As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, a former editor of mine once initiated a “Stop-Down” discussion at an email group in which we both participated. The question was this: “What movie or TV show — when you flip to it on TV — makes you stop down and just watch it, even if it’s halfway over?”
So, I asked you, my lovely readers, what your stop-down films and TV shows might be. What will cause all “flipping channels” to STOP and the remote to be put DOWN? What does it for you? And why? Is it the story? The editing? The directing? Special effects? Delightful memories of what your life was like back when you first experienced it? Or are you crazy in love with the acting?
First (and as always), thank you for emailing your thoughts! Y’all rock with your willingness to share so much about what inspires you! Thank you!! Second, I think I have a BIG list of “To Watch” movies and TV shows, thanks to your heartfelt explanations of about why you feel so strongly. It appears that your stop downs seem to fall into several major categories. Let’s get to it!
Actors We Love
Back when I wrote for Back Stage West, one of my favorite editions each year was the one called “Actors We Love.” While you awesome readers shared loads of specific stop downs, you also shared lists of actors you just can’t live without. Gotta give ’em their props.
Joan Allen, Patricia Arquette, Kathy Bates, Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Steve Buscemi, Nicolas Cage, Jim Carrey, Helena Bonham Carter, Glenn Close, Daniel Craig, John Cusack, Judy Dench, Robert Downey Jr., Colin Farrell, Colin Firth, Brendan Fraser, Morgan Freeman, James Gandolfini, Lauren Graham, Gene Hackman, Anthony Hopkins, Jeremy Irons, Eddie Izzard, Harvey Keitel, Tea Leoni, Shelley Long, John Malkovich, Rachel McAdams, Marilyn Monroe, Bill Murray, Patricia Neal, Gary Oldman, Guy Pearce, Alan Rickman, Tim Robbins, Jane Russell, Susan Sarandon, Will Smith, Billy Bob Thornton, Gene Tierney, Spencer Tracy, John Turturro, Tom Waits, Bruce Willis, William Windom, Kate Winslet, Reese Witherspoon
Sentimental Favorites
Now, my husband and I disagree about what “sentimental” means, so let me clarify in case you see the word the way he does, only. I describe a “sentimental favorite” stop down as one that takes me back, puts me in a place that feels good or bad (or, heck, even mad — I’m not picky) for the moments I’m watching. Usually a film or TV show from childhood or teen years (or even my 20s, probably), it’s just something that gives me a feeling rooted in some other time. That’s what I mean by “sentimental.” Not necessarily that I remember exactly what I was doing at the time I first saw the stop down or its themes resonate specifically with something I’ve ever experienced. Does that make sense?
Okay, so assuming it does, your sentimental favorites include:
Summer of ’42 — “Ah… Jennifer O’Neill. Summer. Innocence. Did I mention Jennifer O’Neill?” — Craig
I Love Lucy — “When I was a kid, I used to watch I Love Lucy in syndication every afternoon after school. Seeing those old episodes makes me feel like a kid again. I don’t care if I’ve seen an episode a dozen times. I always have to see how Lucy’s gonna get outta this mess.” — Erik; “The best ever sitcom.” — Sherry
Goonies — “‘Never say die!’ I can quote that and The Breakfast Club and Stand by Me. Childhood films all inspired me to act and take me back to a great childhood of watching and bunking (not paying or pretending to be older) to get into films. Also The Lost Boys. I hadn’t seen anything so cool before that, it felt. I now have an obsession with most vampire films.” — Dionne
An Affair to Remember — “Because of the kiss on the stairs. We never saw it. Just Deborah Kerr gripping the railing. Exquisite! When I first saw it 30 years ago, I knew that that was the only way to ever be kissed. I got it, too. Lucky me!” — Maria
Terms of Endearment — “Family stories intrigue me because I can see how maybe some families live. What it’s like to have that life-long history with someone. Seeing them age as you do. But mostly history, history, history. You’re in their history. They’re in your history. It intrigues me to no end.” — Cassie
The Blues Brothers — “It’s not the greatest movie, but it holds a special place in my heart because it was the first film set I was ever on. Before I was ejected off the set (three times), I did get the chance to watch a few takes from behind camera view, inside the gas station. This is my first memory of wanting to be part of the movie-making process.” — Steve
Boy Meets World — “I grew up on it and love the heartfelt messages and loveable characters.” — Terri
Dune — “Yes, Dune! I have seen this movie so many times and a lot of times as a kid. I watch Dune through my inner child’s eyes. I just love the characters and the world they are in. Yes, in my heart I believe I am the Kwisatz Haderach! I’m a kid every time I watch it.” — Ahmad
Play Misty for Me — “Because that California coastline, Clint Eastwood, and the 1970s all remind me of the big happy.” — Colleen
Sixteen Candles, When Harry Met Sally, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and anything by Kevin Smith except for Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back — “They all remind me of a happy time or of certain friends. They always make me smile. I love the music. I can quote all of the dialogue. I’m still hoping Jake Ryan will show up outside my sister’s wedding to carry me away in his red Porche. Too bad I don’t have a sister.” — Joni
The Values/Cultural Significance
This is the category that surprised me the most, as I saw it emerge. I mean, I suspected that there would be loads of “I get these characters”-type responses, but I was really pleased to see how many of the stop downs we have on our lists because of what we learned about our own worlds by watching them. For instance, I LOVE Pretty in Pink. Okay, of course. I’m a smart, nerdy, creative redhead who experienced her teens in the ’80s. Check. But I also lived on the proverbial wrong side of the tracks and was allowed to go to the “good school” because of a little jurisdictional magic, even though mine was a single-parent, government-subsidized household and all my classmates had trust funds and Beemers. Maybe there’s something to it. We create alliances with these people we’ve never met because they show us our world (and maybe our struggles) on a screen.
Rent — “I ran away from home at age 17, so I build little families of friends everywhere I lived for the last 26 years. And when I see that others place just as much importance on their friendships, I feel right at home.” — Cassie
Shaft — “I watch this every time because a black man as the star of a film was extremely rare at the time (to say nothing of now). It was also rare to see on-screen images of a black man and a white woman in sexual situations. The theme song always gets me excited about life and about attacking the world. Great, inspirational film.” — Ahmad
Everybody Hates Chris — “Love Chris Rock. Used to watch The Cosby Show and wanted to be a Cosby kid (I mean, who didn’t?) but when I watch Everybody Hates Chris, now that’s my childhood! I can relate to everything, even being from England. It cracks me up. The kids are great actors. The mum is amazing. Reminds me of my own mum!” — Dionne
Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List — “I absolutely adore her all-out, self-deprecating style and her celeb-chatter material. She’s someone that’s such a role model to women with great spirit who don’t fit the brutal Hollywood beauty standard, and yet strive for a way to carve out their own niche in the business. Plus, Hollywood is full of such crap, someone needs to stand up and blow the whistle on it. Kathy does a great job of that every day.” — Miki
My So-Called Life — “Back when MTV was showing the repeats, I used to catch it all the time. There are certain TV shows that just feel like a part of your DNA. And for me, this is one of them.” — Erik
My Big Fat Greek Wedding — “It’s a classic in my world. And I practically know all of the lines (and can deliver them with a Greek accent.)” — Yasmine
Judging Amy — “I always wished that Tyne Daly was my mother. She’s strong, yet vulnerable. She’s open to any discussion, yet flawed, but committed. She will always apologize… when she’s ready. She’s the perfect role model for woman-ness because she’s alive and honest.” — Cassie
The Defiant Ones — “Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis in what was a groundbreaking movie at that time. I enjoy that movie because Poitier is an inspiration to me as a black actor and they work together well. I watch that movie and think about what he must have gone through relative to my challenges as a black man. Puts it in perspective.” — Ahmad
Imitation of Life — “I’ve never cried so much in my life other than seeing Beaches, but this film discusses issues that most people wouldn’t dare tackle in the late ’50s. Racism, black people passing as white (which I never knew happened in the states). It deals with single mothers and a struggling actress trying to find her career and take care of family. Epic themes for its time!” — Dionne
‘night, Mother — “Anne Bancroft lived her culture from the very top of her head to her toenails. Culture is fabulous! It’s gorgeous! It’s delicious! It’s effervescent! It’s all-consuming! It pulls you in like nothing else. It’s a rollercoaster ride you don’t want to get out of! And when it’s over, you’re so exhausted that you feel like you need a nap because while watching her, you were just as alive as she was! I’m an ethnic character actor, so maybe that’s why I’m so intrigued.” — Cassie
The Writing
It’s difficult to separate out all of the kudos for writing, since so much of what makes a film or TV show a stop down has to do with its overall impact on the viewer, but I was able to pull some specific notes out about writing (which, of course, I find to be pretty dang important).
The Twilight Zone — “Rod Serling’s scripts always made me think… in addition to the great and sometimes scary stories.” — Craig
Buffy the Vampire Slayer — “I re-watch these to find the hints in the early seasons of things that I now know are coming in later seasons. A throwaway comment from Buffy to Xander in season three — “It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye” — foretells Xander losing his eye in season seven. Some of the best, most quotable dialogue ever. Plus… Seth Green!” — Joni
Donnie Darko — “I had never seen anything like it. To this day, I’m still not sure if I really get it. Every time I re-watch it I change my mind about what it’s really about. It captivates me and I love it. Plus, it’s not so hard to watch Jake Gyllenhaal. A really well-told story.” — Dionne; “I like the overall theme of good vs. evil.” — Terri
“Anything Charlie Kaufman writes. He’s a genius. He’s a master of dialogue of uncomfortable situations and humanity. He does everything with this great unpredictable twist. He dares to be creative and I’m so thankful that Hollywood took that risk with him. We need more screenwriters like him, so we get fresh, interesting, new movies that make our heads explode trying to grasp it.” — Claartje
Arrested Development — “May it rest in peace. It ranks as my all-time favorite TV show and always demands 100% of my attention. How else would I catch all of the subtle-yet-brilliant jokes? There’s always something funny going on behind the main storyline and there’s always that ‘a-ha’ moment during every episode. Sometimes hours after you’re done watching it.” — Yasmine
The Simpsons — “I’m a huge fan of cartoons. I’m drawn by the combo of witty writing and offbeat characters.” — Terri
Sex and the City — “I will always stop and watch the episode ‘My Motherboard, My Self.’ I hate that TBS cuts out the part with Miranda breaking down with the saleswoman when she is buying a bra for her mother’s funeral because that is probably one of the best pieces of acting in the whole series. So well-written too. I always weep at the end when we see that Steve and Aiden have shown up at the funeral.” — Joni [Note: I’m sooo with you, there. I even blogged about it the first time I saw this episode. Greatness.]
The Acting
Ah, of course, the acting. The acting, the acting, the acting. Folks, when you doubt that you have an impact on people, come back and read this column. Please. You may think you’re just delivering words that were on a page, hitting your mark, doing what the director told you to do in order to stay in your light, but seriously — if you’re doing it right — you’re changing lives. Please remember that! You’re amazing people, you actors!
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest — “It’s a stop-down because of Jack Nicholson’s performance. Really an actor going for it and expressing himself.” — Ahmad
A Few Good Men — “‘I want the truth.’ That scene in the whole movie is my favorite, as I’m sure it’s most people’s. Watching those two top actors in peak form always gives me goose pimples. The intensity in that scene — I believe every moment of it. That scene made me come out of the theater and go, ‘That’s why I want to act,’ and makes me feel that way every time I see it.” — Dionne
All in the Family — “Carroll O’Connor and Jean Stapelton never had a false moment.” — Craig
The Office — “I love the episode where a bat gets loose in the office. When everyone starts screaming and diving for cover, I noticed (upon second viewing of the episode) Angela Kinsey do a very deliberate ‘stop, drop, and roll.’ You could almost see her character thinking through each step in her mind as she did it. The supporting cast on that show rocks. And even when they don’t have a line or aren’t the focus of the scene, they can still have me laughing my butt off.” — Joni
Back to the Future — “And not just because of Michael J. Fox’s sexy goodness. It’s such a well-made, perfectly-crafted movie that I can’t help but get sucked in. There’s so much chemistry between the actors. You get the sense while you’re watching the movie that each of those actors is inspiring the other to give the best performance of his career. Aside from Michael J. Fox’s aforementioned sexy goodness, Christopher Lloyd has never been funnier. (The way he asks about the gravitational pull in the future makes me laugh out loud every time.) Lea Thompson plays breathy teenage lust with perfection. (The scene where she kisses her son in the car at the dance is more OMG-worthy than anything they’ve done on Gossip Girl.) And Crispin Glover is a bundle of fascinating awkward tics. I cannot turn this movie off. It’s totally impossible.” — Erik
Enter the Dragon — “One of Bruce Lee’s best films. When you watch him, he shows you what big-time movie star charisma is all about. The power he projects on film is awesome.” — Ahmad
Half Nelson — “Ryan Gosling is an amazing actor to watch. I’ve seen all his films. He’s an actor that I look forward to watching. I think in the hands of a lesser actor, the story would have been ruined. I think he is turning into my generation’s De Niro or Pacino.” — Dionne
Trading Places — “Before Norbit, Eddie Murphy made some great comedies back in the ’80s. This is one of them.” — Craig [Note: This is one of my faves too. And not just because of Eddie Murphy. The script is wonderful, the performances are clean and committed, and I just love the whole sticking-it-to-the-fat-cats story.]
Homicide: Life on the Street — “The acting is spectacular. Andre Braugher: amazing! Clark Johnson, Reed Diamond, Melissa Leo, Richard Belzer, heck, the whole cast was amazing. Even Daniel Baldwin. No matter how many times I watch it, it can still stir my emotions just like it did the first time. I still get choked up watching Pembleton in his dress blues salute at Crossetti’s funeral, and I still cheer when Kellerman finally shoots Luther Mahoney. (‘You have the right to remain silent.’ BAM!)” — Joni
Out of Africa — “Beautiful performances. Michael Kitchen’s acceptance of his fate, Meryl Streep on her knees begging for the future of those she’s come to accept and admire.” — Sherry
East of Eden — “Towards the end of the movie when James Dean has the party set up and thinks he is going to brighten up everything, you can see the anticipation and excitement going on in his character. When his father is less than excited about all he did to help him, Dean becomes so tremendously devastated that it’s unbelievable. That is acting, people.” — Ahmad
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner — “Sidney Poitier, Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn. Nothing else needs to be said. Watching those three actors during their no-dialogue bits but saying so much — that’s what I love about good acting. Sometimes I just watch for the reaction of the actors rather than them speaking. These actors do it magnificently.” — Dionne
We Love To Laugh
Duh. Life is hard. And just getting to bust a gut is sometimes all we need to break through a stretch of “not good” doing on in our lives. While working on this column I watched three feature films on DVD. Two of them were Caddyshack and Joe vs. the Volcano. No reason other than: I love to laugh. And those are two of the many movies that do it for me. (I also watched The Thomas Crown Affair. Because, hello, sexy.)
The Daily Show — “I love to laugh, so anything funny.” — Tansy; “We Brits have been known to say that Americans don’t do irony. Ha! Watch this show. Jon Stewart is so handsome, but it’s so funny and basically shows us politics for what it is: that any fools can run a country. Not just America but all over. Also the hypocrisy of the media. I also love that he can be laughing about voting systems or politicians and then he interviews an ex-aide of the White House or an actor promoting the movie.” — Dionne
Coming to America — “Simply the funniest movie Eddie Murphy ever did and possibly the funniest film ever. I remember watching it as a kid because my cousin was in some of the dance scenes. It’s just the sheer humor that keeps me watching it over and over.” — Ahmad; “I love characters who are way out of touch with everyone else’s reality.” — Terri
The Big Bang Theory, My Boys, Family Guy — “I’m a sucker for brilliant comedy. Watching these great shows is entertaining but it’s also educational for me. I have learned so much about comedy and performing from the cast members of these great shows.” — Yasmine [Note: Yasmine also mentioned 30 Rock, Entourage, Everybody Loves Raymond, How I Met Your Mother, The Office, and Reba, but I highlighted the three at the front of this paragraph because she might as well be reporting my list of favorite sitcoms, these days. I think The Big Bang Theory is some of the finest writing and acting going on and I’m so glad the show survived the writers’ strike. My Boys, of course, is close to my heart, and I find Family Guy brilliant because the characters say so much of what we only think in private and that’s bold, balls-out comedy, right there!]
The Popcorn Factor
There are some movies and TV shows that make us stop-down simply because we can’t not do so. We enjoy the whole of the experience… for some reason we may not even be able to articulate! (This could be why Con Air and Beverly Hills, 90210 are on my list. Although, I do have a theory about the whole Con Air thing… outside of the John Cusack factor.) Anyway… it’s that we enjoy ’em. Period.
Lethal Weapon — “Love the buddy story. Thought Mel Gibson and Danny Glover were perfect in their roles. I get caught up in that story and watch it like it’s the first time. Plus Mel is so hot in it. I love action films!” — Dionne
The $20,000 Pyramid — “Dick Clark version. My all-time favorite game show. It actually required the contestants to concentrate and listen as opposed to today’s game shows which only require the contestants to yell and act like idiots.” — Craig
Law & Order, CSI, et. al. — “Basically, any mystery. You can throw in any Lifetime movie. I’m a sucker for ‘who killed the mistress of the rich man when he had a hot wife to begin with’-type movies.” — Tansy; “Well-shot. Love the editing, the special effects, the acting, the scripts. Keeps me gripped. American cop shows are amazingly slick, exciting, and intense and the acting is always outstanding.” — Dionne
Bridget Jones’s Diary — “Fun, fun, fun!” — Sherry
Mean Girls — “My friends may laugh at me when I scream how much I love seeing this, as I’m too old to love this film in their eyes, but I love it. The writing is brilliant. The acting is great. It’s a great popcorn movie. I belly laugh with this film. Same with Bring It On. Funny, great popcorn movie.” — Dionne [Note: Ooh, loves me some Bring It On and Stick It (and I loved ’em before I interviewed Jessica Bendinger. Simply brilliant popcorn fare. Mean Girls too. And Stomp the Yard. Watched that one this weekend. Again. Love it.]
Best Overall Everything
Sometimes it’s not about the any one thing in particular. You stop down because everything is just so damn good. This is why I have Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and Boomtown and Freaks and Geeks on DVD. There are some shows and films you can’t leave to the programming gods to put back in front of you. You just have to have them. Anytime you need them.
Gladiator — “On some level for me, it sums up my goals and one of my wildest dreams for the industry. The story is great. The acting is wonderful. It’s a beautifully shot and directed film.” — Ahmad
Fight Club — “I watched it at the theater five times so I could see the different layers David Fincher had edited in there like Brad Pitt in the hotel promo video or the amazing fight scene of Edward Norton in the office with his boss. Editing, story, the works. It all works.” — Dionne
Across the Universe — “Being a latent Beatles fan, I did not mind that the songs were rearranged to fit the fantastic visuals and storyline that were presented. It was a ride that I wished wouldn’t end! Kind of like Moulin Rouge!” — Tansy
Frasier — “Perhaps the best sitcom ever with a dream cast. Kelsey Grammer was also a terrific director.” — Craig
Love Actually — “It’s a film that even with my sometimes too-critical ‘actor’s eye’ and repeated viewings, still entertains me. Immensely. The script is full of wonderful moments that actors cherish and crave to play (Keira Knightley as she watches the wedding video, Emma Thompson as she opens her husband’s Christmas gift). As a Meisner-trained actor, the first thing I do whether auditioning or prepping for an actual role, is to look for the love in the relationships between the characters in the story (and I’m not just talking about romantic dramas and comedies. I would look for the ‘love’ even if cast as Hitler in a thriller). There is not a scene in this film that is not filled with deep, organic, and meaningful connection between the characters. The entire film is an actor’s paradise.” — Steve
Ocean’s Twelve — “It’s practically always on. It’s glamorous yet funny, and stars some of the greatest actors of our time, and is set amongst the most beautiful locations.” — Yasmine
Edward Scissorhands — “A lot of it has to with the look and feel: dark yet colorful. I like the mystical/fairytale aspect too.” — Terri
The Color Purple — “After reading the book, I wasn’t disappointed with the film. Beautifully shot and acted. Also To Kill a Mockingbird. My all-time favorite book and film. Classy acting and a beautiful story so well-told.” — Dionne
Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation — “Great stories, great imagination, great aliens. Kirk and Picard are two of a kind.” — Craig
Mad Men — “It is a brilliant and — as far as I can tell — flawless piece of television work. The art direction, the writing, the lighting, the directing, the acting. I gasp at the accuracies of props, costumes, dialogue, sense of being the characters, the hair, and the sets at least three times in each episode. It’s like my grandpa is alive and well and living inside my TV (and now I know why his lifelong secretary always looked so sad). It has prompted me to do my own research about women of the era and I am learning so much. It was an absolutely fascinating time in advertising and the team is doing a perfect job at recreating the images, the feel, the visuals, the Jack Daniels, etc. Just priceless.” — Melinda [Note: I have to agree, Melinda. I’m very much obsessed with Mad Men and Swingtown too. Love the “other era” stuff on TV lately. Just so well-done down to every detail.]
Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion — “So many quotable lines. I like buddy films where each character is quirky in a unique and complimentary way.” — Terri
Scarface — “The writing, the performances… I don’t care where I catch it. I have to watch.” — Sherry
12 Angry Men — “Sidney Lumet’s first film still packs a wallop. Every young actor needs to watch this.” — Craig
The Silence of the Lambs — Best, most gripping film ever. Every frame!” — Bobby
“Anything by the Coen Brothers makes me stop in my tracks. Not only do they cast just about every actor on my Most Favorite List of all Time, their movies are funny and quirky and gripping and sometimes just downright WTF! (The box in Barton Fink! OMG!) The cinematography is always top-notch. Every detail is thought over and you discover something new every time you watch it. Everything from The Big Lebowski to Fargo to everything else they’ve ever made. They have not let me down a single time so far.” — Claartje
All About Eve — “Because it’s perfection on every level and at every turn. And there are many.” — Colleen
Anatomy of a Murder — “I love courtroom dramas and this is one of the best. Lee Remick was never more beautiful.” — Craig
So… feeling inspired? Wanna add to this list? You know where to find me! 🙂
Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!
Originally published by Actors Access at http://more.showfax.com/columns/avoice/archives/000912.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.