What's your favorite movie?

I have struggled with this cosmic question for a long time. The term "favorite" carries a lot of weight for me. Something that is your favorite is exclusive and alone at the top of a list. The reason I have had such trouble with the movie question is because I, like any other self-respecting nerd, have three prominent movie franchises floating around at the top of my "favorite" list. How do I pick a favorite between Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Indiana Jones?

I was once asked whether I would choose to visit an exhibition on Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, or Indiana Jones with the catch that they were all on the same day and at the same time in three different places. I felt like I was experiencing one of those moral dilemma questions with three "morally" right options I could choose. Today, for the first time in the recorded history of my life, I will respond to that moral dilemma and rank my three favorite movie franchises with accompanying explanations. I will also rank the movies individually within their respective franchises, not for any sort of edifying reason, but purely because I like details like that and thought it would be fun. I'm interested to hear any thoughts about my rankings and how you would rank them yourself.

In third place: Star Wars
If I had responded to this question about ten years ago, I guarantee you that Star Wars would have been ranked first instead of third. Star Wars was my life when I was a kid, and nothing could top lightsabers, the Jedi, and cool space battles. While I still enjoy the Star Wars films immensely, I have found less attachment to them now. The story enlivens my imagination, but I find the characters less believable than in my top two.
Individual ranking:
Return of the Jedi
A New Hope
The Empire Strikes Back
Revenge of the Sith
The Phantom Menace
Attack of the Clones

In second place: Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings series is arguably the most well-crafted set of films in my rankings. The acting, directing, cinematography, and all-around production reaches a standard of excellence attained by few other films in history. It's hard to think of the three movies separately because they blend so well together. Just as in Tolkien's original work, the movie divides one long story into three different parts. All three parts fit together well to make an incredible cinematic experience. The one thing keeping the Lord of the Rings from the top of my list is my ability to put myself in the shoes of the main characters. Although I am emotionally invested in the characters and their story throughout the films, they don't affect me in the same way as the main character in my top ranked film series.
Individual ranking:
The Return of the King
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Two Towers

And finally, in first place: Indiana Jones
No character ever to grace the sound stages of Hollywood has personally impacted my life more than Henry Jones Jr. Dr. Jones is part scholar and part thrill-seeking treasure hunter. He has a passion for antiquity and preserving the past at all costs. Most importantly, he is sometimes painfully human. Many of the characters in Star Wars and Lord of the Rings often appear superhuman in their ability, but the Man with the Hat continually ends up in tough spots and just barely gets out of them, sometimes purely through luck. I found a character I could identify with, and that is the reason why the venerable archaeologist lands the top spot in my rankings.
Individual ranking:
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Last Crusade
Temple of Doom

There you have it. Set in proverbial stone, for now at least...