Entertainment
'You've Got Mail' & 10 Other Movies to Get You Feeling Cozy for Fall
Sweater weather is shockingly just around the corner. Where did the summer go? Growing up in the Southwest, though, I got accustomed to a long, hot, dry summer that creeped into nearly November, so I always dreamt of cozy fall strolls through crisp, colored leaves, cups of milky tea as the sun set early, an ever persistent smell of roasted squash and pumpkin, and chunky knits and leather boots. I literally had no idea if any of this was even remotely accurate to real life until I lived in the East coast, but my dreamy, romantic vision of autumn came from, of course, the movies. No matter where you are, seasons or no, here are 11 great fall or fall-feeling flicks that will leave you snug and cozy. Fall: there's more to it than a thousand iterations of pumpkin spice.
'Good Will Hunting'
Now memorialized as a tribute to the late Robin Williams, the bench scene in Good Will Hunting is just about the damned finest contemplative fall scene in any movie. Your move, chief.
'When Harry Met Sally...'
Two words: bowler hat. Two more: leather gloves. AKA Sally’s perfect fall outfit when she and Harry stroll through Central Park, kicking up lovely leaves and discussing male/female friendships. Sigh.
'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'
Life moves pretty fast, but there’s always time to revisit Bueller, Cameron and Sloane as they play hooky and romp around Chicago. It might not technically take place in the fall, but the feel of skipping school for unseasonably warm weather makes this one a feel-good autumn movie nonetheless.
'Stepmom'
Apparently, autumn is the season for tearjerkers, because this Susan Sarandon Julia Roberts movie will make you weep. But the upside is, there’s so many great knit sweaters and leafy landscapes in this touching film about a mother with cancer, her ex-husband’s new woman, and their great kids. Watch it with a good cup of tea and someone whose shoulder you can cry into.
'Dead Poets Society'
Oh, god. All the more heartbreaking since Robin Williams’ untimely passing, Dead Poets Society is still one of the most beautiful fall films that makes us dream of tweedy academia in New England. O captain, my captain.
'Remember the Titans'
I don’t know a thing about football besides the fact that for some inexplicable reason, I love football movies, and Remember the Titans ranks among the best. Probably because of Denzel Washington as Coach Boone, bringing a team together despite racial tensions. Varsity jackets! Teamwork! Crisp fall air! Overcoming obstacles! Everywhere we go, people wanna know…
'Rushmore'
“I saved Latin. What did you ever do?” Before Jason Schwartzman was an indie heartthrob, he was the precocious Max Fischer, thinking he owned the halls of Rushmore. Taking place during the fall semester, this Wes Anderson classic is hilarious, with Max touting his affected brilliance in his blazers and berets. Oh, and Bill Murray.
'Where the Wild Things Are'
For a hefty, healthy dose of nostalgia, this Spike Jonze adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s beloved children’s book is the way to go. Though the film was a little sadder than expected, Max’s journey to the island of the wild things will still make you yearn for the days when imagination was all you needed to escape. Let the wild rumpus start with the burly, lovable wild things and their pajama’d king, Max. Bonus: an Arcade Fire soundtrack to wrap you up like a warm blanket.
'Lord of the Rings'
Do you imagine Frodo and Samwise following Gandalf’s quest in any other season besides autumn? Add to the surreal New Zealand landscape where the movies were filmed the epic, often melancholy soundtrack and the hobbits in their burlap hood trekking through the forests, this fantasy will make you feel cozy.
'The Village'
Okay, so the twist at the end of this M. Night Shyamalan film is the slightest bit corny (no spoilers, even though the movie is a decade old), but the scenery is gorgeously autumnal, including a spooky Pennsylvania landscape, villagers in deep mustard cloaks, spindly trees, and a brooding Joaquin Phoenix who seems trapped in a perpetual autumn.
'You've Got Mail'
“Don’t you just love New York in the fall?” Not as much as I love Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks together in this perfect Nora Ephron classic. Add to their e-romance all the book loving, and it’s the perfect rom-com to bring you into autumn.
