A lady never reveals her age. Unless, of course, she’s writing an article about the top five movies from her birth year. At which point, a gentleman should just assume that she is overestimating her maturity.
OK, fine. It’s not like I’m disappointed at being almost 39 years old. However, I admit that finding movies I knew from my birth year was difficult. Apparently, my birth was the popular culture event of the year since the majority of the movies made that year appear to no longer be in the general vernacular. A few notable exceptions, of course, would be Deer Hunter, The Wiz, Dawn of the Dead, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Unfortunately, those are only words on a page since it’s likely they weren’t movies I was allowed to watch as a kid and held no interest for me once I could choose. And no, I can’t stand Animal House. Yes, it makes me an abomination unto humanity.
The abject suburban sadness of my youth is obviously contained in the following five movies I chose. I fear the lack of coolness that emanates off of me as I write that these are the fundamental movies in my life from the year I was born.
5. Oliver’s Story
I only know of this movie because of course like every teenage girl I had read and fallen in love with the idea of Love Story. At 12, the line, “loves mean never having to say you’re sorry” seems like the world’s most meaningful phrase. (Meanwhile, after nearly 15 years of marriage I not only know that “love means always knowing when to say you’re sorry” but find the movie line ridiculous.) The crossed lovers, the wealthy parents, the beautiful, brilliant, brazen heroine. Add into that a tragic death and a forlorn widower and of course, you have a recipe for the young heart. How could I not run to the nearest Blockbuster Video to grab the sequel, sit with a box of tissues, and watch… well, the lackluster sequel. I mean, it was certainly no Empire Strikes Back, know what I mean?
