Although other members of my household may disagree, I think that there are several movies truly worth watching more than once. When I was a kid, we would watch the same movie like 20 times in a week. Of course, we didn't have cable, and we only had one video store, and that video store only had one copy of each movie, so that may have had something to do with the re-runs.

My short list of movies worth watching more than once, and why:

1. Shawshank Redemption. It goes without saying that this is by far my favorite movie of all time. This movie, based on a Stephen King short story, is about much more than a prison break. It's about life. I have watched this movie more than 20 times, I would imagine. I think of my life somewhat like Shawshank – swimming up the river of crap to be set free into water, not clean water, but water nonetheless. It is a truly amazing movie. And, yes, the Pacific is as blue as you've seen it in your dreams. (I actually said that to my son the first time I flew over the Pacific when we went to San Fran about 8 years ago.)

2. Vacation – the original. I have watched this movie at least 50 times, I bet. My friend, Deb, and I watched it so many times one week that we just about wore the tape out (VCR). It still is, even 30 years later, one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. I can quote the lines in the movie, which annoys the heck out of my family, since they have only seen it a few times. I guess they think I'm spoiling the surprise of the movie when I quote the lines.

3. Devil's Advocate – I watch this movie at least once every semester, to remind me why I'm in law school. This movie is about what happens when you let greed come into your life, pride come into your law practice, and other bad characteristics take over your life. I had a professor last semester who reminded me so much of Al Pacino's character (the Devil) in this movie that I would almost laugh out loud in class just thinking about it. His voice sounded like Pacino and everthing!

4. The Brave Little Toaster – yes, the cartoon. Everything in my life has a personality, be it a tree (we have Felix and Roger in our yard, both Japanese maples), a stuffed animal (especially my sea lion from Cali that "barks"), the leftover Christmas toys at the store (you know, the ones that didn't get picked this year and now sit waiting for tomorrow's sale), or my computer (named Prudence). So, my admiration of this movie goes right along with that whole theme. The toaster and vacuum and other friends come to life when the owners leave. It's a wonderful story, and I love it.

5. Stripes – the Bill Murray classic. I grew up in the 80s, and this movie came out sometime in the 80s. We watched this over and over and over. It still brings back good memories of my childhood summers when I babysat my siblings, and we watched movies just about all day. Every time I see a huge RV on the highway, I call it the EM50.

There are so many other great ones that I have watched over and over, and then there are a few that were excellent but that I just can't watch more than once or twice because they bring up such emotion – Secretariat, Forrest Gump, and The Help are just a few of those.