The Wizard of Oz (1939)

“The Wizard of Oz” is the absolute Hollywood classic. Every fantasy film starts here. The story is simple: A Kansas farm girl is knocked unconscious during a storm and -– it’s a dream -- but let’s say she is taken by a twister to a Technicolor land of witches, scarecrows, tin men, wizards, and Munchkins, far from her sepia-toned world of dirt. To get back home, the girl must steal the broom of the Wicked Witch of the West, played in the greatest villain turn ever by Margaret Hamilton. Judy Garland is the girl, Dorothy, who within 10 minutes sings “Over the Rainbow” and makes us forget the world’s problems. Check the date on this post and deny thinking this week we all wanted to be someplace else, escape our world. It’s the childhood film that gets better watching as an adult. At 70+ years, this is go-to film of optimism, not a drop of cynicism or snark, where everything can go right if you have friends, and you can be home again if only you click your heels thrice. Yes, it’s wishful thinking. Garland OD’d. But we need a bit of “Oz” and often, even the Flying Monkeys. A+