The top ten shopping scenes in film
Nathan Swank
December 14th, 2012
That time has come between Thanksgiving and Christmas where Americans buy, buy, buy. Kicking off with Black Friday, a somewhat makeshift national holiday celebrating consumerism and corporate bottom lines. It’s that beautiful day after Thanksgiving that quite frankly makes me want to puke…or maybe because I ate five too many pumpkin pies. As a tradition of camping out in the cold in order to save a few dollars, I guess I can take solace that at least families usually do it together. But as someone who has worked retail most of his life, thinking of all the poor employees slaving away on the holidays makes me want to cry. Thankfully, I no longer work in that field and can spend my holidays eating and napping. But that doesn’t mean I won’t eventually venture out and brave the shopping storm at some point between now and Christmas. Therefore, I’m dedicating THE TOP TEN SHOPPING SCENES IN FILM to all those brave workers enduring the insanity and illogical.
Honorable Mention: JINGLE ALL THE WAY – A family film about a postal worker played by Sinbad and Arnold Schwarzenegger as a dad who forgot to get the latest sold out action figure for his son, the two go head, competing through all the last minute shopping chaos to find the toy sounds perfect for the list right? Sadly, the best scene that came from this film is years later when Conan O’Brien had TV screen shot of Arnold proclaiming in perfectly poor Awnold voice, “Go see my new movie JINGLE ALL THE WAY! It’s good movie!”
10. THE TOY – This film is wrong on so many levels and perhaps my inappropriate funny bone is speaking louder than it should. When spoiled Master Bates is allowed to pick anything he wants in the store, he chooses the unassuming janitor in Richard Pryer as his new toy. I feel uncomfortable with just about every aspect of this description so I’m gonna move on.
9. SUPERBAD – “There’s not enough pants where there should be more pants.” Michael Cera explaining to a husky Jonah Hill trying on jeans that are far too tight is obviously funny, but I like the awkward scene afterward where they run into potential girlfriends shopping and the best friends successfully but sadly have to finally part ways.
8. BIG – The dreams of having adult money as a child and furnishing your room with bunkbeds and trampolines is heavenly. While man-child Tom Hanks is shopping for more goodies, he runs into his boss and they accidentally walk onto an oversized walk-on piano providing an iconic scene for the child in all of us.
7. SERENDIPITY – Last minute shopping always makes for a colorful experience that I ashamedly can identify with far too well. The romantic in me loves the story of meeting that special someone, as you are both reaching for the last pair of gloves. The cynic in me can’t stand Kate Beckinsale’s crazy idea to not give her number and leaving it to fate for them to find one another again.
6. CAN’T BUY ME LOVE – Giving up hard earned lawn mowing money just before purchasing his dream telescope, high school nerd Patrick Dempsey chooses to buy an expensive replacement dress for the popular girl in exchange for a short stint as his pretend girlfriend. The move catapults him to the top of the high school food chain where he met more girls, reveals flaws in the cool-kid hierarchy, learns a valuable life-lesson and still ends up with the girl. Well played McDreamy.
5. PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE – When Magician and joke shop owner Amazing Larry brings out his “box for Pee-Wee,” we are treated to boomerrang bowties, night vision goggles, trick gum and other great items any normal adult child would snatch up in a heartbeat.
4. GREMLINS – There is a special place in my heart for this Spielberg produced horror/comedy. As the father searches for a last minute gift, he makes his way through a creepy old shop ran by a freaky one eyed pipe smoking old man in Chinatown. I’m sure I would find more than a few interesting things to get my wife but Gizmo was really the ultimate find. However with those insane instructions, I’m not sure I could make the commitment. “No light, especially sunlight. Don’t get it wet. And whatever you do, never feed it after midnight.” I’m sorry, but how do you expect us to hang out while I eat late night cheeseburger in my lighted hot tub?
3. CHRISTMAS VACATION – My absolute favorite scene is Chevy Chase trying to flirt with the busty sales clerk. “It wouldn’t be the Christmas shopping season if the stores were any less hooter than they – HOTTER than they are.”
2. CRAZY STUPID LOVE – No secret around here, the team at Flix66 are big fans of Ryan Gosling (Click the link to read our Top Ten Ryan Gosling films…so far). I would gladly hand over my credit card as his impeccable look in this film did not go unnoticed by females and males everywhere. His middle-age man makeover on Steve Carrell is one that immediately made me rethink my own wardrobe and taught me to “be better than the Gap.”
1. PRETTY WOMAN – The quintessential montage that all chick flicks now contain, PRETTY WOMAN displays every female’s dream. Julia Roberts being pampered and gushed upon as she tries on several outfits with cost being no consequence as the theme song is played is fun as it is. But walking over to the store that rudely kicked you out and rubbing it in their face about the sales commision well…”Big mistake. Big. Huge!”
