Go-To Films for a Feel-Good Movie Nite

We all have movies that feel like a warm hug. My go-to films tend to be rom-coms from the 90s and early 2000's to instantly cheer me up. There's something so nostalgic and cozy and just give all-around happy vibes. Even if theoretically they're not great- they're STILL feel-good, happy movies that really give me comfort and boost the mood! Anyways, grab a drink and some snacks, here a few random movies that give me all the feel-good vibes:

1) 10 Things I Hate About You

My ULTIMATE favorite rom-com of all time. Nothing will top this romantic comedy and its' perfection. I have seen it dozens of times and will simply never ever EVER get tired of it. I even visited the high school they filmed this at in Seattle/Tacoma, Washington area while on a trip there last year! I'm an absolute sucker for the "dating as a bet and the other person doesn't know it" trope. Same goes for She's All That!

2) Legally Blonde

This is just a classic feel-good, girly and uplifting movie. The opening credits *cue: Perfect Day by Hoku * get me so excited to watch this movie again and again. The story of a girl who was underestimated by the people around her who then went and surprised everyone with what she was fully capable of doing motivated lots of people to pursue their dreams. Well, at least it motivated me to a certain extent, but this is by far my favorite Reese Witherspoon movie.

3) Mean Girls

That is so fetch. Classic. One of the most quotable movies to date. I loved this movie so much growing up, someone even gifted me a "You go, Glenn Coco" iPhone case for my birthday 😸Another movie I just do not get tired of watching because of how funny and memorable it is to me.

4) Father of the Bride

Def not underrated, but for some reason I still think it's underrated. This is just a sweet father-daughter movie with Steve Martin. Love it. It gives me all the warm and cozy and fuzzy feels I'm looking for.

5) Aladdin (NOT the live-action)

We don't talk about Disney live-actions. Ever. Personally, I am not a fan of these live-actions that Disney has been putting out. The only one I truly enjoyed was their live-action version of The Jungle Book. Anyways, the original Disney animation of Aladdin holds an extremely special place in my heart because not only was it the Disney movie I watched the most as a little girl, but because it was the first time I saw a cartoon movie with people who looked like me! Seeing Princess Jasmine as a little 5 year old did wonders. We shared the same skin, hair, and eye color... that was enough for 5 year old me to think I was a Disney Princess. Overall, this movie is one of Disney's best movies especially since it was from their peak: The Renaissance Era. Late actor Robin Williams was an absolute genius as Genie and the memorable songs and story keep this movie high on my list.

6) Miss Congeniality

I love Sandra Bullock movies. I also thought Benjamin Bratt was so handsome in this. This is another random movie that I find myself randomly turning on when I need a little cheer-me-up. I just wanted to be Sandra Bullock in this movie!

7) The Incredibles

I remember (very vividly) when my parents took me to go watch this movie in theaters in 2004. What a flex that was for me in the Kindergarten classroom. This movie is easily one of Pixar's best works alongside other favorites like Toy Story, Monsters Inc., and Finding Nemo (all childhood faves). The story, the characters, the art, the soundtrack, and even the underlying adult themes I picked up on later in life after multiple rewatches... literally everything is perfection in this movie. This movie alongside a handful of other Pixar movies give me pure nostalgia to my early childhood days.

8) Spiderman: Homecoming

I was 18 when this movie came out and we went to go watch it 3 times in theaters because my brother and I loved it so much. We were already big fans of the MCU in that era (RIP) and grew up watching the original Tobey Maguire trilogy as kids and even the Andrew Garfield movies. This movie really had us in a chokehold for some reason. It was funny- in Marvel's peak before its demise- and was just a great movie overall with bringing Spiderman into the MCU. I can still recite the lines of this movie to this day... Although, I can argue that the Tobey Maguire trilogy is a staple in my childhood, this movie really has a special place in my heart.

9) Ferris Bueller's Day Off

I have an automatic liking for this movie because it was filmed in Chicago! This movie is one of my favorite coming-of-age movies and it still lives up. I've seen this countless times and never get tired of it. It gives me cozy and nostalgic vibes due to it being filmed in Chicago and that's a win for me. If you haven't seen this movie, take a day off and watch it 😏

10) Grown Ups

This film screams summer-it oozes summer. I watch this movie literally every July/August in the peak of summer. It gives me the best feel-good vibes because of how much I link it to that season as a kid. I also really love Adam Sandler movies when they have his friend group with David Spade, Rob Schneider, Kevin James, and Chris Rock. Even the second Grown Ups movie just gives the best nostalgia, even though they might not be Oscar-worthy films, they're still so entertaining and just fun to watch. If you want a movie dedicated to a particular season, this is the one for the best summer vibes.

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Are any of the movies I mentioned feel-goods for you? What are some of your favorite feel-good movie recommendations?

-N