I’ve never thought of what particular films influenced how I critique a movie and at what age. Your reflection has made me think about the body of films that I’ve seen, and how they helped me develop a well-rounded understanding that enables me to write about movies.

Like so many, Star Wars was a kind of gateway in my childhood that expanded my imagination. Alfred Hitchcock films appealed to me (Strangers On a Train had more of an effect than Psycho).

I’m fascinated by what you write about Patch Adams. It makes me wonder if I ever saw a movie that I now resent because I feel it inappropriately manipulated me.