the philadelphia story – Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs..

This year was a great year of movie watching. So much of us it revolved around themes which was different for us but not bad different. In fact, I watched a lot of movies I would never have otherwise watched! We watched so many old classic movies, horror movies, holiday movies, and movies by Studio Ghibli, with a few oddball new movies thrown in there too. However, all of these are movies that I was seeing for the first time. I was shocked at how many of my favorites this year are cartoons, but I really shouldn’t be. That fits perfectly with who I am.

Let’s work our way up to my very favorite, shall we? We will start near the bottom of my favorites list..

This one just squeaked into the top faves this year. I absolutely love Wes Anderson but this was not my favorite of his movies. I did however sit entranced because of the sheer beauty of it, the visual aspects. Anderson movies all have that quality, they are so stunning to just look at, and this one was no exception.

I loved all of the Studio Ghibli that we watched this year, but I did have a few standout favorites, and Howl’s Moving Castle was one of those. Be prepared to see a few more on this list! Love and whimsy and cute to boot, all qualities that pull me in. It is not all lighthearted though, there is a deeper meaning, themes of looking for a return to innocence, wisdom, self-acceptance are wrapped up in this magical story.

What a fantastic movie! Katherine Hepburn is like a sharp-edged beautiful weapon, gorgeous and regal, but at her core just wanted to be loved for herself. I also fell in love with James Stewart in this movie! (My Full Review)

Encanto!! This movie was just plain fun! Colors and music and the message of the importance of communication, good open honest dialogue with family and friends. There were many days and nights Wyatt and I bopped around to the soundtrack, especially “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”.

Sigh. I loved this sad movie. I am a sucker for..well, I just won’t say it. Spoilers and all you know. It was very nearly so close my favorite Ghibli.

This movie came out of left field for us, with how much we absolutely loved it. It was such a perfect movie, and Dan Stevens was at his best. We will definitely be watching this one every year now. (My Full Review)

Oh my gosh did I love this movie! No one is safe in this whodunit, whether from being murdered or accused of murder or even from the comedy that takes no prisoners. I actually can’t wait to watch it again.

Death on the Nile had to be right at the top of this list. As I said, I am a lover of beautiful cinematography, stunning costumes, visually appealing set design, and this had all three – plus Poirot!

This was my year of Cary Grant. I had never before understood the appeal of Grant – I am chalking that up to not ever having watched this movie. (My Full Review)

This movie is based on the book The Borrowers and I have always been enchanted by the idea of tiny little beings living among us – I was that kid who always looked for fairies (and maybe I still do). I would also love my house to look like Arrietty’s house, so cozy and cute and full of warmth. This was the movie I kept thinking about all year, and I could watch it every single day.

I would love to hear your favorite movie watches of the year!

All summer Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and I have been trading old movie suggestions back and forth – this time around I suggested Breakfast at Tiffany’s for Lisa, and she suggested The Philadelphia Story for me. Two different Hepburns for us, and not even related which was always weird to me. Also, my third Cary Grant movie in a row!

You can find Lisa’s review here!

This one was a bit of a slow starter for me, but once it all got rolling I was chuckling and laughing at the smart remarks and sitting forward in my seat, just totally 100% engaged.

Katharine Hepburn stars as Tracy Lords, former wife of C. K. Dexter Haven (Grant). Lord is engaged to remarry, this time to a man named George Kitteredge, who didn’t come from money as Lord did, but was instead a self-made businessman. Throughout this movie there is a whole theme of class distinctions, underlying the romantic comedy, which I found very interesting.

Enter the “common man, the working man” James Stewart as McCauley (Mike) Connor, a writer, and photographer Liz Imbrie. They are asked to do the impossible – get a tabloid style inside scoop on the marriage and wedding. The haughty Lord family is notoriously difficult to pin down for interviews and stories, and anyone who grabs this story will be pulling off something big. However, of course there is a scheme to get Connor and Imbrie inside the walls of the Lord mansion – they must pose as friends of Tracy’s brother, Junius, who is in South America. They hide their true purpose which is to report to Spy Magazine. Connor is not super enthused about this job, as he considers himself a serious writer and doesn’t want to be involved in such a junky piece. However, Imbrie reminds him he probably wants to eat and pay his bills, so he takes the job. Also apparently, Imbrie and Connor are something of a couple as well.

Ok, phew the gang is now all in the house, at the center of the action. Connor, Imbrie, Kitteredge, Lord and her family, and Haven as well, who informs the Lord family that if they don’t play along with the story, a scandalous story about the infidelities of Lord’s father will be published instead. And from here the story takes off, with Lord being accused/compared to no less than a goddess, a queen, a statue, made of bronze – all implying that she believes she is above everyone, and unfeeling. All she wants is to be loved, really loved for herself.

I can picture Hepburn as a queen or a goddess, to be fair. Her presence is so regal, and she has a bearing that makes one sit up and pay attention. She is absolutely gorgeous, but there is something about her as well, a vibe that makes you not want to cross her.

Stewart was hands down my favorite in this movie – sorry, C.G. His performance rocked. He made me laugh with his little comments, and then surprised me with how his character truly transformed, falling under the spell of the self-assured, outspoken, beautiful Lord.

We see the facade of Lord begin to fall as well, and see the woman underneath on the night before the wedding. She intentionally sets out to get soused, and an equally soused Stewart sees her home. They dance and sing and canoodle in the garden in the wee morning hours, and well…things get a little crazy! I will leave it at that.