Terms of Endearment is coming up fast behind All the President’s Men as my most-watched movie ever. I like cancer flicks and Watergate, what can I say.

I’m guessing viewings of President’s Men is hovering at 30 times, and Terms is at around 40-45, easy. If not more. Obviously, I can’t not watch. The last couple dozen views of Terms have been a no-brainer, as it was on cable (when I had cable) on a seemingly daily basis.

I’ve discussed my Watergate preoccupation here on this blog, plenty. I remember being very young and seeing it the theater, and my fellow tweens would squeal at the sight of either Dustin or Robert. Hard to remember them as heartthrobs, no? They certainly didn’t throb my heart, that was David Cassidy’s territory. I have to admit the movie isn’t holding up spectacularly well over time. I think the satisfaction of the villains (Nixon and his cronies) getting their just desserts has dwindled, in the light of all the presidents that have come after, then have screwed the public over, then have gotten off scot-free.

Terms is such oddly comfortable watching for me, and it has the bonus of making me sob in a wrenching, yet cathartic, manner, every time. And I mean every time — I saw it when it was first in the theaters and my college chum Michael had to hold me while I cried in the lobby after it was over.  I like the unvarnished quality of the actors, and really love the performances. The film deserves so much more than that nasty “chick flick” moniker.

I am not saying these are my favorite movies, necessarily.

I have tried to draw parallels between these movies, but I fail. Let’s just celebrate the wide spectrum of my brain that celebrates such disparity!