Earlier this week the husband and I played Star Wars Trivial Pursuit with Miss A. At one point in the game, she answered a question by reenacting the scene where Princess Leia chokes out Jabba. The girl really got into it and we started talking about what scenes from Star Wars we’d want to reenact (for my choice – see #1 below). This led us to think about what other movie scenes we’d like to reenact; so last night the husband and I shared a bottle of wine and came up with our lists. Some picks from his list include the Blues Brothers driving through the mall scene, the laser blowing up the giant tin foil ball of popcorn in Real Genius (alternately, he also really likes the water slide party in that movie), and we both agreed that the time travel montage from Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure would be fun (though he pointed out the fact that a telephone booth as time travel device was not very original…I had never made that connection before, but then again, I’ve never been a Dr. Who fan).
Here’s what I came up with after a couple hours of conversation and a few glasses of wine (a Cabernet Franc which, while I’m not usually a red girl, I really liked!)
10. Andromeda “dream” walking in Clash of the Titans (1981) So here’s something silly and mildly embarrassing: as a kid I used to pretend I was Princess Andromeda from the 1981 movie Clash of the Titans.
One of my favorite scenes is her dream sequence. I loved everything about it: her hair in that glittery, twisty side pony tail, her fluttery peach pajamas, her awesome canopy bed with the curtains, even the music that played – I loved it! I wanted to get up from my bed and go cavorting around while still “asleep” – granted I would prefer not to ride in a cage carried by a giant vulture to meet a creepy ex-boyfriend turned monster out in a swamp, but the rest of it I’d be happy to reenact. Looking back at that movie, I still love its cheesy over-the-topness. I just may have to go out and find a copy of the soundtrack. I have yet to see the 2010 remake of this movie…my husband can’t stand the ’81 version as it is, so it would be a Netflix night while the husband is out with the guys kind of thing – anybody out there see the new version? What did you think?
9. Pretty Woman Shopping Scene (1990) Aside from the fact that it would be lots of fun to go on a spending spree using a super rich dude’s credit card (and what a great scene where Gere’s character tells the shop he’s going to spend an obscene amount of money and blatantly encourages them to kiss Roberts’ character’s a$$), I love how she goes back to the posh boutique to tell off the presumptuous b*tches. This clip is her first visit, and this second clip is the sweet revenge.
8. Rhett’s kiss at the burning of Atlanta Gone With the Wind (1939) Wow. I read Gone With the Wind when I was 12 years old. I clearly remember it because in 6th grade this odd thing happened where I was the only student in my class who tested into a gifted reading program. I don’t know why the school decided to do this – but for the first year they simply stuck me with the 7th graders and we had a nice little class that actually was a great deal like a college English Lit course. We read books like Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth and had great discussions. The following year the 8th graders had to follow a specific curriculum so it was decided that I, now a 7th grader who had already completed the curriculum for my grade, would be in a class all by myself. (They had to scrap the program during my 8th grade year so I was put back into the mainstream reading class and subjected to snide comments from the teacher regarding the fact that I was stuck with the average joes again.) But back to my point: the 1-person class idea was perfect for me since I got to outline my own goals for the year: one of them being to read Gone With the Wind in its entirety. That book is chock-full of powerful and amazing, well…everything. Characters. Setting. Scenes. Tension. And that scene, where Rhett pulls Scarlett to him and tells her that, “In spite of you and me and the whole silly world going to pieces around us, I love you.” When he grips her arms and says, ” Scarlett! Look at me! I’ve loved you more than I’ve ever loved any woman and I’ve waited for you longer than I’ve ever waited for any woman.” My little pre-teen heart was lost. What woman alive wouldn’t go a little weak in the knees at those words? So, yeah, that’s a scene I’d like to reenact, though instead of slapping the man I’d probably push him against that fence and keep kissing him until Atalnta was a pile of ashes. Let’s cool off a bit and have a little fun, check out this GWTW montage set to Katy Perry’s Hot N’ Cold.
7. Mary Poppins: Clean Up Game (1964) How many children have wished they could snap their fingers and the room would clean itself up? How many moms have as well? As a child and as a mother, I would love to reenact this scene in my own home on a regular basis.
6. Annie: Taking care of the street thugs (1982) Let me preface this by saying I love the movie Annie. I was an obsessed six year old who lived and breathed that movie. I can’t tell you how many times I performed Hard Knock Life in my bedroom. But if I had to pick my favorite scene of all, it’s when Annie catches a group of street thugs in the act of bullying a poor dog. A freckled little red headed girl with fists of fury? My tomboy soul had found a kindred spirit.
5. First Knight: Lancelot’s Kiss (1995) Now, that is a great kiss. Passion and intensity and need and desperation. At least once in our lives, we should all get to experience a kiss like this:
Probably a little too aggressive for everyday though, my nose would get bruised.
4. Goonies (1985) – I’d reenact the whole movie as one of the kids in the Goonies Gang if I could, but if I had to pick one scene (as the husband insists), I suppose it would be the scene where they fly down the “water slide,” land with a splash in the underground cavern, and discover the pirate ship and treasure.
3. Superman: Lois Lane interview (1978) Aside from Luke Skywalker, my other childhood crush was Christopher Reeve as Superman. I’d love to reenact the scene when Lois interviews him about his x-ray vision with the very professional question, “What color underwear am I wearing?” Of course, when Superman takes me flying out above the city I wouldn’t be an idiot and try flying by myself (besides, why would I want to let go of his hand?) I recently found out that Henry Cavill will be playing Superman in the new version coming out in 2012. I wouldn’t mind reenacting this scene with him as my Superman…I wouldn’t mind at all.
2. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun: Party Crashing Scene (1985). Miss A likes the new Disney t.v. show Shake It Up – which in my opinion is a blatant rip off of this movie from my childhood. A slumber party staple, my favorite scene is when they crash the rich mean girl’s party. The whole bit from the montage where the girls invite a bevy of bizarre people to the original flash mob taking over the dance floor would be a whole lotta fun to reenact.
1. Star Wars IV A New Hope: Luke and Leia swing across the Death Star bridge (1977) And for the scene that sparked this entire conversation, of all the great moments in my all time favorite movie series, the scene I would most want to reenact is that epic swing across the bridge.
Apparently Lucas and crew liked the swing scene as much as I did. Here are Luke and Leia ready to fly through the air once more in Return of the Jedi (1983).
Someone else can reenact this one, that bikini top looks painful.
Of course, I have to ask: what movie scenes would be on your list?
Melonie Johnson 