Script Doctor Eric

In Scriptcast – A Screenwriting Podcast, ScriptDoctorEric.com, Selling a Screenplay, Television Writing

(This list is from Joey, who specializes in Television, but has also been known to see a few films on occasion. She also writes feature screenplays, now and then. Who knew?)

I am a list-maker by nature. I constantly list my daily to-dos, books I want to read, goals I want to accomplish, people I need to call, etc.

So of course, I keep a list of movies I see each year and have done so since 2000. In 2004, I saw an all-time high of 82 movies. This year, I only saw 43. I rank these movies in order of my favorite, not necessarily which ones I thought were the “best” — there is a subtle difference.

Some of you will no doubt be appalled that I gave Harry Potter the top spot. But it is the only movie on the list that I saw twice in the theater — within 4 days and thoroughly enjoyed it both times — and may have even cried a little in both viewings.

If a movie is “hard to sit through” because it’s just too depressing, too frustrating or too boring (Biutiful, Buried, 127 Hours, Winter’s Bone, A Solitary Man — I’m talking to you!), I can still appreciate that it might indeed be a “good” movies, but the fact that I sincerely hope to never see it again does affect my ranking.

In my mind there’s a big break between 13 & 14. And can honestly say I “loved” movies 1-13. And again there’s a big gap between 37 & 38. And I think “hate” accurately describes my feelings for 38-43.

So here’s my list for the year. I’d love to hear your thoughts — or see your lists!

1. Harry Potter/ DH1

2. Inception

3. King’s Speech

4. True Grit

5. The Social Network

6. Toy Story 3

7. Kick-Ass

8. The Town

9. The Fighter

10. Never Let Me Go

11. Blue Valentine

12. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

13. The Kids are All Right

14. Easy A

15. Black Swan

16. Mega Mind

17. 127 Hours

18. Iron Man 2

19. How Do You Know?

20. Winter’s Bone

21. The Switch

22. Hot Tub Time Machine

23. Buried

24. A Solitary Man

25. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

26. Catfish

27. Morning Glory

28. Barney’s Version

29. Biutiful

30. Shutter Island

31. The Ghost Writer

32. Date Night

33. The Other Guys

34. Little Fockers

35. Alice in Wonderland

36. Knight and Day

37. Greenberg