August 28, 2007
Top 10 Movies to Watch Before Remodeling Your Home
So you finally decide to take the plunge and get started on remodeling your home. Your head is a jumble of ideas, plans and details as you pull out your tool box and contemplate calling the experts in to make some sense out of your musings. But before you move so much as a piece of furniture around, there’s an unlikely source you can tap for that brainwave, that flash of inspiration you need to decide on that perfect look for your new home – the film industry. So microwave that bowl of popcorn, plump your couch cushions, sit back, relax, and let us take you home to the movies – the 10 you must watch, at least for a few laughs, before you begin to remodel your home.
1.The Money Pit: A must-watch for the list of things you absolutely should look out for when buying a home, especially if you think you’re getting a deal that’s too good to be true. A young couple get conned into buying a supposedly perfect mansion at a very low price – they spend the rest of the movie trying to sort out the tangled mess of electrical, plumbing and structural problems that also induce tension in their personal relationship.
2. The Notebook: Renovation in this flick is a true labor of love – Noah, separated from his true love Allie by her parents, renovates his two-century-old home to prove his passion for her. Allie is drawn back home by a picture of Noah in front of the new and improved house – the scene of one night spent with Noah when she was sweet 17. Watch the movie, both to see if Allie and Noah get back together even though she’s engaged to another man, and to admire the improvements made to the old house.
3. Home Alone: An eight-year-old pits his wits against two petty crooks out to rob his parents’ home while the entire family is away on vacation. Kevin MacAllister uses his impish talents to booby-trap his home and thwart the attempts of the thieving twosome as they attempt to gain entry into the house by hook or by crook. A good afternoon’s entertainment, plus a primer on how to make your home foolproof to burglary.
4. Father of the Bride II: George Banks has his hands full – his daughter Annie is home pregnant, his wife Nina is pregnant as well, and his house is taken over by the enthusiastic wedding coordinator Franck Eggelhoffer (played with characteristic panache by Martin Short), who’s not only giving the women aerobics lessons, but also helping to renovate one of the wings and turn it into a safe and luxurious living space for the new baby. Expectant mothers, besides appreciating the tips provided to redecorating a room for a newborn, will also love the lavish baby shower scene.
5. Christmas Vacation: A crazy family movie that shows the lighter side of relatives and Christmas, and what happens when you put the two together. Family head Clark Griswold is all agog with plans to surprise his family with the addition of a new swimming pool in their backyard – and his dreams go down the drain with the news that his boss is not handing out the usual Christmas bonuses this year. A houseful of guests, some invited and others who have gate-crashed the party, crazy decorating ideas that include 25,000 (250 strands) Christmas lights, and rising tensions make this movie a delightful experience.
6. Unforgiven: It’s no surprise that you’re surprised that this movie of a cold-blooded killer made this list – it’s only there because the main character played masterfully by Clint Eastwood takes on the task of building his own home in the wild West, drawing parallels perhaps to his attempt to tame the wildness, within himself and in his surroundings.
7. Pacific Heights: Thinking of renovating in order to rent out? Watch this movie and you’ll be running in the opposite direction as fast as your legs can carry you. Drake Goodman and Patty Palmer (Mathew Modine and Melanie Griffith) think they have done well for themselves when they manage to renovate a Victorian house in Pacific Heights, San Fransisco, and rent out the improved property. However, the consequences are disastrous when Carter Hayes (a sterling performance from Michael Keaton) moves in and proves he’s the renter from hell.
8. Mr. Bean: No doubt the antics and mishaps of this quirky British oddball will have you rolling in the aisles, but there’s another reason to watch this movie besides its hilarious slapstick comedy – when you are redecorating your house to accommodate bumbling family members and visiting friends and relatives. Watch Bean as he inadvertently ends up sending the Langley family crystal figurines, along with their marital harmony, crashing to the floor.
9. One Night at McCool’s: A dark comedy, this movie tells the story of a woman, from the viewpoints of three different men. If you’re looking for an alternative reason to watch it, there’s the scheme concocted by Jewel (Liv Tyler) to decorate and improve bar tender Randy’s (Matt Dillon) home – she encourages him to steal from other homes. An extreme step, no doubt, but worth a watch to see if you can pick up a few decorating tips!
10. Sweet Home Blues: The tale of one woman’s search for a husband and handyman rolled into one – the first to beat off loneliness and the second to renovate the dilapidated home bequeathed to her. Unfortunately, her best-laid plans come to nothing when she finds herself falling with the most unlikely candidate. A movie to watch and learn how not to choose construction workers.
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