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Emily Blunt is one of the biggest actors in the business right now. Not only has she been starring in beloved movies such as “The Devil Wears Prada” or “Edge of Tomorrow” for nearly two decades, but she’s also now an Oscar winner thanks to her work in Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.” Like most people who star in movies, Blunt is also a big fan of movies. No surprise there. But what’s her favorite movie? Demonstrating good taste, it’s an absolute classic directed by none other than Steven Spielberg.
“I always say ‘Jaws,’ people are sick of hearing me say that,” Blunt said when asked what her four favorite movies are during a red carpet interview at SXSW 2024 with Letterboxd. “It’s an incredible, perfect film.” Indeed, she has been vocal about her love of “Jaws” for a long time. A fan account dedicated to the Oscar-winning actress on Twitter shared a video earlier this year highlighting some of the many times she’s cited Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster as her personal favorite film over the years. She’s been very consistent about this.
Blunt also name-checked “Lawrence of Arabia,” “Gone with the Wind,” and “Romancing the Stone.” A couple of stone-cold classics in there that are widely considered to be some of the best movies ever made, as well as an ’80s adventure film that was loved in its era. But Spielberg’s hugely influential summer blockbuster about a shark terrorizing a small island town stands tall above the rest. Speaking with Yahoo! News while promoting “The Fall Guy” earlier this year, the actress elaborated on her love of the film:
“One of my first experiences was watching ‘Jaws’ at the age of seven, and he would pitch that it was for the whole family — but it was really for him and we would be terrified. It was one of my first memories of films and it’s still my favourite, even now. I must have seen it 35 times. The more you see it, the more you learn about how extraordinary it is.”
Nearly 40 years later, Jaws remains an unrivaled classic
Spielberg’s name now carries a ton of weight as the man who has made numerous classics from “Raiders of the Lost Ark” to “Saving Private Ryan” and everything in between. Twice, he has had the highest-grossing movie of all time, first with “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” and later once again with “Jurassic Park.” To say that he’s a legend would be an understatement. That legend truly begins with “Jaws.”
Though not his first feature film, it was Spielberg’s first theatrical feature for a major studio. It was, rather famously, a very troubled production. Spielberg might have been fired from “Jaws” were it not for then-president of Universal Sid Sheinberg. From the nightmare that was filming in the middle of the ocean to the shark breaking down constantly, it had all of the makings of a trainwreck. Instead, he turned in one of the most cherished movies ever made and one that is credited with being the first true summer blockbuster. It’s not only a great movie that stands the test of time but a hugely important one as well.
It’s an unimpeachable pick for anyone to cite as their favorite movie. Blunt also very clearly means it, given how much she’s talked about it over the years. In a bit of a full circle bit of serendipity, Blunt is finally going to work with Spielberg on his next movie, which is said to be about aliens. It may not be sharks, but bringing the director back to the same arena as films like “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “E.T.” certainly seems like damn good territory for this forthcoming collaboration.
“Jaws” is currently streaming on Netflix, or you can grab the 4K release of the film from Amazon.
