What makes a movie your favorite depends on the person. Some say that it's the movie that you can watch a million times and never turn sour on, that it's the movie that evokes the most emotion from you, or that it's the movie that has been rattling around in your head for the longest time. For me, the movie that fits into all of these categories is "The Lord of the Rings." I think that it's because it's the movie that best represents everything that I like about movies.
Geeky
I am a huge geek in the obvious sense that I enjoy watching things such as "The Lord of the Rings," but also in that I obsess over movies (a lot). I read "The Lord of the Rings" for my senior thesis in high school and it was tough talking about hobbits destroying the One Ring in Mordor to my entire class and still sounding like a sane 17-year-old.
Poetic
I really love the scripts for all of the movies. Although talking about the movies sometimes seems childish, the movies are anything but. Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, (the script writers) and, obviously, J.R.R. Tolkien knew what they were doing. Everything that the characters say is so powerful, beautiful, and elegant. You could take out any line from "The Lord of the Rings" and I would be able to identify it as such. In my opinion, it is "The Lord of the Rings," not "Mean Girls," that takes the prize for the most quotable movie. For both movies, you can quote any line and somebody will know what movie it's from, but at least for the "The Lord of the Rings" its memorable lines are meaningful.
Characters Who I Wish That I Had As Friends
Can we all agree that everybody in "The Lord of the Rings" is pretty badass? They're definitely the kind of fighters who you want in your side of the ring. Legolas is like the Jackie Chan of Middle Earth and everybody knows that you do not mess with Jackie Chan.
Music Scores
There's nothing like a little Howard Shore for the soul. Odds are good that if I really like a movie or TV show, I will also have a song from its soundtrack on my phone. I don't know if it's because I feel obligated to have one or because all of my favorite movies have stellar music scores. The music that guides the Fellowship into battle is the same music that gets me to focus on writing essays. It's powerful stuff. There is no music score quite like the one that Howard Shore created for "The Lord of the Rings."
Most people remember the first time that they saw their favorite movie. I do not. I vaguely remember seeing each movie in theaters when I was five, six, and seven, but at that point, I had no idea that they would become my favorites. I've grown up with these movies and each time I watch them I am struck by the magic of Middle Earth and those in it all over again. They are truly masterpieces. They stand alone in the world of film.
