Movie locations inspire vacation destinations.

Writing Prompt: Write a blog post inspired by the word: vacation.

Sometimes a film's breathtaking or intriguing location implants a desire to vacation there.


Here are some vacations of my dreams and the films that fueled them.

GREECE

• The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005), a somewhat forgettable movie, except for the scenes of Greece. When Lena (Alexis Biedel) rides a donkey up a path surrounded by blue domed white-washed buildings with glimpses of the deep blue sea while iconic Greek music plays, well… it calls out to me.

Start at 0:38

• The same with Mamma Mia! (2008). The main thing I remember is the beautiful scenery, and my desire to go there.

POSITANO, ITALY

• The film Only You (1994) highlights beautiful areas of Italy, but my favorite scenes take place in Positano. Breathtaking. 
• Under the Tuscan Sun (2003) also has a short scene in Positano.

Because of those films, when I went to Italy on an internship a few years ago, I made sure to visit Positano. Unfortunately, I only had about 45 minutes to enjoy it, and still feel disappointed over that. I could spend days there. Homes and buildings ascend the hillside connected by stairways everywhere. (I love stairs!) They say you don't walk to your neighbor's home, you climb. I want to return while I can physically handle it.

AUSTRALIA

• The Man from Snowy River (1982)
• Quigley Down Under (1990)
• and Australia (2008)

The locations and scenery in those films entice me to visit there. My husband and I dream of taking a train ride across that grand continent.

MONTANA

• A River Runs Through It (1992)
• The Horse Whisperer (1998)

Exotic places sound wonderful, but when I want Shangri-La, I go to Montana. Whenever I visit the Bitterroot Valley, a calmness washes over me. I feel peace. Films depicting Montana make me ache for the "big sky state."

Have movie locations inspired your vacation destinations?

It's my job!

Wednesday: Point of View

A company promoting family friendly films asked me to write reviews for their website, giving me an excellent excuse for frequent movie-time. (More on that in a future post.)

So... yesterday our handyman (and long-time friend) arrived to tile our bathroom floor. After discussing the back-breaking chore, I told him, "If you need me, I'll be downstairs working. Don't judge me… I'll be watching a movie."

"What? You're going to watch a movie while I'm up here slaving away?"

I laughed, "Hey, you chose your job, and I chose mine!"

It's a tough job but somebody's gotta do it, right?

I love my work.

Something I noticed...

I participated in the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge with a theme of "Making movie lines our own," and as I shared family stories about certain movie quotes, I noticed something: a majority of memorable lines my family use are from animated movies and/or films from the 90s.

Interesting.

What's with that?

I reflected on that during the past week and realized…

… The lines that stuck with us are from movies watched when our kids were young (in the 90s), which of course included many animated films. Watching and laughing with them made lines memorable.

… Most of the lines we quote are from comedies, and unfortunately it's harder to find good clean comedy from the past couple decades.

… Animated films use such clever dialogue. Those lines stick!

… Lines don't linger with me as much nowadays as I've gotten, well... older. I can remember things from years past but can't recall what movie I watched last week. (Wait, did we watch one last week??)

How about you? Do most of your favorite quotes come from a certain genre or decade(s)?

Zee End.

Blogging from A to Z Challenge.
Theme: Making movie lines our own.

Zee End

(Read like a phony foreign accent, "Zee End.")

We are at "zee end" of the 2016 A to Z Challenge, so here are some favorite last lines -- lines at "zee end" of the film.

Gone With the Wind (1939)...

SCARLETT (Vivien Leigh)

Tara! Home. I'll go home, and I'll think of some way

to get him back! After all, tomorrow is another day!

Sullivan's Travels (1941)...

JOHN L. SULLIVAN (Joel McCrea)

There's a lot to be said for making people laugh!

Did you know that's all some people have?

It isn't much, but it's better than
nothing in this cockeyed caravan! Boy!

The Quiet Man (1952)

MICHALEEN FLYNN (Barry Fitzgerald)

No patty fingers, if you please. 

The proprieties at all times.

Hold on to your hats.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

BUTCH CASSIDY (Robert Redford)

Oh, good. For a moment there, 

I thought we were in trouble.

The Sting (1973)

HENRY GONDORFF (Paul Newman)
You not gonna stick around for your share?

JOHNNY HOOKER (Robert Redford)

Naah. I'd only blow it.

Back to the Future (1985)

DR. EMMETT BROWN (Christopher Lloyd)

Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads.

The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

MOSES (Bill Cobbs)

And that's the story of how Norville Barnes

climbed waaay up to the forty-fourth floor

of the Hudsucker Building, and then fell

all the way down, but didn't quite squish

hisself. You know, they say there was a man

who jumped from the forty-FIFTH floor? 

But that's another story...

Spider-Man (2002)

PETER PARKER (Tobey Maguire)

Whatever life holds in store for me, 

I will never forget these words: 

"With great power comes great

responsibility." This is my gift.

My curse. Who am I? I'm Spider-Man.

The Help (2011)

AIBILEEN CLARK (Viola Davis)

God says we need to love our enemies.

It hard to do. But it can start by telling

the truth. No one had ever asked me

what it feel like to be me. Once I told

the truth about that, I felt free. 

And I got to thinking about all the

people I know. And the things I seen

and done. My boy Trelaw always said

we gonna have a writer in the family

one day. I guess it's gonna be me.