What is your favorite movie and why?

At some point in our lives, we all get asked this question. Our responses may or may not tell a lot about us. Our answers surely change over time.

Below I present my answer.

The movies I picked from are organized in a way that helps me think of better ways to demonstrate how I see decisions being made.

The movies help me answer each question along the way.

Introduction with Examples

a. "High Noon": Example of the Hero's Journey

b. "It's A Wonderful Life": Example of the Decision-Maker's Path

Decision-Maker Path:

Where are we coming from?
1a. "Witness"
1b. "Experiment in Terror"
1c. "The Collector"

Where do we want to go?
2a. "Lawrence of Arabia"
2b. "The Thorn Birds"
2c. "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde"

What are we waiting for?
3a. "Casablanca"
3b. "Hamlet"
3c. "The Birdman of Alcatraz"

What do our wise ones generally advise?
4a. "Bull Durham"
4b. "The Godfather"
4c. "The Magic Flute"

What are the pros and cons of our issue?
5a. "Bourne Identity"
5b. "Manhunter"
5c. "Body Heat"

What do the "Powers That Be" say?
6a. "A Man for All Seasons"
6b. "Rules of the Game"
6c. "The Kiss of the Spider Woman"
6c. "The Gospel According to St. Matthew" (Matthew)

What is our real agenda?
7a. "Citizen Kane"
7b. "Patton"
7c. "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"
7d. "Mr. Brooks"
7e. "The Exorcist"

What facts and reasons are we contending with?
8a. "12 Angry Men"
8b. "The Decalogue"
8c. "Seven"
8d. "The Passion of the Christ" (Mark)

What insights and oversights are emerging?
9a. "The Lives of Others"
9b. "House of Games"
9c. "Siddhartha"
9d. "Field of Dreams"

How are we telling the story of our decision?
10a. "Cyrano de Bergerac"
10b. "Children of a lesser god"
10c. "The Last Temptation of Christ”
10d. "Jesus of Nazareth" (Luke)

What are we willing to risk to gain what we can only hope for?
11a. "In the Line of Fire"
11b. "The Departed"
11c. "Downfall"
11d. "Schindler's List"

What signals that the decision we discern is the right one?
12a. "Paint Your Wagon"
12b. "The Shawshank Redemption"
12c. "Romero"
12d. "Doctor Zhivago"

Conclusion
c. "The Lord of the Rings"
d. "Chariots of Fire"
e. "Cinderella Man"
f. "The Gospel of John" (John)
g. "Pope John Paul II"