If you could only reccommend one movie...
 

My friends and I were sitting around having a conversation about movies one night, and we came up with the question:

"If you could only reccommend one movie for someone to watch without knowing anything about that person, and you wanted it to be a movie that you think every person could take something from and enjoy, what would it be?"

Most of us agreed that we would reccommend The Shawshank Redemption. It's not creepy that many people will be disturbed. It's not a comedy that a lot of people won't appreciate. And it's not a hugely deep movie like Donnie Darko that Some people just wont (care to?) understand. It's just powerful.

However, all my friends and I like similar things. I want to know what all of you TFPers would reccommend, and then, I want to watch them.

Casablanca is probably the closest to a universally watchable movie that is likable by men and women, people who like action and dialog, drama and romance, beautiful women and handsome tough guys, beautiful photography.

Oh, and of course that one Rita Hayworth movie in which she plays the wife of a ruthless casino owner, but I can't quite place the name right now . . .

Give me a minute, and it'll come to me.

Bill and Ted's excellent adventure?

The Shawshank Redemption is for sure a great movie... personnaly i would not have thinking about that one. not that I don't like but just because it would not have come to my mind.
I m sure anyway that few people might not be interrested into it, i watched it with few other people and some of them found it too slow, too long :confused: ...

My feeling for a universally watchable movie is that it probaly not exist as one single film but more as few of them to select depending on the mood of the watchers and the conditions they look at it. There is movies that I like a lot but that I could not watch at any time.
Sometime just an "easy" movie with many special effect and no need to understand anything will be just what i look for... but some others days Donnie Darko will be my favorite movie.I personally took care to understand it and I found it very good, it s really one of themovie I like the most.

I don't know what you think about it but The Green mile would also be a kind of movie like The Shawshank Redemption, but even if I like this movie a lot some days it might just not be what I am looking for !

The Gods Must Be Crazy.

I just bought the movie after having seen it at least 100 times in my life. I love that movie so much. It's funny, and has a good story. Without knowing anything about a person, that would be my first and best recommendation.

Godfather part II

The Royal Tenenbaums - I don't see how anyone could not like this movie.

The Gods Must be Crazy is a good call.

I would probably go with Shawshank Redemption as well. It's an all round great movie!

Cosmos

I know it's a 13 part series... but... Everyone needs to see it.

Life is Beautiful

Seconded. I take something new away from that movie every time I watch it. Though I do know that a lot of people hate it with a passion, so maybe not the best film to recommend to anyone.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure is awesome, so is Cosmos.

I'd have to recommend Second Hand Lions over the Back to the Future trilogy.

Definately Casablanca.... although I'd have to say that It's A Wonderful Life is a close second.

Both films are universally enjoyable.

Let's see....

One film? But so many come to mind. If I knew NOTHING about the person, not age, background, etc., I would probably choose one of the Disney films, so as not to offend anyone's delicate sensibilities...

"Mary Poppins" is the first to pop into my mind.
"The Sound of Music" would probably be a close second.

Even if you didn't know English all that well, you could probably enjoy those films on the music alone.

Damn this is hard... but it would be MY recommendation and not what I think everyone should like correct? Then I unequivocably would say...

Pay it Forward... excellently acted, excellent story!

Groundhog Day

Rocky.....

Good Will Hunting

Its got it all; Comedy, romance, drama. I think it would be hard not to like the movie.

Forrest Gump

Well done with the Shawshank and Casablanca picks. Of the two I would probably pick Casablanca, but just to be different, let's say...one of the Indiana Jones movies, and not only because they are my favorite series ever, but because they each have humor, action, adventure, romance, no swearing or nudity, the whole nine yards for a good movie. Instead of confusing this person who can only watch one movie with Raiders, which was made first, or Temple, which actually happened first, I'd just have them watch Last Crusade, since it's the best one anyhow.

Man I love Indiana Jones.

Super Troopers!

The Gods Must be Crazy is a good one. I haven't seen that in ages but now that you brought it up I think I might have to see it again.

One movie I thought of pretty quick which would be my choice, Dead Poet's Society.

I think i would also recommend A River Runs Through It

My wife thinks A Christmas Story would be a good one.

Se7en. Awesome, Awesome movie.

The Mummy just for the cheap fun factor :)

High Noon
 

Backdoor Babes 4

...just kidding

This is kind of like asking what food would you feed someone having no idea about their likes/dislikes. Near impossible. But if I had to choose, I would agree with Casablanca or maybe High Noon (probably leaning toward High Noon). Universal themes in both.

Problem with those suggestions is that both are black & white and many people have an inherent problem with B&W movies (I don't get it, but they do). if I was forced to pick a color movie, I would probably have to say...damn. I have no clue.

If I had to pick a movie for a woman, it would probably be All About Eve. If I had to pick a movie for a guy, it would probably be The Godfather.

To two of the previous posters: (i) I hated The Gods Must Be Crazy. I tend to dislike most slapstick, except for some notable exceptions, and I thought TGMBC was a good example of particularly stupid slapstick. (ii) The Royal Tennenbaums? You can't imagine anyone not liking that movie? Really? I happen to love it, but I know many who can't stand it. In fact, I believe I've read as much at tfproject ove the past couple weeks.

Requiem for a Dream. It's a movie that no one could forget.

if you've ever used drugs before, this movie makes you wanna quit.