On why I like certain movies....

If you look at my DVD/Blu-Ray collection or the movies I watch, you'll notice that there are many romances or teen movies.  Alot of people wonder why I like movies like these.  After all, aren't they "formulaic", "boring", "predictable", or "not acted well"?  Watching a couple of movies like this yesterday, I felt moved (maybe inspired is a better term!) to explain why, so here it is.

I first want to acknowledge that these sorts of movies are formulaic and therefore predictable.  And I am totally cool with that.  The main reason I watch movies or TV is because I want to experience someone else's life (i.e. escapism [well, sort of]). Consequently, I honestly don't care about watching all original stories.  Sure, I like some movies like Inception that require immense amounts of thinking and interpreting, but for the most part, I want a movie that I can just relax and watch.  Teen movies and romances fill this little niche perfectly.

Also, I love that these movies aspire to bring forth the innocence in the watcher.  When we were children, we believed that true love existed if you looked, that good always triumphed over evil, and that things would turn out right if you worked and believed.  As adults, we lose this sense of innocence and wonder.  It can be a good thing to lose, but sometimes I know that I just want it back.  I still believe in true love, that there is one person out there somewhere for each of us.  But sometimes when the world is pressing down on you and everything looks like crap, I just need to be reminded of these feelings.  I need to be reminded that hope does exist, that love is out there, and that things can and do get better (somehow).

As I have mentioned before, I am a romantic (see above!).  I like sentimentality, I like watching someone fall in love, and I like watching people transform themselves into a better person because of love.  Most of my favorite romances are the romances where a bad boy (or girl) transforms themselves into a good person for the sake of love.  Pacey from Dawson's Creek, Nathan from One Tree Hill, and Landon from A Walk to Remember are three of my favorites, although I could mention several more.  There is a something special about believing the transformative power of love.  While I can't define it, I just know that believing in how love can transform you makes me feel better about myself and life.

So, I enjoy these movies.  Whether it is trying to escape my life into a movie about someone else, the uplifting transformative power of love, or just a sense of romance, I really enjoy them.

So there you have it.  :-)