A man of few words, my grandpa Larry is ever-present, always kind, and shows that he cares through his actions. A common sense man of his generation, he’s happy to watch his basketball and be left alone. He knows that people are stupid, and he’s made peace with that, so he’ll turn on the news and keep it on all day. He is easy to talk to and likes to stay active. When I was a kid, he taught me about making March Madness brackets, and I showed him that going by the stats doesn’t always work out. He’s a traditional man– a simple man– and yet the most hardcore male feminist I know. I still don’t know how this is possible, but Larry makes it work.

As I got older, my grandpa Larry expressed more of his thoughts on the world, and I wished he’d say it louder to the people in the back. He has a backbone, and unfortunately, this is a rare quality. So, in honor of his 89th birthday, I’m sharing some of his opinions with you. He’d rather not deal with the public, but he’s used to my shenanigans by now. Here are five of his favorite Film & TV and their best music moments.			

Tom Hanks

Robin Wright

Gary Sinise

Sally Field

Mykelti Williamson

Michael Conner Humphreys

Hanna Hall

Haley Joel Osment

Siobhan Fallon Hogan

Rebecca Williams

Bob Penny

Harold G. Herthum

Robert Zemeckis

Forrest Gump

Grandpa Larry will always go for a classic. After about the third time of seeing Robert Zemekis’s greatest film, Larry is “tired of it now,” but he can’t deny its charm. One of the most moving scenes in the movie comes when Forrest (Tom Hanks) and his lifelong love Jenny (Robin Wright) reunite after Vietnam– and they could not have taken more polar opposite directions in life. Even though he’s a veteran and she’s a hippy, they still love each other, and he offers her his medal of honor to prove it. As she walks away, The Byrds remind us that everything has its season and things always turn, turn, turn. This is a monumental time in their relationship and history, and this solemn, reflective tune is the perfect backdrop for this part of the story.

Albert Brooks

Meryl Streep

Rip Torn

Lee Grant

Michael Durrell

James Eckhouse

Gary Beach

Julie Cobb

Peter Schuck

Time Winters

Sharlie Stuart

Beth Black

Defending Your Life

“Something’s Coming” - Barbra Streisand

Grandpa Larry really likes Albert Brooks. Albert Brooks is an iconic director whose sensitive storytelling has rang true across decades. However, Grandpa Larry’s favorite is his hit 

where he also stars alongside Meryl Streep. The opening scene reveals Brooks driving with his head in the clouds, singing along to Barbra Streisand’s version of “Something’s Coming,” comedically foreshadowing that he is about to crash into a truck. Literally. Distracted driving is bad, kids.

Tom Sizemore

Edward Burns

Barry Pepper

Adam Goldberg

Vin Diesel

Giovanni Ribisi

Jeremy Davies

Matt Damon

Ted Danson

Paul Giamatti

Dennis Farina

Steven Spielberg

Saving Private Ryan

Grandpa Larry loves a great war movie. Another Tom Hanks classic, 

captures the brutality of the battlefield and the strength of the brotherhood bond created between soldiers on the ground. During a sacred moment of downtime, Edith Piaf’s heartbreaker “Tu es partout”– which translates to “you are everywhere”– artfully depicts the men’s melancholy and the all-consuming nature of war. In this scene, the men (Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, Vin Diesel, and others) contemplate life, their current state, and the destructiveness around them– and sit around talking about what the song means. Hanks explains that the singer’s lover left her, and she now sees his face everywhere she goes. As they camp out in the ruin, fighting for the chance to save their three men who may be long gone, the melancholy melody plays.

Jack Nicholson

Faye Dunaway

Perry Lopez

John Hillerman

Diane Ladd

Roy Jenson

Richard Bakalyan

James Hong

Bruce Glover

Joe Mantell

Roman Polanski

Chinatown

Grandpa Larry also loves a murder mystery. Crafted by Jerry Goldsmith, the original song that plays in the main title of 

reflects the tender essence of love– and the heartache behind J.J. Gittes’s (Jack Nicholson) investigation. It’s sad when love goes astray and trust gets broken. Still, Nicholson’s character must detach from that to unveil the truth behind Evelyn Cross Mulwray’s (Faye Dunaway) husband’s (John Huston) potential infidelity. What comes to pass is anything but honest, but Grandpa Larry is all about the plot twists.

Jerry Seinfeld

Jason Alexander

Michael Richards

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Seinfeld

Grandpa Larry “loved the cast of four people [in 

] who were quite good.” Those people are Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, and Michael Richards– so it turns out Grandpa was onto something! He appreciates a good situation comedy and, as he would say, Larry David’s 1989 masterpiece rose to the top like cream.

One of the most memorable scenes from the series was the episode where Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) danced and did “The Little Kicks” to an Earth, Wind, & Fire hit. This is how her friend George (Jason Alexander) learns that she is a terrible dancer. What better song is there for Elaine to get up in front of a crowd and embrace her funk? She indeed let her star shine in this awkward office party scene, and the historic Elaine dance cracks Grandpa Larry up to this day.

When I first asked him, Grandpa Larry had to ask my grandma Alegra (with one “L”) what his favorite movies were. She helped him along, and after he gave his answers, he asked, “Did I inspire you?” He did.

Grandpa Larry was quite the enigma when I was a kid, but as I grew up, I realized there was nothing to figure out. He’s just a good dude. Grandpa Larry proves that it’s the little things that build up and make a boat for you to float on for the rest of your life.		

Happy birthday Grandpa! Thank you for making little jokes, playing with the dog, and being you. And thank you for the movies. I love you more than you know.