Film and Identity: How Much You Can Tell About A Person From Their Favourite Film
As a film enthusiast and ex-film studies student, I’ve always found it interesting the way films are intrinsically linked with a person’s identity. A person’s favourite film is not only a deeply personal choice but also speaks to a person’s identity; when getting to know someone better an automatic question that gets asked is “what’s your favourite film” and it’s clear that this question not only prompts a conversation but also gives you a clearer picture of who this person is.
Almost always, a person’s favourite film is given alongside a list of reasons and justifications for choosing such a film and how their decision was made. Most people can remember the first time they saw the film and the way it made them feel also is a major factor in why such a film was chosen as a favourite. The film can be romantic, it can be a love-story that breaks your heart, it can be about loyalty and friendships, it can even be a bildungsroman that follows the life of someone. You might love it because it is similar to your life or you might love it because it is nothing like your life. I know for me film is a form of escapism so I enjoy a film that is different to what I know or how I live. I also choose my favourite films based on the one’s that stand the test of time; the films I could watch over and over again, that I’m always in the mood to watch no matter what mood I’m actually in.
Like I said before, choosing your favourite film is a deeply personal choice and as such you feel protective over sharing it; I know I do. I don’t like sharing my favourite film of all time to people who I believe will mock or belittle my choice. It feels like they’re attacking my character and who I am as a person because I love a certain film. Favourite film choices do fluctuate; my favourite film when I was sixteen is different to my favourite film now at twenty-three. My previous choice was The Breakfast Club, a seminal American high school film that really resonated with me when I was a teenager. Despite being thirty-five years old it still holds the same importance now as it did back then; the need to fit in at school, the want to be liked, the fears you feel and the judgement you’re scared of receiving. Of course, it also has amazing dialogue, some of the best actors of the eighties and is directed by John Hughes so for me it ticked all of the boxes. I also remember the first time I watched it in the living room of our house with my dad who was also a huge fan being sixteen himself when the film was first released in 1985. However, not everyone’s favourite film changes. For example, my sister’s favourite film at sixteen was another eighties classic, a horror comedy film called The Lost Boys and now, at twenty three, she still considers it to be her favourite film of all time. What I’m trying to say is that whether your choice changes or stays the same, don’t ever feel the need to defend your film; if someone doesn’t understand why it’s your choice then don’t try and explain it to them as you shouldn’t need to (also, don’t be the dick that disparages someone’s choice).
In my own limited experience, talking to someone about films is not only interesting but also exciting. I like the way it feels getting to know someone and discussing the films we have in common, the one’s we like and dislike, love and hate. That’s not to say you can completely nail down who someone is based on their favourite film (that would be slightly mad) but it gives a little peak to who they are. With my sister, she’s the person I know best in the world but even a stranger could understand a lot about her from her favourite film; she likes to laugh - even if it is deemed a horror The Lost Boys can always make her laugh, she’s loyal and is all in when it comes to friendships. Her favourite part of the film is the friendship between Sam, Edgar and Alan and the relationship between Sam and his brother Michael.
A film has a way of burrowing into you and staying with you which is why when you love one it feels personal and sharing it feels like sharing a part of you. This is probably why I haven’t said what my favourite film is though part of the reason I haven’t yet said is because I don’t have one definitive favourite film; I have a top five of all time. Films are a part of someone’s identity and they are a small window into who a person is.
What do you think it says about me that my top five favourite films are (in no particular order): The Way Way Back, Hunt for The Wilderpeople, Everybody Wants Some, Little Women (the Greta Gerwig 2019 remake) and Goodfellas.
Written by Harriet Packer
Hi, I’m Harriet – Haz to my friends. I’m a 23 year old BA English Literature and Language graduate from Bristol; I have a twin sister, and am passionate about a range of things such as feminism, reading, film, travelling and scuba diving.