Movies That Have Changed My Life

On this Thanksgiving night, feeling quite sorry for myself because I was unable to visit family due to the chest cold of the century that's left me sounding like Pat Butram from the old Gene Autry movies, I tried to recall the responses I made while recently guesting on an author's blog: List the movies which have changed your life.
In no particular order of importance, they are:
Veronica Guerin--an investigative journalist looking into a brutal gangster refuses to back down and pays with her life. Cate Blanchett is a wonder.
The Official Story--an Argentinian film which won the Oscar for best foreign language film in the late 80's, concerns a teacher who believes her 5 year old adopted daughter may be the child of one of Los Desparaceidos out of the Dirty War. The ending is sad and powerful and thought provoking.
Every Mother's Son--Helen Mirren pre-Jane Tennison and HRH fame, battling the IRA and domestic terrorist Bobby Sands for his legendary hold over Catholic youth in Northern Ireland. Shows the futility of hunger strikes against no-prisoners approach of the British crown.
Major League. Appreciated by baseball nuts everywhere, it got lost in the cracks when another little ditty known as Bull Durham was released soon after. This one showcases the early work of Charlie Sheen, Wesley Snipes, Dennis Haysbert and Rene Russo--as well as the perennial thinking woman's hunk: Tom Berringer. Plus, it made me laugh.
The Stoning of Soraya M. Male Chauvinism is alive and well in many parts of the world.
The Killing Fields. There's a reason why this salute to courage and perseverance captured more than one Oscar--and John Lennon's Imagine only enhances its magic.
Defiance--starring Liev Schreiber and Daniel Craig tells the true story of two brothers in Belarus who saved hundreds of Jews, keeping them in the forests for years [literally] while carrying out their own campaign of terror against the Russians and Nazis.
The Sandlot. A coming of age flick about a group of boys playing sandlot baseball. Very funny, and very quotable as in for-evv-ver.
The Quiet Man.Who doesn't love John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara? I visited Cong and nearby Ashford
Castle where a few scenes were filmed and sat on a ledge of the monument across from Cohan's Pub [which really isn't a pub but a 'gift shop']. Ireland really is as beautiful today as it was nearly 60 years ago when this movie was made.

I hope your holidays were lovely and restful and hack-free.
Kat