Lafayette College Library

Jules and Jim / Jules et Jim (1962; dir. by François Truffaut)

Irene says, "Who needs A Woman's Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl? Just watch Jeanne Moreau in this film."

McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971; dir. by Robert Altman)

Subverts the Western mythology of the self-made man and features a main character whose credo is "If frogs had wings, they wouldn't bump their asses so much." Irene found it hard to warm to him initially, but was slowly drawn in by the hopelessness of his situation and the beautiful bleakness of the final scenes. Not the film to watch when you're looking for something light-hearted.

Imitation of Life (1959; dir. by Douglas Sirk)

Irene has become an aficionado of the melodramas of director Douglas Sirk. She hooted and guffawed through the over-the-top emotions and cinematography of "Written on the Wind" and "All That Heaven Allows," so was unprepared when "Imitation of Life" left her sobbing in her fringed sofa pillows. The social problems it deals with—racism and single mothers juggling careers and children—are still too much with us, she supposes.

Midnight Cowboy (1969; Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman)

The story of two men living on the fringes of society who form an unlikely friendship. Told without an iota of preachiness, which is just how Irene likes it. Worth watching but disturbing; Irene still can't get the scene with the toy mouse out of her head.

(Trivia: This film was originally rated "X" and is the only X-rated movie to win an Academy Award for Best Picture. An episode of Seinfeld parodies its weepy ending.)

As Good As It Gets (1997; Jack Nicholson)

Although Irene generally dislikes happy endings and mainstream films, she is an avid Jack Nicholson fan and considers this to be some of his best work (along with "Five Easy Pieces," of course). Irene is so intrigued with the character of Mr. Udall that she has adopted one of his lines as her email signature, no doubt reflecting her feisty days in New York’s library scene: “Go sell crazy someplace else; we’re all stocked up here.” Try this film, or perhaps the grittier "Barfly," when you've had enough of humanity for a day.