classic movie challenge
Hey hey! Happy Wednesday! How’s the week going? Hope that you’re enjoying the morning! We’re just hanging out here at home before I teach barre later today.
Yesterday was our back-to-normal post-vacay day which meant lots of catching up around the house and unpacking. Thankfully, I did all of our laundry before leaving Tucson, so we had suitcases full of clean clothes. Clutch. It’s less depressing to return from a trip without a mountain full of laundry.
I caught a Peloton spin class and did a quick strength circuit
(my whole body is so sore from filming the Winter Shape Up videos on Sunday!)
and made Ina’s Lemon Skillet Chicken for dinner. We’ve decided that a house is finally a home when we’ve made this chicken. The herbs on top take it to the next level, and even the girls request seconds with the sauce scooped on top. We enjoyed the chicken with roasted red potatoes (the frozen Alexia ones) and arugula + parmesan salads (with salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil).
Pro tip: I don’t love to butterfly the chicken – we all know that my knife skills need some work. The Pilot usually does it but I knew he was working late – so I asked the butcher at the grocery store if he’d mind doing it for me. He said they can separate packets of meat and cut however we’d like. I think they may get sick of me at the butcher counter.
So last night I was craving a cheese board to go with This Is Us (I think we need a discussion support group) and remembered the epic one that Kyle made this weekend. He even charred the grapes. So fancy.
We had SO much fun hanging out with everyone. We watched the sad basketball game (poor Wildcats), caught up on life, and the boys started playing the “I can’t believe Gina hasn’t seen this movie” game. They get a kick out of it.
When we’re with friends, the conversation will occasionally turn to the fact that I haven’t seen a lot of classic movies. This usually happens when someone will yell out a common phrase or one-liner and everyone falls on the floor laughing while I sit there silently with a blank stare on my face. Or sometimes, I’ll give a small laugh while trying to mask my obvious confusion. I wasn’t totally sheltered – I’ve seen all of the girly movie classics + an obscene amount of old Broadway musicals – but somehow missed out on the movies that apparently “shaped our adolescence” or something like that.
Some of the ones on the list:
The Goonies
All of the Star Wars movies
Indiana Jones
Gremlins
Back to the Future
Good Will Hunting
Shawshank Redemption
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Flight of the Navigator
Karate Kid
I don’t usually watch a ton of TV – usually a show every other day or so and it’s on in the background while I’m working – but that doesn’t mean I don’t like it. I LOVE IT. This realization occurred after my surgery. I watched an ungodly amount of shows and Netflix and thoroughly enjoyed it. After surgery was also when I saw Steel Magnolias for the first time with my mom, who has seen it many times. (Another one I’d missed!) It was soooo great that we watched it again the next day.
Anyway, I think I’m going to finally hit some movies on this list. I was thinking the Pilot and I could have a movie date each weekend in December and watch one during a weekend evening with some vino. (Which ones are the best?)
So, tell me, friends: are there any classic movies you haven’t seen? What are your top 5 favorite movies of all time? It’s tough to narrow it down, but The Wizard of Oz, Love Actually and A League of Their Own are up there.
Have a great day and I’ll see ya in the morning with a fun way to spice up your December workouts!
xo
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You’re not alone! Of the ones on your list, I’ve only seen the Indiana Jones movies and none of the others. I definitely get teased by friends for not having seen many movies. We just weren’t a movie family growing up. I’m still not really a movie person, and I’d much rather just watch a couple of episodes of a show on Netflix.
movies are such a big time commitment!
I get this movie criticism all the time! Same age as you so it’s not the era haha… I have not seen ANY of the movies you mentioned! My husband has though, and I will refrain from admitting this to him as these type movies just don’t do it for me! I guess I was too busy watching Clueless …. No shame.
no shame! i watched clueless on the flight back and was so excited to find that i still know most of the dialogue haha
Ina chicken recipe sounds so good!! What kind of pot/pan do u use for this recipe?
it’s a cast iron skillet 🙂
Oh my gosh. Karate Kid is probably in my top 3 movies of all time. Of all on the list, I think that one is timeless and can be enjoyed for the first time as an adult. I cry at the end every.single.time. A good, happy cry! Nobody dies.
😀 Everyone makes fun of me that I haven’t seen Braveheart and I didn’t see Breakfast Club until maybe 15 years after everyone else, haha.
glad to hear no one dies! i might watch that one first!
thankfully i did see breakfast club when i was a teenager 😉
I haven’t seen Flight of the Navigator, but all the others MORE TIMES THAN I CAN COUNT!
i hadn’t even heard of that one, and tom was losing his mind over it haha
Shawshank Redemption is one of my all time favorites!!
I have scene most on your list , Flight of the Navigator, I have never heard of this one Haha. and I too have never seen any Star Wars movie.
Have you seen Stealing Home?? Its not as well known as the rest of your list but such a good movie!! Jodie Foster and Mark Harmon star in it. Near the end there is a song playing that every time is the signal for the tears to flow!
ohhh i haven’t heard of that one! i’ll be on the lookout
I too am horrible about movies. I saw Shawshank and Good Will Hunting, but otherwise I’m with you on the list. I’ve also never seen any of the Griswold movies (I feel like they’re called something else).
People are shocked that I’ve never seen Goonies. I don’t want to see it. I feel like it’s one of those movies that you love so much because you watched it as a kid and have really fond memories. Those types of movies don’t usually translate well to watching for the first time as an adult.
Happy movie watching!!
i think you’re probably right! i haven’t seen any griswold movies either
to easily butterfly a chicken, take kitchen shears (the heavy duty ones). place the chicken breast side down, and just cut along both sides of the back bone, removing it completely. flip it over and press down – you are trying to break the ribs so it flattens out. then use the scissors and trip the extra skin and fatty parts and you’re done.
That’s what I was going to suggest. I’ve also used heavy gardening shears to do it to a turkey once.
ok that doesn’t sound too bad!
Shawshank Redemption is one of my all time favorites. It’s such a good movie! I have seen all the other movies on the list, except for Flight of the Navigator. On that list, Goonies would be another good one. The others are good, but you’re life will not be improved by seeing them! haha What about Princess Bride?
ok that’s good to know! i didn’t see princess bride until a few years ago, and loved it
I know how you feel but I blame mine on the language barrier. Spanish is my first language and that was all that was spoken at home so I didn’t see the traditional classic movies most people have. My husband made it his mission to show me all the Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Terminator ones since he loved those lol.
http://www.withpurposeandkindness.com
hmm maybe it’s a cultural thing. my mom’s side of the family is hispanic (they all speak spanish) but you think i might have heard of these on my dad’s side of the family, but nope
Don’t feel too bad. I haven’t seen The Goonies, Gremlins, Flight of the Navigator (I’ve never even HEARD of this one), or Karate Kid. From what I understand, The Goonies is totally a film that doesn’t hold up if you didn’t watch it as a kid. XD I’ve only seen Good Will Hunting, Shawshank Redemption and Fast Times at Ridgemont High because my husband likes them.
ok i feel better!!
Shawshank Redemption and The Cowboys (John Wayne vintage classic) are my two favorite movies of all time. White Christmas is my favorite holiday movie ever. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is my absolute favorite Broadway musical movie.
oh my goodness, white christmas is the best! and funny story: tom was in seven brides for seven brothers back in the day 😉
Okay, Tom in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is hilarious!! 🙂 Love it!
Um…please see the Back to the Future trilogy immediately!! Although at this point we’re already past “the future” 😉 Whenever I was home sick from school as a kid I would marathon all three of them.
Also Shawshank Redemption and Good Will Hunting are both amazing, in very different ways from Back to the Future.
i’m so excited to hear they’re that amazing
Ahh Love Actually is at the top of my list for sure!!
Not too far down in faves is Back to the Future, if you’re looking for a place to start 😉
I hadn’t seen Goonies either, and always got a ton of grief about it. Our movie theater did a special showing this summer so finally popped that cherry – it was actually pretty good and soooooooo gloriously 80’s
i looooove the 80s so i’m thinking i’ll like it 🙂
watch Shawshank Redemption first!
k i’ll put that on the top of the list!
You need as they said in pitch perfect, (or did you not see that either!?) a movie-cation! Shawshank redemption is the best, flight of the navigator is so fun, I think Olivia might be old enough to appreciate it. I would think Tom would like to watch the Indiana Jones, and the Star Wars, at least the originals with you. back to the future one and three are good. Goonies is classic, I just never liked it. I never saw Goodwill hunting. i’ve never seen any of the Rocky movies, or godfathers. But otherwise am pretty well rounded! Have fun 🙂
haha i did see pitch perfect! i’m excited that i can watch some of these with liv 🙂
also haven’t seen the rocky movies or any godfathers
My top favorites/most watched are Amelie, you’ve got mail, Shawshank redemption, and dumb and dumber 🙂 and twilight series!
you’ve got mail is SO GOOD <3
1. Karate Kid
2. Goonies
3. Back to the Future (if you can’t do all three, just the first. The second one is okay, but I feel relevant to our political climate today.)
Flight of the navigator is one of my favorites as a kid. Your oldest might like this one.
These are my top choices to watch first for “cultural references”…..so many!!!!!!!!!!
perfect! i’m excited that liv can watch some of these, too
Good Will Hunting is so good! Def a good ‘date night in’ pick.
Karate Kid would be kid-friendly enough for Liv!
ohhh great idea! she’d probably love it
I love Shawshank Redemption! You definitely have to be in the mood for it, it’s not a super fast moving movie, but a great one, especially the end! I haven’t seen Gremlins, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, or Karate Kid and haven’t even heard of Flight of the Navigator. I didn’t want any of the star wars until college and some of the movies like Back to the future and Indiana Jones, I watched as a kid, so the details are fuzzy and I get them all mixed up since there are multiples of them.
that makes me feel better. i’ll definitely watch that one eventually!
I haven’t seen many of the classics either. One night, several years ago my husband insisted I watch The Green Mile. It was a great movie but I was SOBBING inconsolably by the end. He hasn’t recommended a classic since then. Haha.
i saw like 10 minutes of that movie and couldn’t do it. it was heartbreaking
I have never seen The Goonie either, and I thought I was the only one… did we miss something in childhood? I also haven’t seen Dirty Dancing(!!?)
One of my all time faves is Airplane! I’m guessing you’ve probably seen it since you’re married to a pilot but if not you definitely should!
it’s funny because i never heard anyone talk about it, either!
and no, i haven’t seen that one!
This is so me. I haven’t seen any of the ones on your list except Good Will Hunting (I’m from Boston, so I make it a point to watch all Beantown related movies ) and Shawshank Redemption. In fact, Shawshank Redemption is in my top 5 along with Forrest Gump, Christmas Vacation, Elf and Mrs. Doubtfire.
My Husband gets so mad at me when we watch movies, I always fall asleep. And he just CANNOT understand how I missed out on watching “All the Classics”
I got better things to do buddy, that’s what I always tell him!
AHHH I LOVE MRS DOUBTFIRE. kyle and i still quote it all the time hahah!
There are a lot of classic movies I haven’t seen either. I just watched the original Star Wars and Footloose in the last few years. I have never seen Sixteen Candles. And OMG, I can’t believe you just watched Steel Magnolias. It is fantastic but so heart-wrenching. My fave movies are definitely Love Actually, Grease and Lonesome Dove.
that makes me feel better. footloose is so good!!
i cried during steel magnolias but laughed a lot, too. i haven’t seen lonesome dove!
Admittedly, Lonesome Dove is probably not everyone’s cup of tea. It’s a tv mini-series from the 80s or 90s based on a Larry McMurtry book about retired Texas Rangers making a cattle drive from Texas to Montana. I’m from Texas, so it’s rich in Texas history and the story is truly just an epic saga.
Growing up, it seems I too missed a lot of “classic” aka “need to see” movies. I have been working on remedying that! So to date, I have seen all on your list except “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” and “Flight of the Navigator”. I suppose I need to check those out! Also, 5th Element is another “classic.”
#1 to see on your list should be Shawshank Redemption! I saw that for the first time a few years ago. It’s now my FAVORITE MOVIE OF ALL TIME. 🙂 🙂 (all caps to stress this! LOL).
Enjoy!
I can totally relate to this too! When we were dating my husband made me watch all of the Star Wars movies (now I’m a fan of them too, haha) and all of the extended Lord of the rings and Hobbit movies. Office Space is another good one for pop culture references that he made me watch!
Glad its not just me! I hadn’t seen any of those movies you listed (plus more) until I met my husband who couldn’t believe it. But I had seen all the musicals and some really obscure cult movies. Let’s face it, those are classics but who can beat a musical!
Funny how these ‘classic’ movies’ mostly feature the world from the male perspective hmm ? A classic to me is something that resonates for the whole community…
that’s a really interesting and valid point. i didn’t even think of that! lots of good girly classics, too, but i’ve seen all of those haha
I haven’t seen most of those either!
Have you seen The Sound of Music? That’s probably my all time favorite! I also loved Love Actually. I’m due to watch that one again soon!!
Here are some classics:
The Princess Bride
Home Alone
Ghostbusters (The OG one-not the one with Kristen Wiig in it)
Beverly Hills Cop
Mystic Pizza
The Burbs
Uncle Buck
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
Pineapple Express
Zoolander (is that a Classic now??)
Steel Magnolias is by far my favorite. I cry every time!
ohhh i haven’t seen quite a few of these!
and yes, i think zoolander counts as a classic 🙂
Good Will Hunting
Forest Gump
The Princess Bride
Pretty Woman
Empire records
Not all necessarily my favorite, but good to watch to be in the know. Good luck!
I watched the goodnies on repeat as a kid (I’m about the same age as you). Still one of my fav movies. My kids don’t seem to like it as much as I do
Another classic late-1980s movie is Troop Beverly Hills. My sister and I still frequently quote that one.
Love Actually….Love that movie! About time to bust it out for the year!!
Funny fact: My dad worked on Shawshank Redemption (both my parents work in the movie industry) and my brother and sister and I spent the summer playing on the prison grounds-mostly catching frogs and fish in the pond just outside the gates. Morgan Freeman is SUPER nice (we even shot scenes for the movie, but they ended up cutting them out)…..BUT I have never actually seen the movie. All of that time spent there and I have not watched it. Heard it is great though 😉