and the rest suffered life-altering injuries. Trial litigations are ongoing against Pfizer.

The Royal Tenenbaums - Sam Kirby

I can't really pick a favorite movie, but I decided to talk about one of the four or five or so that's tied for first on my list, The Royal Tenenbaums. Wes Anderson is probably my favorite director because of the way he forces viewers to pay attention to all the visual nuances of cinema as well as the way in which he combines quirky characters and odd story lines to create a plot that somehow still feels real. The Royal Tenenbaums is a story about a comically dysfunctional family that is trying to get back together after many years of not being involved with one another. The father has been away after he and the mother became separated and he returns wanting to reunite his family. His way back into their hearts is to pretend he has cancer, but just as they seem destined to fall apart forever his shenanigans are able to bring them back together.

Favorite Movie - Zachary Gottlieb

It is very difficult for me to pick my single, most favorite movie out of the vast variety of movie styles and genres. There are several movies, both old and new, that I thoroughly love watching. But for the sake of this assignment, I will unwillingly select my “favorite” movie. The last movie I saw that is now among one of my favorites, is The Hurt Locker. This movie was first only played at select theatres, and it is a rather low budget film. However, director Kathryn Bigelow manages to create an powerful, gripping war movie that almost perfectly depicts the tragedy of war. It is based on the accounts of Mark Boal, a freelance journalist who was embedded with an American bomb squad in the war in Iraq. The movie has some of the most suspenseful war scenes I have ever seen, and Bigelow perfectly depicts the lives of American soldiers who are in a bomb squad. This truthful movie is very accurate and it still creates powerful emotions within the viewer through its gripping depictions of daily life in a bomb squad. This is not your average blood and guts war movie. There are graphic, violent, action packed scenes, but the movie also has a much more meaningful purpose of revealing the tragedy of war. The movie shows the impact of war on these young soldiers; war’s ability to transform a “normal” person’s mental state. With its authentic acting, moving dialogue, accurate scenery, riveting action, intense plot, and realistic sound effects, The Hurt Locker is a must-see movie.

The Princess Bride - Amelia Lorenzo

As of right now, my favorite movie is The Princess Bride. It's my favorite because, as the Grandpa states so perfectly, it has everything in it - "Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles..." I also like how technology wasn't used to make impossible things, like when they go through the fire swamp, seem possible. It adds to the fact that the movie is a kind of fairy tale.