15 Films

A while back there was a thing going around on Facebook to share 15 books that impacted you. I shared mine on here. Apparently it has come back, but so has sharing 15 authors or 15 films. There is no way I can think of 15 authors who have impacted me, but sharing 15 films is almost holding back! Some of those choices may seem odd at first glance so I am also going to explain the impact these films had on me, whether it was as a storyteller, a human being, etc. I also wanted to note that these are not necessarily my favorite movies.

The rules: Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen films you’ve seen that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes.

1. Inception
2. A Beautiful Mind
3. The Island
4. Gattaca
5. Equilibrium
6. Pride and Prejudice
7. While You Were Sleeping
8. The Passion of the Christ
9. The Dark Knight
10. Monsters, Inc.
11. The Count of Monte Cristo
12. Phantom of the Opera
13. LOTR: The Return of the King
14. The Majestic
15. I Am Sam

The Island, Gattaca, and Equilibrium all appeal to the Twilight Zone fan in me. They ask tough questions about the future and show both the ugliness and goodness humanity is capable of. These are films they have challenged me as a storyteller to deal with these issues. If you are interested in what this world can become and have an interest in movies with a slight science fiction film, you have to check these films out. If my stories are ever shared with the world, expect some of them to have influence from these stories.



Inception and The Dark Knight have elements of the previous three films, but aren't quite the same. They seem a little bit more grounded in the right now or the very near future, and they are a bit more psychological, but they definitely raise questions about humanity. And they're done by Christopher Nolan. And he's brilliant. If this was a list of 20 or 25 films The Prestige most likely would have made the cut as well.

A Beautiful Mind and I Am Sam I enjoy because of the psychology. A Beautiful Mind is also a great story and I Am Sam uses some interesting techniques in the way it is shot and edited.


Pride and Prejudice and While You Were Sleeping definitely appeal to the girl in me. It may seem extreme to put them on a list like this, but they have made an impact on me. While You Were Sleeping was the first chick flick I ever loved, one of the few I still do love, and I think the story will always ring true for me. I love Lucy and Jack and I love all the quirky lines and happenings and people. Pride and Prejudice was the beginning of my love for Jane Austen stories. I find Austen's books difficult to read, but I have enjoyed movie adaptations of Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility (not the version you are probably thinking of though), Emma (two different ones that I have seen and enjoyed), and Persuasion. I have two more to go. :) But seriously, Elizabeth Bennett reminds me so much of me and I love the story.


The Passion of the Christ impacted me on a spiritual level. I have only seen it once but once is all it takes for you to remember (though seeing it again would probably do more good and harm). It was like I finally and really understood the best I could possibly fathom with my finite human mind what Jesus went through for me because of me.


Monsters, Inc. is probably the one that you scratched your head about. I liked A Bug's Life and Toy Story 2 well enough (I was not a fan of the first one because that Sid kid ruined the whole thing for me), but this was the first Pixar film that I really loved. I know Monsters, Inc. is not usually among people's favorite Pixar films, but it is one of mine. I loved how they took a simple myth and came up with this unique story around the idea. This was probably one of the first films that made me believe that animation could be worthwhile beyond children's stories.


The Count of Monte Cristo... I just like the twists and details in this story. In hindsight I can think of movies I would replace this one with on the list, but it is a story I really enjoy


The Phantom of the Opera blew me away with its music initially. I still love the music (I used "All I Ask of You" in my wedding). But the cinematography is great too. Joel Shumaker gets picked on as a director a lot (it's those Batman movies I'm sure), but I think he did a great job with this film.


Lord of the Rings: Return of the King... the epic fantasy. Really, the whole trilogy belongs here, because the movies really flow for one great story, but Return of the King ties it all together. My favorite quote from the trilogy is at the end of The Two Towers, but I see it as a segue into the third film: "...there's some good in this world, and it's worth fighting for..."


The Majestic used to be one of my absolute favorite movies. It has dropped down on the list quite a bit but I can't deny that it's a movie that has impacted me. I love the setting, the characters, the story, and the message.


There are runners-up I could list, but it might be too much. Feel free to share movies that have impacted you in your blog or in the comments.

And congratulations to Sean Bean, who managed to be in three of these movies.