Comfort Movies

When the Winter blues inevitably strike, there’s a stack of movies that always make me feel a little better. Over the years, these same movies have become my cinematic version of comfort food. These are a few of my favorites:

Pretty in Pink. Some Kind of Wonderful. Okay, half of the John Hughes catalogue. 

I’m past my first high school reunion, but I still connect to these movies because they’re not just about loners, they’re about loners who are okay with themselves (for the most part). They’re centered around a high school romance, but the girls in these films had other stuff going on. A job in a cool record store, drums”¦they were kind of bad ass.

Purple Rain

No matter how bad things get, it couldn’t be much worse than what Prince is going through in this movie. This gives me a twisted kind of comfort. The soundtrack is also pure gold, and the lack of acting skills all around is more than compensated for by the sheer energy emanating from Prince. Let’s go crazy!

Top Hat, Singin’ in the Rain, Funny Face, An American in Paris

Sometimes its nice to escape to a dream world where love is as simple as a dance along a stream. There’s something about the grace of a well choreographed dance from Astaire or Kelly that always moves me.

The Rocky Series

I’m always a sucker for an underdog story, and this is one of the very best. As cheesy as it is, whenever I need to be reminded that the seemingly impossible can be possible, I spend some time with the Balboas. Also, this is my favorite film marriage. Rocky and Adrian are adorable together, and it’s nice to see a movie where the macho male has respect for women.

The Fast and the Furious Series

Mostly, people just drive really fast. I can’t even recall the plot. It’s pretty much a mindless escape for the brain. It’s very relaxing.

About a Boy

There’s something very charming about this tale of a man and a boy who grow up together, one of them about twenty years behind. Hugh Grant is best when he’s playing a cad, and the story doesn’t take the easy way out and tie everything up into a convenient little bow. Based on the excellently witty Nick Hornby novel.

Moonstruck

Cher plays a woman who decides at mid-life that perhaps she’s not quite dead just yet and makes a few changes. This one never fails to make me laugh.

Legends of the Fall

This is so very over-the-top dramatic, but it’s endlessly entertaining and the lush cinematography is breathtaking. Also, Brad Pitt’s hair is a pool of shimmery liquidness.