We asked readers to gush about films that have left a major impact on them.
I pondered this for a while and considered "Crash" for its enlightening view of racial issues, "Rocky" for its motivation (I've trained to the soundtrack for decades) and "King Kong" for the emotion that went into it and came out of it. However, to find a movie that really changed my life, I had to look way back. I picked my favorite childhood movie, "Peter Pan." Once I figured out why I like(d) it so much, I understood how it changed my life. It made me want to always be the hero and rescue my friends and family from whatever pirates are in our lives. I also loved "The Jungle Book" for basically the same reason.
— Brian McLaughlin, 46
"Terms of Endearment." A close second would be "Steel Magnolias," albeit a bit too syrupy.
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"Terms of Endearment" made me take serious notice of the relationship changes and dynamics a family goes through when a loved one, especially one of the younger generation, is struck down with a terminal illness. I have an adult daughter who has had medical issues in the past (she is currently healthy). We need to appreciate and not take for granted the precious members of our family, for we never know what the future will bring.
The movie is a more-than-10-Kleenex cry-fest. It is a testament to human strength and the ability to overcome differences in the face of terrible tragedy.
"Ordinary People" was an amazing film, first and foremost a pioneer in depicting a dysfunctional family at its worst and most shut down.
What affected me most were the repression and denials that were manifested in all the members of the family. It was an utterly toxic situation, and I swore that my family would be open, sharing and trusting of each other so that our secret fears and worst nightmares would get out in the open and be dealt with.
— Linda Caplan, 58
I was an impressionable 10 or 11 years old when I first saw "Gone With the Wind," within a year or two of its initial release. I don't know how many times I've seen it since, but I have to rate it as my favorite, most memorable movie of all time.
— Joseph L. McNully, 76
I can't recall any movie that had a life-changing effect on me, but there was one that has remained with me for years. I even told the story to my daughters as they were growing up.
It was the oldie, made in 1945, called "Enchanted Cottage." Simply said, love will define beauty not visually, but emotionally.
— Don Orr, 80
