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6 Classic Movies to Snuggle Up and Watch

Few things are more enjoyable than getting cozy under some big blankets to watch a movie. Maybe you’re sick at home or unable to venture outside due to dismal weather – whatever the case, pick from one of these classic films, broaden your knowledge of cinema, relax, and enjoy!

“Cool Hand Luke” (1967)This film was nominated for multiple academy awards and is significant in its portrayal of a 1940s prison chain gang. Paul Newman takes the lead as a nonconformist in this drama, with George Kennedy (winner, Best Supporting Actor) and others as fellow inmates. Not only is this film beautifully shot and acted, it offers a keen portrayal of the inner workings of the American penitentiary system along with some intriguing Christian symbolism and an anti-establishment message. Newman certainly lends a lot of charm to the character of Luke, which helps elevate this movie to an enjoyable and inspiring classic that cannot be easily forgotten.

“Paper Moon” (1973)Starring actual father and daughter pair Ryan and Tatum O’Neal, this black and white film will catch you off guard in its surprising comedic situations and ability to endear you to the characters. Set in the tough times of the Great Depression, con-man Moses Pray and nine-year-old Addie Loggins are awkwardly linked to each other after her mother’s death. They become an odd pair of traveling companions on a journey to send Addie to her relatives in Missouri, while getting into trouble along the way. Tatum O’Neal was awarded an Oscar at the ripe age of 10 for her feisty, old-beyond-her-years version of Addie in this film.

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975)If you’ve never given this one a chance, it’s definitely past time you did. Featuring Jack Nicholson and several other notable actors in their younger years (Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd), this film won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Main character and criminal Randle “Mac” McMurphy (Nicholson) ends up in a mental ward for evaluation in hopes of avoiding a harsh prison sentence. He arouses the other patients to rebellion and creates friction with Nurse Ratchet. This film strikes a tenuous balance between comedy and tragedy and is well-acted throughout.

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961)This iconic Audrey Hepburn movie is billed as a romantic comedy, but both men and women will fall for her charming, naïve, and flawed character, Holly Golightly. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” is not overly complex or realistic in plot, but is quite entertaining in its vision of 1960s style, romance, and Hepburn quirk. Just ignore the dated choice of casting Mickey Rooney in ghastly Asian caricature.

“A Streetcar Named Desire” (1951)Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning adaptation of a Tennessee Williams play, this controversial black and white drama stars young Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh in an emotional rollercoaster of confrontation. When fading and disgraced Southern belle, Blanche (Leigh), comes to stay with her sister Stella (Kim Hunter) and husband Stanley Kowalski (Brando) in their humble apartment in New Orleans, friction ensues. Who can forget the sultry scene of a muscular Brando yelling, “STELLA!” for the whole neighborhood to hear? Though he did not win an Oscar for his performance (the ladies both did), Brando’s portrayal of Stanley Kowalski has been regarded by many as one of the influential examples of method acting in cinema.

“Rear Window” (1954)This Alfred Hitchcock suspense masterpiece starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly will keep you on the edge of your seat wondering ‘whodunit’. Before reality television, folks relied on their neighbors for entertainment, right?  Professional photographer L.B. “Jeff” Jeffries (Stewart) is wheelchair bound after suffering a broken leg and seeks to pass the time by observing the lives of his neighbors. After witnessing suspicious activity, he becomes entangled in trying to solve a murder from the confines of his apartment. Stewart and Kelly are engaging to watch on screen, and Hitchcock’s cinematography is nothing short of masterful.

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