I am a religion major/aspiring poet interested in those things because they emphasize the importance of individual experience, which explains why I like the movies and television that I like: I’m into characters. I like shows and films that allow me to spend hours with a character (or characters) that end up feeling like friends. Recently, though, I’ve gotten really into in shows like Homeland and Game of Thrones, with their wild plots and ruthless disregard for who they let live, but I prefer a show that lets you love someone, gives you a new friend, and lets them hang out with you for a while.
My favorite movie is Good Will Hunting, and after that comes Whale Rider, Blue Crush, 10 Things I Hate About You, Jerry Maguire. My tastes are a little heavy on the romantic comedies (and I will never apologize for that) but to include one artsy pretentious film, because why not: Andrei Tarkovsky’s Andrei Rublev is pretty marvelous. I think these titles alone show a lot about my tastes: movies that are about one central, lovable, wonderful character.
I also watch a lot of television. Probably too much. My attraction to strong characters is obvious here as well: my favorite show of all time is “Scrubs,” but recently I’ve become obsessed with “Friday Night Lights,” which is definitely in the running for my new favorite show. I also love “New Girl,” “The Mindy Project,” “Orange Is the New Black,” “The Office,” and “Nashville.” Television is really a guilty pleasure for me—as someone concerned (too much) with the cultured and “artsy,” but I’ve learned that by being honest about the kind of television I watch (pretty mainstream, pretty widely loved, pretty straightforward, and pretty good) I have found a whole new kind of art to appreciate.