13 Films To Get To Know Deborah Carlson

My mother sets out a baker's dozen of her favorite films as a window into her soul.

Matty C and Deborah in Marrakesh, Morocco

I’ve mentioned before that I have a family movie club that’s very important to me. My mom was quite taken with my recent post about my 13 films to get to know me. She was so intrigued by the exercise that she set to work on making her own list.

Now, the concept has become the next theme of our movie club. Each member of our club is crafting their own list of 13 films, and we will each share one flick from our list and discuss it with the group.

I asked Deborah to share her list and a bit of context on each film. Thankfully, she was game, and is a wonderfully gifted writer to boot. I am so happy to be able to share this with you all.

Cheers,
Matty C

P.S. You may notice a bit of overlap in my list and hers.

Breaker Morant (1980)

I don't like war stories. I like people stories, and these people get to me. I learned more about the Boer War from this flick than all my other experiences combined, and that has helped put other world events in context. 

Encountering this movie with my husband and my son on a summer afternoon in Toronto was a surprise and a gift, so it holds a very special place in my heart.

Brief Encounter (1945)

Real people, real situations, believable plot line. This one also could be called Ordinary People because Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard are just that, and the acting is so good that I care about them, and I forget they are actors.

Broken Blossoms (1919)

I could put this one also under the category of Films I admire but could not watch again. The abuse Lilian Gish suffers is unbearable, and when her father makes her smile, but the only way to do that is to push up the sides of her mouth with her fingers, it is heartbreaking. 

Using Richard Bathelmess as a Chinese is offensive and unnecessary, so there's that. And yet, this is a fine, fine movie that shows the power of silent film.  

Casablanca (1942)

This is simply a beautiful picture. Knowing that it was shot in the very throes of WWII makes it even more compelling. The patriotism, the conflicts, the love story, and lines that live on:

Claude Rains: I'm shocked, shocked to find gambling has been going on here.
Croupier: Sergeant Renault, your winnings sir.

To steal from Rick: We’ll always have Casablanca.

Hollywood (1980)

Kevin Brownlow is the patron saint of silent cinema.  As a young man, he began interviews with the makers of this art form. He has everyone from stuntmen to cameramen, to editors, writers, actors, directors, scene designers, everyone, and they are all fascinating. 

We learn how Harold Lloyd managed to actually hang from that clock a dozen stories in the air. We know how they made a few extras into a cast of thousands in the shooting of Ben Hur.  These ten episodes are a graduate course in early Hollywood.  

Ninotchka (1939)

Comedy for me must be smart, even zany smart like the Marx Brothers. This one is brilliant. Garbo is gorgeous, Melvin Douglas at his most charming, and the character actors hard to beat. It's fun and sweet.

On Golden Pond (1981)

My two favorites, hands down. Aging, families, love, a cabin by the lake, redemption, strong characters, it has it all.

Ordinary People (1981)

It's fall in suburbia, beautiful and rich, but what lurks beneath is expertly handed to us. This is one of the few movies I know that is better than the book. A movie is nothing without a screenplay. I grow weary of the auteur philosophy. Yes, a director can shape a film, select the right actors, but what they say, what happens to them, makes the movie. We get to know this family as we get to know any of the people in our lives, gradually and intriguingly, and they are worth knowing.

Out Of The Past (1947)

How to choose a film noir? Again, dialogue is everything. While the repartee between Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck is so sparkling in Double Indemnity, the scene in Acapulco when Jane Greer walks into the cantina, with Robert Mitchum's narration, is perfection. As a woman, I am stunned by her and understand completely how men make idiots of themselves over her. I think this was Kirk Douglas's third film, and he holds his own against Mitchum.

Return Of The Secaucus Seven (1979)

Discovering this movie was like encountering a book i loved and finding the author had others I could read. I'm sure I've seen all of John Sayles' work, but this was my first.

For my money, it makes The Big Chill look like an episode of Scooby Doo. Probably you next generationers will not respond to it in the same way, but this is full of nostalgia, strong relationships, and people who seem genuine. I love "little" films, and this holds a special place.

To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)

It would be easy to overdo the pathos in Maycomb, to be preachy and self-conscious. Instead, we get a coming-of-age tale melded with so much more. 

I can't imagine it would be as effective in color, and I don't know of anyone who could name an actor who should have replaced Gregory Peck. Atticus is a great lawyer, a fine man, but mostly, he's a dad.  I cry every time.

Top Hat (1935)

When we were maybe 10 and 12, my younger sister Melody and I often stayed home Sunday afternoons while Mom, Dad, and our younger brother Rand went somewhere. We pulled Mother's champagne glasses down from the cupboard, filled them with Squirt and watched corny musicals, which often seemed to be showing for some reason.

We danced around the living room, along with the likes of Eleanor Powell and Gene Kelly. Top Hat is not a great movie. The plot is stupid, but the songs are still being recorded today. Fred and Ginger dance perfectly together, and her costumes are breathtaking. I'm sure this is exactly what Depression era audiences needed when they could scrape together a quarter to get lost for awhile.

The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

This also is from my childhood, everyone's childhood, but in my youth, this was not available on demand. Instead, it was shown every year in the spring, right around Easter. We usually went to Grandma and Grandpa's to watch, and the seven of us sat around what is now Matt's living room and were transported to a magic kingdom.

I have watched this marvel at least 30 times, and it still captures me.  The message that we all have gifts and need each other does not grow old.

Deborah Carlson
October, 2023