Just off the top of my head, I love Before Sunrise

I've wanted to see that.

Same with Dear Frankie or Hard Day's Night.

Haven't seen.

Lost in Translation (is also a movie with a very simple story)

And also a movie I didn't think was hot shit! Hm. There may be a pattern here after all. Le sigh.

Oh right, that brings to mind Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which, at its heart, is also a very simple story, but I loved it. Maybe I require non-linear narrative to hide simplicity. But I hated 21 Grams.

And also a movie I didn't think was hot shit!

Me neither. Hated it.

Me neither. Hated it.

I didn't hate it, really, and I loved a couple moments, but I left wondering what all the fuss was about.

Same with Dear Frankie

Oh! Did you cry during this, can I ask? A friend of mine suggested we watch it when I was staying with her one night, and she introduced it in a way that made me think it was going to be this froofy, light, romantic comedy type of thing. And I sobbed pretty much through the second half.

I *liked* it, but I felt as if we'd watched two different movies -- she couldn't understand my reaction (but said her sister's had been the same), and I couldn't understand why she wasn't more affected by Frankie's vulnerability and everything that went on.

What did you LiT haterz think of The Virgin Suicides?

I have not seen it, but I am wary!

Another movie that came to mind was Garden State, but I think that actually has a pretty strong story, for the most part. It has a drive, and there's definite character change, and all that. So it worked enough for me.

affected by Frankie's vulnerability

I'm afraid this is what's going to happen to me if I watch Pursuit of Happyness.

I liked Dear Frankie, but it didn't hit my cry buttons, which are unpredictable and strange.

Also haven't seen The Virgin Suicides.

It's not a Sofia Coppola thing, it was the story. I LOVED LOVED LOVED Marie Antoinette.

What are some great movies whose stories are pretty much "Some guy saves a girl, and that's it" or "A man meets a woman," and why do they transcend it?

Most stories can be boiled down to something like that, though. Some of them can be boiled down to even less. I mean, "There's a trivial mystery about this dude's last words, and nobody solves it." Doesn't sound all that interesting, does it?

Maybe I don't get the distinction you're making. If you mean stories with internal conflict instead of external conflict... but even then, I think it's a style issue, not a substance issue. And probably not one you can pin down that easily. Children of Men looked eyeroll-inducing to me from way back, and the more I heard about it the worse it sounded. Can't explain why, but I don't care if it's The Greatest Movie Ever; I don't think I'll enjoy watching it.