The Friday Five

Wow. I've kept 'The Friday Five' going for two whole weeks. In a row, people. This week's five will be Jeremy's favorite movies of all time and an in-depth look at what these say about him.

1. Dumb and Dumber. I don't really care what this says about him, because this movie is off-the carts hilarious. I'm pretty sure Jeremy decided to go ring shopping the very day he found out that I had seen this movie more times than he had. Also, I think this was our very first DVD purchase.

Liking this movie, it says that Jeremy has the heart and funny bone of a seventh-grade boy. It says he's not above seeing a movie that scored zero stars in the local papers when movie reviews were coming out for it. Also, you should know that Jeremy knows every line from this movie and quotes it regularly. He will refer to any stranger wearing a trucker hat as 'Seabass'.

Another also? Without fail, if we are out to eat and someone at our table asks the server about the soup of the day, before the server even rattles off the type of soup available, Jeremy will inevitably say, 'Soup of the day? Mmmm, that sounds delicious." Sometimes I ask about the soup just to humor him.

2. Red Dawn. Liking this movie says that Jeremy hasn't seen this movie in well over a decade. Obviously. It's sort of a nostalgic thing for him. If he were to re-watch it, surely he would see that he's romanticised it in his head. Trust me, I did this with Xanadu. I'm not about to go and burst his bubble either. Again, I did this with Xanadu. It was a sad day for old Jen when she watched that piece after building it up in my mind as prolific and timeless. A muse sent down from heaven wearing roller skates? I DO, however, want to see the Broadway musical. Rollerskating muses...on Broadway? Yes!

Unlike Dumb and Dumber, Jeremy cannot quote every line from Red Dawn. He DOES, however, quote the most critical point of tension from the movie. I think it's Thomas C. Howell's character (Pony Boy, is that you?) that yells out 'Wolverines!'.

You should also know, that Jeremy thinks the premise for Red Dawn could actually happen. It's set in the Cold War era. The Russians have invaded the USA and the only stronghold against them are a handful of scrappy teens that are hidden away in a grade school. Or is it a high school? Patrick Swaze, Pony Boy, Lea Thompson and Jennifer Grey (pre-nose job) are the who's who among 80's stars before they had veneers. You know what? In Red Dawn, I think somebody actually DID put Baby in the corner.

* Update* We probably won't be taking in another viewing of Red Dawn any time soon. Jeremy's holding out until it hits Broadway as well.

3. The Usual Suspects. Keyser Soze! This movie is one of the most clever films ever. I begged Jeremy to see it with me while we were dating. He didn't pay much attention to it then, he was too busy dating me. But a few years later, he caught it on TBS and it blew his mind.

Liking this movie means that Jeremy loves a good twist. He loves suspense coupled with creative layers of storytelling. I think it also means he has a secret thing for Gabriel Byrne. Or is that me?

Whenever this movie comes on cable, Jeremy acts like there's a drug raid going down or something. He's all, "Grab the kids! Turn down the lights! Take that phone of the hook and shut the blinds and lock all the doors! I need to CONCENTRATE here people!" He's all about devoting all his attention to this movie. I guess he's not trying so hard to date me anymore.

4. A River Runs Through It. There's really no need for explanation here. It's obligatory that every male between the ages of 25-45 love this movie. I think they have to check a box or something when they register to vote.

5. Tommy Boy. We recently caught a screening of Tommy Boy on cable. It was the first time in about 10 years that I watched this thing, without interruption, from beginning to end. Something struck me as the credits began rolling. Most of Jeremy's humor and one liners are directly taken from this film.

I turned to Jeremy and said, "If I had just met you, and this was our fifth date, I would be so ticked at you right now." Jeremy gives me a puzzled look.

I go on to tell him that 90% of his humor comes from Chris Farley and David Spade's characters.

His response? "I'm surprised you didn't know that. YOU'VE got a think candy shell."