I very much doubt that there is a single answer to this question. Firstly because everyone has a different opinion, but more importantly there are so many elements to a single film it is impossible to pinpoint that feature which makes it someone's favourite. However I will try to answer this question by assessing my own favourite film American Graffiti (Lucas: 1973).

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about American Graffiti (now AG) is the story. It is vitally important, and somewhat obvious, that a favourite film must engage with its viewer on an emotional level through the storytelling. AG is about a group of teenagers on their last night before college. The themes include responsibility and maturity but the main hook of the plot surround discovering who you are, having self-belief and trying to figure out what it is you want. As a person who left high school and took months deciding to finally go to college I can relate to the story a lot. And this is vital in making a favourite movie. If a movie doesn't speak' to you in some way then you cannot engage with it.

Of course another element that makes up a movie worthy of being a favourite is the director. AG has a lot of characters, making the storytelling complex. However the way George Lucas handled the film is another reason why I love it so much. If we asked the question What makes a favourite director' then the answer would be about the way in which that director tells the story. Burton, for example, will tell a story very differently from Hitchcock. A favourite movie has to be made in a style that you feel comfortable with. A film critic will have a different favourite film than a fashion conscious teenager. While one may look for art in a film, the other may just look for fun.

A favourite movie will also have much to do with the actors in it. AG has an amazing cast, some of which went on to huge fame such as Richard Dreyfuss, Harrison Ford, Ron Howard and Kathleen Quinlan. It often occurs that a person's favourite actor appears in their favourite film. This is not a coincidence. The appreciatuion one has for an actors work, the style in which they play a character, and their personality and presence all contribute to what makes a person's favourite film.

One of the big reasons for my love of AG is the rock and roll soundtrack. A favourite movie will often involve a person's hobby or passion. I love the rock and roll era and AG is a perfect nostalgia film. Someone who is interested in the human mind and psychology will probably like suspense thrillers and the way they play with your fear and emotion. Why is it that boys love war films and girls love romance? It is simply about interests and passions (albeit socially constructed and conditioned sexist ones). Boys are more attuned to physical combat than the emotions of a chick flick'.

All in all I would say AG is my favourite film for a combination of reasons; the story itself and the way it is directed, the genre, the cast, the meaning, the music. A favourite film is one which ticks all of the boxes. It is not a single element, or a simple one-worded answer. It is about that gut instinct that a film was made for you because it is perfect in every way.

Learn more about this author, Helen Abbott.
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