The 40 Greatest Chick-Flicks You've Quite Possibly Never Seen

Ah...chick flicks. They are to us ladies what The Three Stooges and any movie with the word "Bourne" or "Bond" in the title are for the guys.

Problem is, many (most?) of them out there are pretty darn bad.

This post is for my nieces -- lovely young adult women who are already making the world a better place. You're all smart and informed. But with such a dizzying array of entertainment/diversion choices available these days, the simple act of choosing a movie to watch can be overwhelming!

So. Aunt Liz to the rescue! I've been watching and enjoying chick-flicks since WAY before you kids were born.

Yes, we ladies have got our own TV networks now with Lifetime and Oxygen, but even those tend to show the same movies year after year (Sleepless in Seattle, Bridesmaids, You've Got Mail, The Notebook, etc.).

So, young ladies, in order of general relevance down to the ten best, here is my list of the 40 greatest chick-flicks you've quite possibly never seen. In my opinion each of these is not too dated and holds up well with time. The soundtracks are classic.  As a group they are hilarious, smart, romantic, heartfelt and beautiful. Seek them out on Netflix or Amazon and let me know how you like them!

And P.S. Guys -- these are all amazing, entertaining films that work for anyone with a heart and a brain -- that means you.

                                                                                     40)   Boys on the Side (1995) 

Three young women meet and bond on a cross-country drive trip. Starring Drew Barrymore,

 Mary Louise-Parker and Whoopi Goldberg. Directed by Herbert Ross.

                             

                                                  

                                                                            39) Stanley and Iris (1989)

A struggling widow falls in love with an illiterate short order cook and teaches him to read.

 Starring Jane Fonda and Robert DeNiro. Directed by Martin Ritt. 

                                                                                 38) Love Affair (1994)

A man and a woman, both engaged to others, meet and fall in love when their plane makes an 

              emergency landing in an exotic locale. Starring Annette Bening and Warren Beatty. 

Directed by Glenn Gordon Caron. 

                                                             37) How Stella Got Her Groove Back  (1998)

A San Francisco stock broker meets a very young man on vacation in Jamaica. Starring 

Angela Bassett and Whoopi Goldberg. Directed by Kevin Sullivan.

                                                                            36) Crimes of the Heart (1986)

Three very different southern sisters reunite when the youngest has shot her husband. Starring Sissy Spacek, Diane Keaton and Jessica Lange. Directed by Bruce Beresford.

                                                                                                  35) IQ (1994)

A beautiful young mathematician (who also happens to be Albert Einstein's niece) finds love with

        a brilliant but uneducated auto mechanic. Starring Meg Ryan and Tim Robbins. Directed by Fred Schepesi.

                                                                              34) Hope Floats (1998)

A broken hearted young single mother returns to her home town and finds love. 

Starring Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick, Jr. Directed by Forest Whitaker.

                                                                             33)    Falling in Love (1984)

Two married commuters inadvertently fall in love on the train to Manhattan.

 Starring Meryl Streep and Robert DeNiro. Directed by Ulu Grosbard. 

32) Impromptu  (1991)

The true story of the female writer George Sand and her pursuit of the reclusive composer

 Frederick Chopin. Starring Judy Davis and Bernadette Peters. 

                                                                           31)    Lovely and Amazing (2001)

A mother and her three daughters deal with love and family in Los Angeles. Starring 

Catherine Keener and Jake Guillenhall. Written and directed by Nicole Holofcener. 

                                                                                30)         Lorenzo's Oil (1992)

The true story of a husband and wife who work together to find a cure for their

 son's terminal disease. Starring Susan Sarandon and Nick Nolte. Directed by George Miller. 

                                                                         29)   Murphy's Romance (1985)

A young horse rancher and an older pharmacist find love in a small western town. 

Starring Sally Field and James Garner. Directed by Martin Ritt.

                                                                                       28)      Bounce (2000)

A young mother tries to find love after her husband dies in a plane crash. 

Starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Affleck. Directed by Don Roos. 

                                                                                 27)    Little Women (1994)

The March sisters live and grow together in post-Civil war America. Starring Susan Sarandon 

and Winona Ryder. Directed by Gillian Armstrong.

                                                          26) How to Make an American Quilt (1995)

A young woman hears tales of love and loss from her elders as they construct a quilt.

 Starring Winona Ryder. Directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse.

                                                                                    

25)  Coming Home (1978)

A young woman whose husband is away fighting in Vietnam falls in love with a paralyzed vet. 

Starring Jane Fonda, Bruce Dern and Jon Voight. Directed by Hal Ashby.

                                                                                24)   The Turning Point (1977)

When her daughter joins a ballet company, a former dancer is forced to confront her long-ago decision to

 give up the stage and have a family. Starring Anne Bancroft and Shirley Maclaine. Directed by Herbert Ross.

23)  She's The One  (1996)

Two Manhattan brothers struggle with love and marriage. Starring Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz 

and Ed Burns, who also directed and wrote the screenplay. 

22) Message in a Bottle (1999) 

A young reporter finds a tragic love letter in a bottle, and goes on a mission to find its writer. 

Starring Robin Wright and Kevin Costner. Directed by Luis Mandoki.

                                                                                    21)  The Muse  (1999)

A struggling screenwriter enlists the aide of a modern-day muse, who may or may not have mystical powers.

 Starring Sharon Stone and Albert Brooks, who also directed and wrote the screenplay.

                                                                            20)    Life or Something Like It  (2002)

A reporter on the rise has a breakdown when a psychic tells her when and where she will die.

 Starring Angelina Jolie and Edward Burns. Directed by Stephen Herek. 

                                                                        19)  The Upside of Anger (2005)

A wife and her 3 daughters juggle life and love when her husband suddenly disappears. 

Starring Joan Allen and Kevin Costner. Directed by Mike Binder.

                                                                        18) Indecent Proposal (1993)

A billionaire offers $1,000,000 to a happily married but financially struggling young couple for one night with his wife. Starring Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson and Robert Redford. Directed by Adrian Lyne.

                                                                          17) Intersection (1994)

A successful architect has to choose between his wife of 16 years and his new love. Starring Sharon Stone

 and Richard Gere. Directed by Mark Rydell.

16) Brothers McMullan  (1995)

Three brothers deal with love, marriage and infidelity. Starring Edward Burns and Maxine Bahs.

 Written and directed by Edward Burns.

                                                             15) When A Man Loves A Woman (1994)

A happily married San Francisco teacher goes to rehab. Starring Meg Ryan and Andy Garcia. 

Directed by Luis Mandoki. Trivia: written by Minnesota Senator and SNL alum Al Franken.

14) Home for the Holidays (1995)

After losing her job, a young woman goes home for Thanksgiving. Starring Holly Hunter 

and Robert Downey Jr. Directed by Jodie Foster.

13) Dying Young  (1991)

Poor young nurse loves rich young leukemia victim. Starring Julia Roberts and 

Campbell Scott. Directed by Joel Schumacher.

12) Steel Magnolias  (1989)

A group of Southern women deal with life, love and loss. Starring Julia Roberts and

 Sally Field. Directed by Herbert Ross. 

11) What's Up, Doc?   (1972)

A free spirit inserts herself into the controlled life of an engaged geologist, and hilarity ensues. 

Starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal. Directed by Peter Bogdanovich.

10) Irreconcilable Differences (1984)

The courtship and marriage of a young Hollywood couple. Starring Shelly Long, Ryan O'Neal

 and Drew Barrymore. Directed by Charles Shyer

9) Heartburn (1986) 

The true story of the courtship, marriage and divorce of writers Nora Ephron

 and Carl Bernstein. Directed by Mike Nichols.

8) Next Stop, Wonderland (1998)

An unlucky in love nurse seeks her soul mate on the subways of Boston. Starring Hope Davis and

 Philip Seymour Hoffman. Directed by Brad Anderson.

7) In Her Shoes (2005)

A serious attorney and her party-girl sister meet the grandmother they never knew they had. Starring

 Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette and Shirley Maclaine. Directed by Curtis Hanson. 

6) Terms of Endearment (1983)

A mother and daughter fight while dealing with love and family. Starring Debra Winger, 

Shirley Maclaine and Jack Nicholson. Directed by James L. Brooks

5)  Out of Africa (1985)

The true story of writer Isak Denisen who falls in love with dashing game hunter Denis Finch-Hatton.

Starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. Directed by Sydney Pollack.

4) Shadowlands (1993)

The true story a spirited American woman who steals the heart of British writer C.S. Lewis.

Starring Debra Winger and Anthony Hopkins, directed by Richard Attenborough

3) Contact  (1997)

A brilliant young scientist struggles to find a balance between the heart and the mind as she makes

 a world-changing scientific discovery. Starring Jodie 

Foster and Matthew McConnaghey. Directed by Robert Zebecks.

2) The Way We Were (1973)

Two desperate people have a wonderful romance, but their political views and convictions drive them apart.

Starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford. Directed by Sydney Pollack.

1) Thelma and Louise (1991)

Two young women on the run find love and adventure. Starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis.

 Directed by Ridley Scott. 

Let me know what you think of the list. Is there anything I missed? 

Across the sea to San Carlos

The spectacular Marina San Carlos 

After several idyllic weeks in Bahia de Los Angeles (give or take a few hurricane scares),  the summer was winding down. One by one, our summer-in-the-sea armada of sailboats lifted their anchors and headed south.

Last images of the Bay of LA:

Me and Brenda of s/v Firefly kayaking to yoga

Gringos clown around on a fishing charter being lowered into the sea

Remnants of Hurricane Roslyn, our last tropical storm of the summer in BLA

Everyone loved the s/v Kanta Anae family dinghy 

named "Better Than Walking"

Chris enjoying a contemplative moment at Guillermo's

I earned a reputation over the summer for talking into the wrong 

radio microphone (either VHF or SSB). 

"Hello! Hello! Is anybody there? Do you read me?" 

            (no response) 

Someone would gently say: "Um...Liz...are you using the wrong mic again?"  

 Smile. Well, I have a 50/50 shot of being right each time! 

Locals on the beach during a holiday weekend

There's a surprisingly well equipped little museum in the Bay of LA -- 

make sure and check it out if you pass through. 

Let me introduce you to this horrifying little guy 

-- a Tarantula Hawk Wasp

Here's his super-creepy side view.

Fortunately I only saw him in the museum!

There are ram in the wilds of Baja...

...but this sculpture in the museum 

was a bit -- ahem -- over the top!

A BLA eatery 

Vultures and a seagull rest on a lightpost waiting for discarded fish parts below

We watched the first Clinton/Trump debate live on our laptop with our 

conservative friend Ted of s/v Firefly. 

I think Ted sensed things weren't going well for his candidate...

BLA lighthouse

I got one last opportunity to swim with a whale shark before the summer was out.

A big guy meandered by Espiritu, so I donned my snorkel gear and gently slid beneath the water.

This photo isn't me -- but it could be!

I didn't want him to be afraid of me and swim away, so I made a quick decision to gently hum through my snorkel -- basically, to sing to him. It couldn't hurt, right? 

Crazy as it seems coming from this musician, I couldn't think of a single song to hum. 

My mind was blank. Finally, desperately, I just started humming the first 

song that sprang to my mind.

The song I hummed to the whale shark?

The Barney Song.

I know.  How I have hated that song, and everything about Barney and that lame TV show. 

I serenaded the whale shark with The Barney Song

But, you know what? It kinda worked. As I hummed it, he circled back around to 

hear a little more of the famous little ditty.  

Since I was stuck with the damn song, I tried to hum it as lyrically 

and melodically as possible -- andante, mezzo piano. 

Crazy as it sounds,  I think he liked it! So I kept on humming it, over and over 

again, and the whale shark and I gently swam around each other in gentle swirls.

If I ever get another chance to swim with a whale shark, I'll hum something by 

Bach, Shubert, or Miles Davis -- I promise, Dad! 

Soon we had a good weather window, and we set out alone for the 150 mile sail southeast, away from Baja, through the Midriff Islands and past Isla Tiburon to San Carlos.

San Carlos, our current location

Fortunately, it was smooth sailing on our overnight voyage. 

Passing the isolated and uninhabited Midriff Islands

We didn't see another boat or another human being during the entire passage. The only evidence of humanity was tiny, blinking jetliners on overnight flights seemingly hopping from star to star in the distant night sky.

While I do see beauty and explosions of joyful life all around me, I confess that I also see life -- my life -- as a perilous condition.

We live on a razor's edge.

I think being a nurse as I am forces one to see and acknowledge this as the true nature of things. We see so much sadness and suffering in our profession -- happy families suddenly torn apart by sickness, injury and death. 

Things can, and do, go south on us at any given time. It's not morose -- it's just reality. 

The obvious remedy for this truth is to live each moment as fully as possible, 

as if it truly may be your last. 

On my night watch from 10PM to 3AM, the phosphorescence was off the charts!

The moonless night made the phosphorescence that much more dramatic. Dolphins whooshed through the water, leaving behind twinkly trails of glowing bubbles like aquatic Tinker Bells.

Dolphin phosphorescence (courtesy of CNN)

The next morning, the famous skyline of San Carlos arrived in the distance. We were so 

excited to go ashore and explore, as this is our first visit.

Approaching San Carlos from the north

We dropped anchor in the San Carlos anchorage 

We were welcomed by our friends on s/v Trovita, Windcharmer 

and LeaHona, who showed us around.

They introduced us to HammerHeads, the cool hangout at the marina.

This sign at HammerHeads ("Hurricane Evacuation Plan: 1) Grab Beer 2) Run!")

is especially timely as Hurricane Newton was a direct hit here only a few weeks ago.

San Carlos did relatively well through Hurricane Newton, but there are signs 

of the melee if you look for them. 

A few of the docks were destroyed here in the marina.

Take a look at this dock ramp. Something powerful and dramatic happened here during Hurricane Newton -- most probably boats repeatedly slamming against the handrails. 

There are only a few more weeks of hurricane season, and we're putting Espiritu up on the hard here in San Carlos and flying home to SoCal to hug on the family. 

As I write this, Hurricane Matthew in the Caribbean is devastating Jamaica, 

Haiti, the Bahamas, Florida and South Carolina. 

If you have health, home and family, food to eat and good weather, be grateful. I know I am.

I love you, you love me,

We're a happy family,

With a great big hug and kiss

from me to you,

Won't you say you love me too?