Happy first day of autumn!
Autumn is my favourite time of year. Fairy lights and fireplaces and Halloween, oh my! I love the cooler days, the cozy feeling of wrapping up in a blanket or wearing a favourite sweater, pumpkin- and apple-flavoured everything, that crisp scent of fallen leaves and fresh air. Included in my love of all things fall are movies set in the season. I've compiled a list of my six favourites, some of which are Halloween-y and others that bring the cozy autumn vibes. The list is short, but there should be something here for everyone!
All the fall romcom feels:
Released in July 1999
For many people, when they think of classic romcom pairings, they think of Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. For me, it’s Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. Pretty Woman is a classic for many reasons, but my favourite movie of theirs - and one of my all-time favourite movies, period - is Runaway Bride. I watch it every autumn (and multiple times throughout the year too) because of the gorgeous shots of fall foliage in the adorable fictional small town of Hale, Maryland (which is actually Berlin, Maryland). I love the chemistry and banter between Roberts and Gere’s characters, plus there are some wonderfully quotable lines, great side characters (Hector Elizondo, Rita Wilson, Joan Cusack, Christopher Meloni, and Paul Dooley, just to name a few), and the soundtrack is one of my favourites. It was directed by Garry Marshall, so you know it has a lot of heart and humour.
Released in December 1998
Going back to what I said about classic pairings a minute ago: the reason Tom and Meg don’t immediately come to mind for me is because I only finally saw You’ve Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle over the summer. I know, I know, I call myself a romcom lover and I hadn’t seen two of the most classic movies ever? Well, I finally fixed that and I absolutely loved You’ve Got Mail. I love that the movie opens on fall in New York, and this great line from Meg’s character, Kathleen: “Don't you love New York in the fall? Makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address”. There’s just something so cozy about this movie - the fairy lights, Kathleen’s bookshop, the shots on the streets of New York. I still can’t believe I waited 22 years to watch this movie, but I’ll definitely be watching it again very soon.
Witchy Goodness:
Released in October 1998
Midnight margaritas, anyone? I’ll admit I’ve never read Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman, but I love the movie. It’s this sort of odd mixture of light and fluffy with darker elements that shouldn’t work and yet somehow it does. It’s funny because if you watch the trailer, you’d think it was your average lighthearted, sexy romcom with some magical elements, but there are some genuinely heartbreaking moments and some pretty disturbing ones too. I love movies (and books) that bring the emotion along with the giggles and swoons (swoons courtesy of Aidan Quinn in this case), and this movie definitely does that.
Released in July 1993
Unlike many people who grew up in the late 80s/early 90s, I didn’t see this movie until just a few years ago (are you seeing the pattern here? I’m perpetually behind with movies). I immediately understood why it was a favourite for people of all ages - it’s hilarious, has a touch of romance, lots of action, and some great quotable lines. It’s basically the ultimate Halloween movie.
Classic Nostalgia:
Okay, so to be fair, the other movies are nostalgic too, considering they’re all from the 90s, but these two were top favourites when I was younger, and remain favourites today.
Released in May 1995
I was obsessed with this movie. I remember seeing it in the theatre and being completely enchanted. There was something about Christina Ricci’s portrayal of Kat that really intrigued me. I think in a way, I could see myself in her; we were close in age, I’d lost a parent less than a year before this movie came out. I loved her and I loved everything else about the movie - that amazing house, Casper himself (I still can’t hear the words “Can I keep you?” without choking up), the dynamics between Kat and her dad, Casper’s completely obnoxious uncles - just everything. This movie is funny, has so much heart, and it’s wonderfully creepy in a kid-friendly/PG way. My niece and nephew (six and ten) love this one too, which makes me happy beyond words.
Released in June 1986
This one isn’t fall or Halloween themed, but the magical elements, various creatures, Goblin City, and other things make it perfect for this time of year in my opinion. I was only two when this movie came out, so I haven’t been watching it my whole life, but pretty close. It was one of my first favourites, and I made my parents rent the VHS endless times (anyone else remember the days of renting movies because it was basically unheard of to buy them yourself?).
There’s just so much to love about this movie: the music (I’m actually listening to “Magic Dance” as I type this, and “As The World Falls Down” is one of my all-time favourite songs), the costumes, the characters. Jim Henson’s creations mixed perfectly with the real people - David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly were so perfectly cast as the Goblin King and Sarah.
Bonus: On my must-watch list this year:
Remember how I said I’m perpetually behind on movies? Two of the movies on my must-watch list this year are classic fan-favourites that I have no good reason for not watching before now. Thanks to Disney+ I’ll have no excuses this year, and I’m determined to finally watch The Nightmare Before Christmas (released October 1993) and Halloweentown (released October 1998).
See any favourites on this list? What movies do you associate with fall or love to watch in the autumn or around Halloween?
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~Marie