movie magic.

on sunday night, i watched one of my very favorite movies: big fish. i actually own it on dvd, but it was on hbo, so i decided to keep it on in the background while i was doing some other work. of course, pretty soon i was completely involved in the story -- again -- and the work i was doing quickly faded into background as the movie moved to the forefront.

i love so many things about big fish: there's the beautiful cinematography, of course, and also the excellent acting, but there's the plot, too -- about magic and imagination, about the nature and art of storytelling, about  how things get passed on over time and through generations, about the things we keep with us and come back to. there's also the poignant relationship between edward bloom (played by ewan macgregor and albert finney) and his son, will (played by billy crudup), and watching that arc unfold is funny and sad and touching. the last scenes of the movie never fail to make me cry, and i think that's why i don't watch it very often. still, every time i do, it sticks with me, and i tend to walk around with rose-colored glasses for awhile; i see just a little more magic in the world. and i think that's the key to the most powerful stories: they're transformative and they change our perspective -- even if just for a little while.

have you seen big fish? and while we're at it, what's your favorite movie?

images via columbia pictures