A Few of My Favorite Things
Whenever someone asks me what my favorite book, movie, song, etc. is I am always hesitant to answer. My favorite things change all the time, if I say what my favorite is right now, that might not be a great answer, because it could change tomorrow. So, I decided a while ago to choose a few things that aren’t exactly in first place at the moment but have had in the top five for a long time. This way I feel more satisfied with my answer, but it somehow feels more and less truthful at the same time. So here is a definitive collection of my default favorite answer, and what my favorites are at this exact moment.
Movies
Default Favorite Movie: V for Vendetta
“A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having”
I am often drawn to cheesy action movies, and boy does this movie deliver. A classic symbol of anarchy and rebellion, V espouses a lot of crazy ideas, some more volatile than others. There are however, a select few of the ideas in this movie that I find valuable. For example, there’s a heartwarming and inspiring letter about unconditional love towards everyone in the middle of the movie. Also, at one point V says, “ideas are bulletproof,” which is spot on with cheesiness and truth. It is meant to express the power words and ideas can have. Once an idea is out amongst the people, it cannot be destroyed by any means and will live on forever. In the movie, this refers to revolution, but it can refer to any idea, such as a story, being immortalized in the collective mind of the people.
Current Favorite Movie: Moonrise Kingdom
A friend of mine was surprised I hadn’t seen this movie because they felt like it was made for me. They told me that they thought this movie encapsulates a lot of the core elements of my personality and my aesthetic. This is a hefty claim, and I was very curious to see how well my friend knew me. Big thumbs up to them, because they were 100% right. I love everything about this movie, from its obscenely high level of attention to detail, to the unique independence of the main characters. I have always wanted to run away with someone on a grand adventure, and this movie realizes that dream with a beautiful balance of fantasy and realism.
Written Works
Default Favorite Book: Ender’s Game
I chose Ender’s Game because it has amazing character development and a well-contrived plot with an amazing twist. Highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in science fiction, video games, or impactful pop culture from recent years.
Current Favorite Book: Impossible to Decide.
Books are the hardest to decide on, and the main reason for this habit of mine. If allowed to have as many favorites as I wanted, I could talk for hours about favorite books. A few of my current favorite works are
-
“The Hidden Woman” by Colette, a piece of French belle époque feminist literature.
-
“The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury, a technophobic piece written by my favorite author long ago that may start to be relevant again soon.
-
“The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe, a true classic in horror writing.
Music
Default Favorite Song: “Fix You” by Coldplay
This song has massive sentimental value to me, as it was the only one on my iPod for an eight-hour drive to Washington DC for an eighth-grade field trip. On this ride, hurtful things were done to me by close friends, and I did a lot of important thinking with this song on repeat. It helped me realize the importance of surrounding yourself with supportive people, and of being supportive in return.
Current Favorite Song: “Greek Tragedy” by The Wombats
