9 Summer Movies That Gave You False Hope

It's Memorial Day, which means that summer is fast approaching (and thank god for that considering that hellish winter we all just suffered through). While summer is great and has so many positive attributes about it — the beach, warm weather, BBQ's, pool parties, fruity cocktail drinks (okay, that's all year round), I think it's safe to say it doesn't hold the same weight it used to. You know, when you actually had the whole two and a half months off to frolic, sleep late, and get into a whole bunch of dastardly shenanigans that left your parents furious and gave you epic stories for years to come. What I'm trying to say here is, I love summer, but I loved summer vacation a whole hell of a lot more.

Summer vacation wasn't only good when you actually experienced it, oh no, watching someone else's epic summer vacation on the big screen was sometimes even better. I mean, it's not like you can get away with or even survive half of the crazy goings-on in these films, but you could sure try. In fact, trying to live up to these movies is what made them so attractive. You hoped and dreamed that they could be attainable.

Here's a list of the 9 movies that gave us unrealistic expectations of what summer vacation ought to be:

1. THE SANDLOT

You're killin' me, Smalls!

Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez was the man of all my 11-year old-dreams. Sigh. Oh yeah, and there was a lot of baseball playing and stuff. In all seriousness, this movie was epic because its underdog themes were universal — the sense of wanting to fit in, being accepted, and then being an asset to a team or group. And THE BEAST.

2. NOW AND THEN

May or may not have learned everything about puberty from this movie, and it exemplified everything good about that last summer with all of your childhood friends. Plus, there was mystery and sneaking out and graveyards and overflowing sewers — cinematic gold.

3. NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VACATION

This one goes without saying...

4. EURO TRIP

We should all go to Bratislava on a dime. Also, that "Scotty Doesn't Know," song was the CATCHIEST tune that middle school ears ever beheld. This movie also introduced me to the concept of absinthe, which, I recently found out, does not in fact contain fairies.

5. SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS

I'd like to fall in love with a totally decent dude in Greece AND wear pants that fit my butt perfectly.

6. HEAVYWEIGHTS

ATTENTION, CAMPERS. LUNCH HAS BEEN CANCELED DUE TO A LACK OF HUSTLE. DEAL WITH IT. I can't imagine a better summer than getting to jump on the blob and have Ben Stiller as a camp director in spite of his sadism.

7. THE PARENT TRAP

STILL waiting to meet my identical British twin.

8. STAND BY ME

I don't know if it was just me, but going on an adventure in the woods to find a dead body seemed like it was just about the coolest thing one could do on their summer vacation. Also, the vomiting scene was EPIC.

9. DAZED AND CONFUSED

Young Matthew McConaughey. That is all.

Image: 20th Century FOX