In the words of Bob Dylan, “The Times They Are a-Changin.” In the recent weeks, states all over the United States have shutdown schools, restaurants, salons, gyms, and more keep getting added. It is understandable to feel anxious about the conditions of the world. This is why entertainment, specifically cinema, is a distraction from our worries and troubles. With movie theaters either shut down or having limited seating, we must rely on our streaming subscriptions for a movie fix.
Below, we have accumulated ten feel good movies to watch on Netflix while stuck at home due to the Coronavirus. Some find it overwhelming to choose a movie when there are so many choices, so we did the scrolling, binging, and reviewing for you. So, just sit back, relax, and stop the endless scrolling and watch one of the movies we’ve chosen to help you feel good during this time at home.
1. Kate & Leopold
Director: James Mangold
Writers: James Mangold, Steven Rogers
Cast: Meg Ryan, Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber
Before Logan, Walk The Line, or Ford V Ferrari, James Mangold directed this 2001 romcom. Kate and Leopold follows Leopold (Hugh Jackman), the third Duke of Albany from the 1800s, as he accidentally stumbles upon a rip in the fabric of time and transports himself to present day New York. He accidentally discovers the rip when he follows Stuart (Liev Schreiber) an inventor/ physicist who crashes his would-be engagement party. In New York, he meets Kate (Meg Ryan) a cynical modern career woman driven by success in her job. Do Kate & Leopold end up together? How does Leopold get back to his own time period? Does Kate get her promotion? Although predictable, this romcom has humor, heart and a nostalgic shot of the twin towers.
2. Holiday In The Wild
Director: Ernie Barbarash
Writers: Neal Dobrofsky, Tippi Dobrofsky
Cast: Kristen Davis, Rob Lowe
Don’t panic, this is the last romcom on the list! Distributed by Netflix, Holiday In The Wild is about Kate (Kristen Davis) as she navigates her life as a newly single woman. She decides to go on the second honeymoon she booked for herself, and now ex-husband, solo. While in Africa, she meets Derek (Rob Lowe) and together they rescue an orphaned baby elephant. Using her veterinarian skills, and despite that this was a trip with an end date, she finds new purpose and passion in life. Filmed in South Africa at the Elephant Orphanage in Zambia, Holiday In The Wild highlights a real issue with elephants that experienced the same traumatic backgrounds as the elephant in the film.
3. Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer: Lawrence Kasdan
Cast: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, John Rhys-Davies
This is where it all began. The highest-grossing film of 1981, Steven Spielberg directs this action-adventure about American archaeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) as he stops Nazis from getting hold of the Ark of the Covenant with the help of his ex-girlfriend Marion (Karen Allen) and old friend Sallah (John Rhys-Davies). So popular was this film that it spawned three more Indiana Jones films and an entire franchise surrounding one of cinema’s greatest follow this one. Relive the suspense and action as Jones switches out the golden idol and gets chased by the boulder, the snake scene, and if you are a bible fan, when the wrath of God kills all the Nazis.
4. Step Brothers
Director: Adam McKay
Writers: Will Ferrell, Adam McKay
Cast: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Mary Steenburgen, Adam Scott, Richard Jerkins, Kathryn Hahn
Don’t let the Rotten Tomatoes rating fool you. This Adam McKay-directed comedy is the perfect movie for when you just want a good belly laugh. Brennan (Will Ferrell) and Dale (John C. Reilly) are both unemployed failures in their 40’s who still live with their parents. When Brennan’s mom and Dale’s dad get married and move in together, the two feel threatened by this new arrangement their senseless rivalry and tom-foolery threaten to tear the family apart. Likewise, Adam Scott’s portrayal of Brennan’s brother Derek and Kathryn Hahn as his wife Alice are the gift that keeps on giving in terms of comedic personality. Scott and Hahn steal every scene they are in. You will walk away from this film with “Sweet Child o’Mine” stuck in your head for a week.
5. Hot Rod
Director: Akiva Schaffer
Writers: Pam Brady
Cast: Andy Samberg, Isla Fisher, Bill Hader, Ian McShane
Hot Rod is the ridiculous cult comedy directed by Akiva Schaffer in his directorial debut. Rod Kimball (Andy Samberg) is an accident-prone amateur stunt performer trying to follow in his deceased father’s footsteps, despite trying to gain the respect from his stepfather, Frank (Ian McShane). Frank fights Rod in sparring matches regularly and wins every time, all while putting him down verbally. However, when Frank gets diagnosed with a heart condition and his health drops dramatically, Rod devises his most larger-than-life stunt to date to raise money for Frank’s operation. The inspiration for his stunt is wanting to finally win a sparring match against Frank.
6. Hook
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers: Nick Castle, Malia Scotch Marmo, James V. Hart
Cast: Robin Williams, Dante Basco, Dustin Hoffman, Rob Hoskins, Julia Roberts
Hook is a beloved fantasy/adventure film among 80’s and 90’s kids and it is arguably the most unique of all the Peter Pan adaptations. Peter Banning (Robin Williams) is a middle-aged lawyer who returns to Neverland to save his children from Capt. Hook (Dustin Hoffman). To do this, however, Peter must remember the past he left to regain his Peter magic to save his children. He’ll need the help of Tinkerbell (Julia Roberts) and the new leader of the Lost Boys, Rufio (Dante Basco) to find his happy place to fly and recapture his flight and imagination. Along the way, Peter recovers his memories and grows into a better person because of it.
7. Wine Country
Director: Amy Poehler
Writers: Emily Spivey, Liz Cackowski
Cast: Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch, Ana Gasteyer, Paula Pell, Emily Spivey, Tina Fey
Six middle-aged friends with six different personalities get together for a 50th birthday wine tasting weekend in Napa, California. Rebecca (Rachel Dratch) just wants a low-key weekend while Abby (Amy Poehler) wants to control every moment with a tight schedule. At every turn, someone reveals what they are avoiding during this trip or how they really feel about the other women. At each activity that they try to do for Rebecca, like tarot reading, eating at a restaurant, going to an art gallery opening (The Nanny as the subject), or brunch, ends in comical disaster. However, the movie does take a serious tone about Naomi (Maya Rudolph) waiting test results for breast cancer markers, which the other women meet with support, sisterhood, and solidarity.
8. Groundhog Day
Director: Harold Ramis
Writers: Harold Ramis, Danny Rubin
Cast: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Harold Ramis, Stephen Tobolowsky, Chris Elliott
Groundhog Day has become a classic fantasy comedy watched almost as much as the amount of time Phil gets stuck in Punxsutawney. It remains so beloved that the film was adapted for Broadway and premiered 2016 and saw Bill Murray reprise his character role in a 2020 Superbowl commercial. Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is a TV weatherman who, while covering the annual Punxsutawney Groundhog Day, gets stuck in a loop where he re-lives Groundhog Day every day. At first, he uses his “no-consequence” situation to over-eat, over-drink, and attempt suicide, among other things. After spending the day with Rita (Andie MacDowell), however, Phil uses his knowledge of the day’s events to better himself and the people of Punxsutawney.
9. Space Jam
Writers: Hereschel Weing, Steve Rudnick, Leo Benvenuti, Timothy Harris
Cast: Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Bill Murray, Danny DeVito, Billy West
For those of you who wish to revisit some 1990’s nostalgia, look no further than Space Jam. An alien named Swackhammer (Danny DeVito) needs a new attraction for his theme park Moron Mountain and orders his henchmen to kidnap the Looney Toons. However, when Bugs Bunny (Billy West) challenges them to a basketball game, he underestimates their adaptability. Once the henchmen realize what basketball is, they steal the talent of NBA players Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, and others and transform into giant Mon-Stars. To avoid slavery, Bugs and the rest of the Looney Toons get help from Michael Jordan, literally pulling him out of retirement and onto the court. LeBron James stares in a sequel due in theaters July 2021.
10. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Director: John Hughes
Writer: John Hughes
Cast: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jennifer Grey, Jeffrey Jones
John Hughes has given moviegoers some of our favorite movies from the 80’s and 90’s. Writing and directing classics seems to come naturally to him, even writing this one in a week. In 2014, the movie was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. Teenager Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) calls in sick and sucks his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara) and genuinely sick best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) in his shenanigans for the day in Chicago with Cameron’s dad’s Ferrari. Principal Ed Rooney (Jeffrey Jones) and Ferris’s sister Jeanie (Jennifer Grey) are determined to catch him ditching school. Ferris breaks the fourth wall throughout this movie, speaking his thoughts with the audience directly in a way that makes you empathize with him, even though we really shouldn’t. Have fun dancing to “Danke Schoen” in your living room.
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