THE 5 MOVIES THAT AFFECTED ME THE MOST!

On this the week of the 12th anniversary of the worst day ever and America's possible involvement with yet another war, (along with the second week of school, but I'd put that low on the list) I figured we could all use a pick me up, so I put together a list of films that have affected me the most after I've watched them.

Now, this is to not say that these are my five favorite movies. These are the films that when I left the theater or when the credits rolled on the DVD screen. These are the movies that left me feeling mystified, blown away, heartbroken and enchanted. I'm excluding movies I would see at day cares (AKA Disney childhood staples I've seen at least 30 times a pop like "Tarzan," "Lion King" and "Aladdin.) and was too young to fully experience them. You might disagree with a few, and feel free to take a moment to reminisce what movies hit you the hardest, made you laugh the loudest, and just feel wowed for a few days after seeing it. In no particular order:

AVATAR  

You've already clicked away? That's cool. But I'd like you to remember how you felt after seeing this film, which certainly does not have the same effect when watching it on a normal-sized TV without 3D glasses. It was the closest thing to "Star Wars" this generation has had in a very long time, and sitting in that theater you felt like you were watching a whole new birth of movie take effect, Pandora's blue creatures and lush vegetation springing before your eyes! Call it "Dances with Wolves" meets "Ferngully" meets "Pocahontas" all you want, but "Avatar" was an experience I still haven't gotten over.

FRUITVALE STATION

This is a very recent one, but I don't think any film has made me weep before. Sure I've teared up at "Toy Story 3" and "Dumbo," but the last 15 minutes of "Fruitvale" had me devastated. Maybe because of the Trayvon Martin case I felt this strong connection, but I'll give Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler credit where credit's due: as I said in my review, there's an impending doom running through this movie, and seeing this man, who yes, has had a shady past, but is trying so hard to get on the straight narrow, be shot down without a second chance. Horrifying.

JUMANJI

On a much lighter note, this was my favorite, favorite movie as a kid, right up until I saw "Forrest Gump" when I was in eight grade. I haven't watched it in years; I'm almost afraid to because I don't want to lose how much I loved this movie. The idea of a kid being locked away in a board game for almost 30 years then reappearing in his house with a bunch of spoiled brats? It's genius. "Jumanji" was the most fun I'd had watching a movie for a very long time.

THE GOONIES

Let me preface this: if you are currently an adult reading this and haven't watched this movie, chances are you won't like it as much as children do, and by children I mostly mean tweens. This is a good-old fashioned adventure with kids, with characters you can relate to (Mikey), characters you love to hate (his brother Brand, played by a remarkably young Josh Brolin) and characters that have you rolling in laughter (any one of the kids, really). It has Spielberg's touch written all over it (the story's credited to him) and you'll finally understand when people mention Sloth and the Truffle Shuffle. I could watch "Goonies" monthly for the rest of my life.

GRAN TORINO

My first ever R-rated movie (I was never that little kid to sneak watch horror movies, I was way too afraid) at the age of 13, this film may have had the biggest impact on me. It was my first glimpse into adult cinema, and it's a real genre bending tragicomedy ("Gran Torino" isn't a comedy you say? It's the blackest type of humor there is) showcases Eastwood's acting chops and the fear of change we all go through in life, whether we're being initiated into a gang or having our neighborhood altered from how it was originally. I left the theater blown away.