9 Movies Turning 14 This Year: They're Bona Fide!

By Jodi Smith | Lists | February 24, 2014 |

By Jodi Smith | Lists | February 24, 2014 |

As I celebrate 14 years with the same damn person, and nine years of marriage, I like to look back at the things that are old like us. These nine movies are only as ancient as our love, but they sure do make a girl feel nostalgic. (Titles with links in them are available to watch on Netflix Streaming)

High Fidelity

John Cusack is at his moody bastard height as he wades through a current breakup by making top five lists and revisiting past failed relationships. I remember The Husband being underwhelmed by this admittedly depressing look at the frailty of coupledom while I was annoyed by the length of the film and the man-child tendencies of Rob. I did, however, quite enjoy most of the movie.

X-Men

This movie, like many points in life, does not hold up well under scrutiny. It isn’t a terrible superhero movie, as that title belongs to X-Men: The Last Stand and runner-up The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. It’s still fun to watch and our kid was recently mesmerized by seeing the X-Men in something that isn’t animated. I still have to say, fuck that quip about lightning and toads. So stupid.

Memento

This movie blew our tiny little minds the first time we watched it together. Guy Pearce is stunning as the vengeful Leonard, a man who saw his wife murdered and sustained an injury that left him unable to make new memories. The unfolding of the story via unreliable narrator and a reversed time line lends itself to multiple viewings.

American Psycho

Christian Bale’s manic yuppie embodies the self-centered, materialistic, success hungry portion of the workforce in the 80s. It also reinforces my love of Huey Lewis and the News.

Snatch

This is one of our favorites. Brad Pitt and his crazed gypsy accent and early Statham are worth the price of rental or purchase. We’re also particularly fond of the insane pig-feeding gangster, the inept diamond thieves, and the squeaking dog.

Unbreakable

I was filled with rage at the end of my first viewing of Unbreakable. It took a second viewing and altered expectations to really appreciate what was happening and admit that this Shyamalan movie is actually good and worthy of re-watching.

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

This is another favorite in the ol’ Clager homestead. The humor, the re-imagining of Homer’s The Odyssey, the Soggy Bottom Boys, the music, the music, and the music. I can’t wait until the day we share this movie with the kid so she can finally understand why I yell about horny toads and whisper of treasure.

Bring It On

“I am a choreographer. That’s what I do. You are cheerleaders. Cheerleaders are dancers who have gone retarded. What you do is a tiny, pathetic subset of dancing. I will attempt to turn your robotic routines into poetry, written with the human body. Follow me, or perish, sweater monkeys.”

Final Destination

I made the incredibly bright decision of watching this movie right before a flight to St. Thomas. I am a genius. While traveling this past summer I still strained my ears to be sure there was no John Denver playing in the airport. I also checked my flights for groups of high school kids taking field trips. Jerks.