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People always want to ask what your favorite movie is or want to share what their favorite movie is. They'll even have a top 10 list of "Best" movies or as you get older... eh-hem... a top 100 movie list, but I want to talk about my list of Must See movies. 
Let me make the distinction between favorite, best and -what I call- must see movies. Favorite movie's are the ones that someone "likes" the most. Best movies would be considered the ones that generally most people would considerwell crafted in terms of cinematography, editing, sound/music, acting/animation, and story becomes a great film, a work of art—which means something that is beautiful, appealing, and of more than ordinary significance—if it makes the viewer think, i.e., if it has a message to deliver that lingers in the mind. 1
but I find that people's consideration of what a best movie is biased by their preferences and falls more under the category of their favorite movie list. Shamefully I am biased by the best and favorite movie conundrum too, but I hope I have been able to separate my feelings enough to be able to discern the two. However, I would distinguish a must see movie to be one that I feel that almost any person would like watching. For example, Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country is among my favorite movies; however, it isn't likely that someone else would like watching it because of the genre, lack of historical reference to the characters, etc.
Must See movies have the right blend of captivation, fun, and meaningfulness. The story is timeless, characters are relatable, and dialogue is meaningful to the viewer and/or believable for the characters. For instance, the Princess Bride happens to be one of my favorite movies, but is also one that I also think other people would like watching, even if it isn't among their favorite type of movie.
While I don't actually have 100 on the list, and may eventually exceed 100 as I get -- ah hem -- older, it is the concept not the quantity that counts. To start with, I will list a few of my "Top 100 Must See" Movies. At some point, I will try to state why I think it is on the list, without giving any spoilers away.
Some of these are based upon true stories, which may be why I like them so much. Others are serious and somewhat tragic, but what makes them so good. I hope you like them too.
Let's start with the one mentioned above, and these are not in any order of preference:
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Princess Bride [1987] wikipedia | imdb
Sometimes a movie has special meaning for us because of the experience we had when we watched it. I was in college when I first saw this movie and my friends and I went to see it. When we got to the lecture hall where they showed movies on campus, all the seats were filled and it was standing room only. All of us were enthralled with how the story played out. It is a fairy tale story with action, adventure, romance, humor, revenge, and more.
Freedom Writers [2007] wikipedia | imdb
Jurassic Park [1993] wikipedia | imdb
You're missing out if you haven't seen this one on the big screen. Dino-movies have intrigued many generations. While you might not be able to get into Michael Creighton, this movie was captivating and was weaved together with an excellent story peppered with moral dilemmas and suspense. With animatronics and CGI being what they were in the early 1990s this movie brought to life these enigmatic creatures that both enthralled and terrified viewers.
Ready Player One [2011] wikipedia | imdb
(I know what you are thinking, hard to believe; for me, it was surprisingly good.)
This became one of my favorite movies and I think maybe because it surprised me. I also loved the VR theme and feel. I thought it would be a little campy, okay it was, but one I think everybody could relate too. A lot of pop culture was poured into this movie from my era of growing up. Halladay's character was born 3 years after my actual birth year. Also a lot of great music, if you like that genre.
Apollo 13 [1995] wikipedia | imdb
Having been born the year of the first lunar landing, I didn't witness the event, but growing up connected with the space program. Sadly, the Challenger tragedy when I was in high school was a major event and one I took to hear much like the world did for Apollo 13. To have such a potentially catastrophic mission turn out with no loss of life was amazing. To see it cinematic recreation was awe inspiring and even suspenseful despite knowing how the outcome ahead of time.
Three Musketeers [1993] wikipedia | imdb
Okay, Disney outdid themselves with this one. It doesn't even feel like a Disney movie. So many versions and portrayals of these characters have been made over the years. But to me the casting was exceptional. Tim Curry may not have been the best Cardinal Richelieu but when interacting with the other actors he portrayed the role exceptionally. Sutherland, Sheen, Oliver and Platt seemed to work so well together. All exceptional actors who played their roles so well. None of them outshined or overwhelmed the other, it was their interactions that shined. Whether intentionally or not, it embodied the Musketeer motto, "All for..." never mind you know the rest. The writing was excellent and the filming phenomenal making it not only my favorite musketeer rendition but ranking it among my favorite movies of all time.
12 Angry Men [1957] wikipedia | imdb
(I haven't seen the remake, yet. So many movies to watch, but so much life to live.)
It's hard to imagine that I chose a movie from 1957. While some stories are timeless, this one is an odd duck. Despite having an all star cast led by Henry Fonda and the majority of the movie taking place in essentially 2 rooms (an entire paper could be written on the importance of the bathroom scenes which provided opportunity for cast members to be isolated for crucial dialogue to occur that allowed for the story to evolve). Despite the obvious dialogue references and social events of the 1950s this movie address some serious issues for its time. The dialogue despite its roots in the era was pretty timeless as it shows people how our bias and preconceptions about people need to be challenged and checked all the time. It is a relentless pursuit that as sentient beings in search of enlightened and evolved behavior from which we must not waiver.
Footloose [1984] wikipedia | imdb / [2011] wikipedia | imdb
(The song genre is likely what will make you prefer the original or the remake. However, this movie could lead to an interesting conversation about remakes that exceed their predecessors.)
While the remake was excellent, I don't know if it would have had the appeal for me if it wasn't for the original. The remake also fixed some plot flaws that were in the original. It is hard to find an alternative to Kevin Bacon but when Footloose originally came out Bacon was a big name. Lithgow (a highly skilled actor with an amazing range) was an excellent reverend. The casting for the remake did an excellent job because Wormald played a good Wren; he just had a really big role to live up to. Also, Quaid likewise lived up to the reverend's role. Fun fact Wormald was born the year the original came out.
Back to the Future [1985] wikipedia | imdb
This is yet another movie for me that was as much about the movie as it is about the experience. I was at a 4-H conference in Chevy Chase, MD at the time. I went out to see this movie with a friend I made there at the time. Of course we weren't supposed to leave the facility, but the adventure made it fun and exciting. Lloyd and Fox were so much enjoyable to watch. The movie delved into time-travel and its paradoxes, but not as much of a science fiction movie. With its life lessons, music from the 50s, and of course Huey Lewis and the News music, I just loved the movie.
A Few Good Men [1992] wikipedia | imdb
A Few Good Men and a woman is a quintessential guy's guy movie. A compelling story beyond being in a military, lawyer movie questions some age old arguments surrounding the line, "I was only following orders." Tom Cruise plays in a lot of good movies, but what makes this one is the strong cast, dialogue and acting.
Cool Runnings [1993] wikipedia | imdb
Disney may have its flare for what we've come to think of as the Disney Formula. While many people talk about this formulae and write about it, it isn't so anecdotal as we may think but rather a real guide that Disney story writers follow. This one, loosely based upon real life events, breaks the equation, or at least bends it a little. Yes, it has its story ups and downs and the characters have their obstacles they have to overcome, but there is no love story and no main villain. There are a couple of antagonists along the way, but the story is about each character overcoming their own weaknesses and battling their personal demons. The antagonists simply embody those characters' shortcomings and aren't the traditional "villain" we tend to see in Disney movies. This movie is fun and suspenseful with character growth all throughout the story.
National Treasure [2004] wikipedia | imdb
Who doesn't like a good treasure hunt. The writer's delved into a lot of history surrounding our nation's symbols and artifacts. A Harvard Research group looked into many of the "Facts" revealed in the movie and sorted out fact from fiction. If you've seen the movie the article makes for a fun read.
The American President [1995] wikipedia | imdb
I'm not sure if I can put my finger on it, but I really enjoyed this movie. Michael Douglas for me has had some really good parts in his movies and some really bad parts in other movies, but his screen presence doesn't offer a wide character variety. So while I can see his character portraying a president, I think this movie is less about the actual character in the movie and more about how we view a president and politics. It is really a love story played out in American Politics back when politics were still somewhat civilized. I wonder what a movie with this premise would be like if it were made today. It has a climactic speech at the end about this American Experiment that exists in the world.
Big [1988] wikipedia | imdb
So many of Tom Hanks' movies can be on this list. While I wouldn't even consider this one of Tom's best movies, the story is timeless. I rethink this one over and over again, but every time keep it on the list. I think that more than the movie itself tells me why it should be on the list. Definitely one for family movie night because of its themes and storyline.
Dead Poet's Society [1989] wikipedia | imdb
Robin Williams was an incredible comedy genius yet his acting craft was exemplary. He played in such a wide range of movies many of which capitalized on his ability to deliver humorous lines in a seemingly organic way. He has just as many serious dramatic rolls as he has had comedic roles. And, while many of those comedy roles were great, my favorites of his were more serious like Fisher King, Good Will Hunting, and the World According to Garp, movies which had such serious and somewhat tragic storylines. What makes this movie compelling isn't even Robin William's performance, but rather the relationships developed by a teacher and his students, and the timeless coming of age storyline.
Hook [1991] wikipedia | imdb
Again, so many of Robin William's movies could be on this list. This one more light hearted and fun provides a fun take on the classic Peter Pan story. It answers the question, "what happens when Peter grows up?" Robin Williams range as an actor made him excellent for this version of the Pan role, but the true acting genius in this movie was Dustin Hoffman playing Captain Hook. The story tests Pan's character on so many levels.
Oceans 11 [2001] wikipedia | imdb
Everyone loves a good con movie, right? Ranking up there with the Sting and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Oceans 11 may seem like a fun original take in the genre, but when it actually was one of the first ones to hit the cinema. The original aired in 1960 and both versions of the movie were packed with all star casts. I haven't seen the original, but just learned of it recently, but I want to watch it.
October Sky [1999] wikipedia | imdb
For a movie that is based in reality, this one was really enjoyable to me. Perhaps because of my interests in the space industry and exploration. The story while compelling is a little slow, but touches on many timeless social issues.
Pirates of the Caribbean [2003] wikipedia | imdb
Another Disney surprise. I say surprise because it doesn't feel like a Disney movie at the time and there are some scary parts to the cinematography. Light hearted and comical, but with a touch of suspense and a lot of action. I also go back and forth recommending this one because the pirate theme may not appeal to everyone.
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