A plethora of movies premiere every year, but over time we tend to forget them unless they have been dubbed a classic. The idea of watching a classic movie is not a popular one for teens, who often prefer more modern films. However, classic films of many genres present a worthwhile form of entertainment for those who enjoy an original plot and developed characters.

A few of my favorite classics are Breakfast at Tiffany?s, Psycho, Rear Window, White Christmas and It?s a Wonderful Life. I love these movies because they have simple plots, they do not frequently use offensive language and the actors seem to be real people ? not frequent plastic surgery patrons.

Many actors and actresses today are chosen because they are easy to work with and appear flawless. With today?s technology, computers can be used to change appearance and create special affects. For example, the movie Journey to the Center of the Earth features three-dimensional effects which make the images seem to jump out of the screen ? a feat impossible during the time of the classics.

Books provide ideas for many film screenplays today, including Atonement, Count of Monty Cristo and The Notebook. They were known around the bookstores as masterpieces before their cinematic appearances.

In many classic movies, actors were required to be spectacular. They did not have the technology we have today, so filmmakers depended entirely on the screenwriters, directors and actors.

The legacies of classic directors such as Frank Capra, the director of It’s a Wonderful Life, have influenced many cinematographers today. Followers of Capra are known as Capra-esque. These conformers try to recreate his masterpieces ? often with little success.

Throughout the course of the movie, George Bailey learns the true meaning of Christmas as he goes through great and tough times. Overall, the moral of this movie is that each life is wonderful and no one should waste their opportunities.

Classic movies are often dismissed as old-fashioned or boring. However, the themes and characters they portray are the foundation for current flicks, and they present a type of entertainment that is truly an art form.