Hello, FlixChatter friends and visitors!! Today is my birthday, in fact, it’s a milestone b’day as I turned the big 5-0! 🎈 🎂 🎉

I feel blessed that I get to live another day and that I’m in good health, something I never take for granted. I wasn’t sure what post I should do for my big day, so I thought I’d do a similar thing I did when I turned 41.

As time goes on, our feelings about various things can change, and movies are no exception. But then there are movie moments that stay with you even decades after you watch them.

So to celebrate, I’m shining a light on some of my favorite movie quotes, music scores, songs, etc. that bring me joy, and naturally, there are plenty of nostalgic items on here. Since it’s bound to be a super long post, I’m splitting it into two parts. Who says b’day celebration has to be contained into a single day? 🥳

So let’s get on with it, shall we?

1 ) Let me start with these wise words from one of my favorite film characters, Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring.

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

2 ) Since Paddington In Peru will be released this Friday, I’m including this adorably touching scene from the second one, which remains the best of the Paddington movies. What could be a better gift than reuniting Paddington and his beloved Aunt Lucy to celebrate her birthday?

3 ) I saw Dead Poets Society on the big screen when I was in high school and it still left an impression on me. I wish I had a teacher like John Keating, played brilliantly by Robin Williams, who always inspires his students.

“Carpe diem, seize the day, boys, make your lives extraordinary”

4 ) Gone With the Wind is one of the first classic Hollywood films my late mom introduced me to when I was still a wee girl, so Scarlett O’Hara (portrayed brilliantly by Vivien Leigh) has always been a character who resonates with me, warts and all.

5 ) I always feel emotional on my birthday as my late mother passed away on my 16th birthday. It’s a long time ago I know, but one never recovers from such a loss. I often cry when I watch movie scenes featuring mother and daughter, and this one from Mamma Mia always hits me hard:

6 ) I always say this from Peter Pan when I tell people my age… and I totally believe it!

“You are only as old as you feel!”

7 ) Dory might be a silly blue fish but her mantra is one we sometimes need to hear when life gets us down.

“Just keep swimming.”

8 ) Tom Hardy isn’t on screen for too long in Inception but he sure made an impression. I even dedicated a post to highlight the scene where this quote appears:

You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger darling.

9 ) My Fair Lady is one of the first Hollywood musicals I saw as a young kid. And I love this defiant quote Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn) said to Professor Higgins’ mother when he came looking for her.

The difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she is treated.

10 ) Everyone who knows me well knows I love Jane Austen, so of course I have to include something from Austen adaptations… Kate Winslet deserved that Oscar nomination for her role as Marianne in Sense and Sensibility.

Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds or bends with the remover to remove.

You can even see the full scene in this post I did to honor Shakespeare’s birthday.

11 ) Confession: I actually have not seen Dances With Wolves. Not sure why but I just have not got around to it, but I do love the soundtrack by one of my all time favorite composers, John Barry. His scores are heart-piercingly beautiful and this one is one of the best.

12 ) As the new Jurassic World trailer has just come out, I kept thinking about the diminishing returns of this dinosaur franchise. You just can’t beat the original Jurassic Park and this line from Jeff Goldblum’s Dr. Ian Malcolm is so iconic:

Life finds a way

13 ) Return To Me is truly one of the greatest rom-coms ever and it’s massively underrated. I love Bonnie Hunt’s direction and writing. It’s a wholesome movie by today’s standard and it’s so funny and romantic. To me, the most romantic line is uttered not by the leading lady or leading man… if you’ve seen it, then you know exactly what this line means.

When she met you, her heart beat truly for the first time. Perhaps it was meant to be with you always.

14 ) No favorite list of mine is going to be complete without a scene involving Alan Rickman. Whether it’s a period drama, action movie or sci-fi, his line delivery always makes the scene indelible. I love watching him in Galaxy Quest, nobody can exemplify ‘dying quietly inside’ like Rickman did.

15 ) I don’t think this Monty Python scene needs an explanation, makes me laugh every single time.

16 ) I told you I’m feeling nostalgic on my birthday. This Roger Moore‘s Bond movie For Your Eyes Only is one of my childhood favorites I used to watch with my family growing up. It’s not the sleekest car chases in the Bond franchise but this one featuring a yellow Citroën in Greece sure is entertaining and never fails to put a smile on my face.

17 ) I love Persuasion‘s Captain Wentworth’s letter so much I have the pillow with the quote on it…

You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope.

18 ) The Birdcage is a comedy classic that likely won’t be able to be made today. In the age of social media, the ‘problematic’ plot and casting of non-LGBT actors would’ve been ripped to shreds. But when I saw it nearly 3 decades ago, it had me in stitches! I still giggle when I think of certain scenes, including this chaotic dinner scene where pretty much everything that could go wrong did.

19 ) Casablanca is one of the most quotable classic films of all time, and this one from the last scene is one of my all-time favorites. Yes, I actually like this more than ‘Here’s looking at you, kid.’

Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

20 ) Nora Ephron movies are my comfort movies, I can watch Sleepless In Seattle or You’ve Got Mail on repeat as the scripts are just golden. I love this scene with real-life golden couple Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson (who played siblings), with Victor Garber as Wilson’s husband.

21 ) Roy Batty’s quote in Blade Runner is perhaps the saddest line ever uttered by a non-human creature. The best part is, apparently actor Rutger Hauer himself improvised this indelible quote and delivered it with such heartbreaking intensity.

All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain

22 ) Given musicals are back in the spotlight with a couple being nominated for Oscars (one on them undeservingly), I want to highlight Cyrano which should’ve garnered more attention and accolades. Peter Dinklage is fantastic and I think his performance is Oscar-worthy!

Love this song featuring Kelvin Harrison Jr. I’d Give Anything, and the music by Aaron and Bryce Dessner has become one of my all-time fave soundtracks.

23 ) Most prophetic line from a hero-turned-villain in comic-book-based movies, though one could argue that Christopher Nolan‘s The Dark Knight (well the entire trilogy for that matter) transcends the superhero genres as they’re more like crime thrillers.

You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. – Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart)

24 ) No celebratory list of mine would be complete either without my favorite James Bond. I love the rapport between Timothy Dalton and Robert Davi in License to Kill. Love this scene and the ‘problem eliminator’ line is iconic!

25) For the first part of my b’day list, I’ll end with this rousing musical number from my comfort musical movie, Mamma Mia. I can always rely on this one and its sequel Here We Go Again to boost my mood, I often rewatch clips of them even on the plane.

Who doesn’t love ABBA music? Plus, the three spectacular ladies: Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski, and Julie Walters are well over 50 but they’re definitely NOT past their primes.

---

Stay tuned for Part 2 sometime tomorrow!

---

Hope you enjoy this birthday post, which of these cinematic moments would you include on your own list?

///