As the last month of Summer rolls by and we cherish our last weeks of freedom, there’s always something to do.  Except when there isn’t.  In that case, what better thing is there to do than to catch up on some of the best movies of all time?

Note: The name of the movie links to each movie’s page on Netflix.  After the one to two sentence summary of each movie is a link to the theatrical trailer. The 25 movie list is separated into five groups of five movies, each a different genre.

Here you have it. The Big List:

Comedy

• Juno – This timeless comedy about teen pregnancy, and moreover, growing up, is as funny as it is thoughtful and though-provoking. Trailer.
• Bend It Like Beckham – Jess, an aspiring soccer star, is prevented from playing by her proper Indian parents, who would rather she grow up to be a chapati chef than a sports star. A family-friendly comedy that’s required viewing for anyone with a sense of humor. Trailer.
• DodgeBall: The True Underdog Story – There’s no debate: this movie is hilarious. Dodgeball is an outstandingly immature slapstick comedy that’s sure to get a lot of laughs. Trailer.
• SpaceBalls – Mel Brooks yet again proves him superiority as a comedic genius in this awesome parody of all things science-fiction. Trailer.
• Robin Hood: Men In Tights – My second favorite Mel Brooks movie, this time he twists the classic story of Robin Hood into a hilarious 100 minutes of medieval slapstick. Trailer.

Drama

• Crash – No one knows what will happen when the lives of eight Los Angeles collide, and with that their individual greatest fears and greatest stereotypes are all challenged. Read my review here. Trailer.
• Babel – This dramatic piece of work connects three distinctly different stories of struggling people and fleshes out the connections between seemingly unconnected people. The moral of the story relates to the derivation of the name: The Tower of Babel, because the root of all problems in the film is simply a lack of understanding one another. Trailer.
• Whale Rider – When Pai’s twin brother, and presumed heir to the throne of their Maori tribe, dies at childbirth, she is left to conquer her father’s sexism and live her true destiny. Trailer.
• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly – In 1995 Jean Dominique-Bauby, the Elle magazine editor who lived his frivolous life to the fullest, suffered a stroke that left his able to move only his left eyelid. This incredible movie illustrates how difficult it is to be alive, yet unable to express yourself. Trailer.
• Glory – Tells the heroic true story of the first group of African Americans that fought in the civil war. Trailer.

Historical Fiction Drama and Documentary

• Hotel Rwanda – Hotel Rwanda tells the incredible true story of Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle), a hotel manager who, during the Rwandan genocide (which took 800,000 lives in only three months but remained largely unnoticed by the media) took in more than 1,200 people, and probably saved their lives. It tells the story of hope and philanthropy’s survival in overwhelming odds. You can read my review here. Trailer.
• Sicko – Another, arguably more important Michael Moore documentary, Sicko explores the corrupt world of HMOs, portraying health care as an out of control corporate scandal where people are losing more than just money, they’re losing their lives. With 45 million Americans lacking health insurance and 18,000 dying every year from denied treatment, this is a must see. Trailer.
• Persepolis – This auto-biopic tells the story of Majane Strapi, a 10 year old growing up in 1978 Iran. This thoughtful, insightful film is interesting and informative. Read my full review here. Trailer.
• An Inconvenient Truth – This movie is a must-see for any person, global warming skeptic or not. It will get your facts straight. Trailer.
• Farenheit 9/11 – While Michael Moore’s films tend to be one sided, they always are successful at exposing the corrupt backbone at our country. This hard hitting documentary will make you think twice about your beliefs when it comes to patriotism, government, and terrorism. Trailer.

Classics

• The Breakfast Club – This classic film, made in the 1980’s, portrays five students: the jock, the brain, the rebel, the princess, and the basket case, and tells the story of how they break down the strict walls of high school society by bonding against their common enemy, the principal, on a morning of Saturday detention. Trailer.
• Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – This lighthearted 80’s comedy follows Ferris Bueller as he takes a sick day off, grabs his girlfriend and his best friend, and hits the streets of Chicago. Throughout the movie he continuously comically thwarts the attempts of the Dean of Students to stop his truancy. Trailer.
• Forrest Gump – This instant classic tells the story of the Forrest Gump, a man of lower than average intelligence, through his own eyes. He struggles with his personal life but has no problem sitting through his unintentional involvement in almost every major event in the 60’s and 70’s, of most which he is highly unaware of their significance. Trailer.
• Monty Python and the Holy Grail – So many people have seen this wonderful parody of the King Arthur story that it has to count as a classic. This brilliantly sarcastic movie defies description. Watch it. Trailer.
• Ocean’s Eleven – Maybe it doesn’t qualify as a classic, but this action packed, sly, and humorous spy flick about Danny Ocean and his eleven co-conspirators in a large scale robbery of three world class casinos. Starring an incredible cast including George Clooney, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Andy Garcia, Brad Pitt, and Don Cheadle, you know that it has to be good. Trailer.

Miscellaneous

• Rent – This movie adaption of the 1996 musical by the same name portrays the ups and downs of life in New York’s East Side Village. Most of the members of the group of starving artists are HIV positive, and of course, can’t pay their rent. Trailer.
• The Princess Bride – This classic comedic fantasy tale is required viewing for all Americans. It tells the twisted fairytale of the dashing Westley who faces much peril to save the sometimes ditsy Princess Buttercup. Trailer.
• Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind – Hayao Miyazaki beautifully portrays a struggle of humanity versus nature through the adventures of warrior princess Nausicaa. Trailer (Sorry, it’s in Japanese, but the movie is in English).
• The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King – The last installment in the epic trilogy end their perilous journey of good versus evil. The movie boasts incredible graphics, an adventurous storyline by J.R.R. Tolkein, and brilliant acting. Trailer.
• Saved! – This coming of age story with a religious twist illustrates the story of a devout Christian teenager who accidentally becomes pregnant when trying to “save” her gay boyfriend. The film is as funny as it is thoughtful, and is sure to get tons of laughs. Trailer.