Movies from the Mouse and I

We here at 409 N. love to sit down watch a movie now and then. On these nights I’ll get Netflix booted up while Lil’ Mouse starts poppin’ up some Orville.

“What did you wanna watch?” I ask, shouting to be heard over the machinations of the radioactive snack preparer.

Lil Mouse ever the lovely female replies “Oh whatever honey, you pick”

Meaning that I should find a “couples movie”. Not necessarily a romantic movie, just something we can both watch.

So that got me thinkin’ just what makes a “couples movie”? Is it a movie that has equal elements for men and women? Was there even such a thing? And if there were, were there any that we enjoyed so much as a couple, that we might recommend them to others? Seemed like perfect blog material. So I posed the question to Lil’ Mouse.

Pine Nuts, Brazil Nuts..

She immediately suggested “Best in Show” which we both thoroughly enjoyed. I said that wasn’t equally a guy movie ’cause nothing blew up.

I threw in the “Bourne” trilogy,  Too many things blowing up to be a girl movie, she retorted.

After a couple more go rounds we thought it might be important to establish a base line from which to work..the easiest way to judge whether your watching a movie for women, or a movie for men.  Here’s what we came up with.

If one person dies over the length of the movie and a lot of people cry about it, you’re probably watching a chick flick. If a lot of people die in a short period of time and people cheer or scream, it’s most definitely Dudedom.

Solid "never in a million years" vote from 90% of men

Solid "not again" vote from 90% of women

That’s a big divide to bridge, from “Terms of Endearment” to “Die Hard”, so how do we meet in the middle?

Well there’s the ol’ romantic comedy stand by.

“50 First Dates” is a great example, women love it for the romantic story, men can tolerate it because of Adam Sandler’s humor.

Sticking with Adam Sandler romantic comedies, “Happy Gilmore” is the exact opposite, guy’s love the crazy near out of control character, girls can tolerate it because of the (tenuously tethered) romantic angle.

But I am a blessed and lucky man because my woman likes both the above movies. She likes the Cohen Bros, Terry Gilliam, and a plethora of quirky artistic movies. She also like the Marx Bros, a woman who likes the Marx bros, there’s a rare treasure indeed.

I do my part by not asking her to watch any movies with zombies or aliens (especially that explode from peoples stomachs) unless it’s written by Simon Pegg. (she likes the bloke).

Okay, so anyway, here’s our compiled list of movies (in the end divided by categories) that we would like to suggest to other couples

 

 

 

1. Annie Hall
2. Princess Bride
3. The Match Maker
4. Fifty First Dates
5. Sweet Home Alabama

 

 

 

 

1. Office Space
2. Raising Arizona
3. Best in Show/Mighty Wind/For Your Consideration
4. True Stories
5.  Dodgeball

 

 

 

 

1. True Lies
2. Troy
3. The Mexican
4. Eastern Promises
5. Con Air

 

 

1. Paul
2. 12 Monkeys
3.  Mystery Men
4. Independence Day/ I Am Legend (anything where Will Smith takes his shirt off)
5. Shawn of the Dead

Alright well that’s what we came up with through our not so scientific or exact process. We are both sure there are movies we have left off the list. We have started a Woody Allen Marathon Tradition on New Years Eve and an Alfred Hitchcock for Halloween, only Annie Hall showed up on the list. And we left AH out all together as well as the whole classic catagory…”Desk Set” any one

What about you and your significant other?What movies would you recommend to Lil’ Mouse and I? We would love to hear what you think should be added to or taken away from our couple’s movies list  and why?