Some of my favorite memories as a child were on stormy summer afternoons when my sisters and I stayed in. Stuck inside, we'd often put on our favorite movies and have a marathon that lasted for hours. As I've grown older, I'm realizing that days like those won't come as often as they used to. With years of lazy rainy days under my belt, I feel it is my duty to pass on the knowledge I've acquired over that time. If you're ever stuck on a movie selection on a wet day, feel free to browse through these options, even if you've already seen them before:
**WARNING: SPOILERS**
1. Bewitched (2005)
Another Ephron-helmed romcom, You've Got Mail will not only add some more romance to your drizzly afternoon, but a dash of wit as well! Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are two New Yorkers who become business enemies while all the while romancing one another on an anonymous online chatroom. Not only does this movie make me cry EVERY TIME I watch it, but there's a somewhat cathartic effect that accompanies it. I'm just oddly comforted by a love story that is aged by current advancements in technology while simultaneously comforting many of those whose romances have began online.
3. Mary Poppins (1964)
If being stuck indoors bums you out, this movie will hella take your mind to places your body would never take you! This timeless classic stars actress, singer, and my personal hero, Julie Andrews as the titular nanny to two children often ignored children. Immerse yourself in this story and jump into a painting to visit a horse race, dance on rooftops with a strapping young Dick Van Dyke and his chimney sweep pals, or just enjoy the simple things in life like flying a kite with your old man. Turn this movie on one rainy day and you'll do all that and more without ever leaving your couch.
4. Sleepless in Seattle (1994)
If you haven't already guessed, I really like Nora Ephron... Anyways, before they fell head over heels online, Meg heard Tom's widower character reminiscing about his deceased wife on a radio show and was enamored...Problem was, they live thousands of miles away from each other. This will-they-or-won't-they tale always sweeps me off my feet and on a cold, rainy day, sometimes a warmed heart is the best medicine.
5. Little Women (1994)
I'm usually not one for period movies, but there will always be a special place in my heart for this one. Susan Sarandon is mother to four uniquely special young women and raises them with a wisdom far beyond what was expected at that time. Winona Ryder's also plays budding young writer Jo March, and little Kiersten Dunst just gets to me every time as her youngest sister. A stormy afternoon can be soothed with a journey back to a simpler time when the little things in life were treasured and people truly enjoyed natural resources the world had to offer.
6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone (2001)
You're a wizard, or at least you can vicariously live through one in the first movie of the book series, turned-worldwide phenomenon. Don't get me wrong, I'm in love with ALL of the Harry Potter movies, but there's something especially soothing about this particular installment to me... It might have something to do with the brighter color scheme, the playful, yet ominous musical score, or overall whimsical storyline, but the Sorcerers Stone will always be on my rainy day movie-marathon shortlist.
7. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
Yum Yum Yum is all I can say! Not only because this movie birthed the face that inspired countless memes, but how else would you satisfy your couch cravings for candy? You won't even question this movie's uncanny ability to put you in a dreamlike state with Gene Wilder's Wonka because really, what else would you rather do during some inclement weather.
8. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
Speaking of sleepy movies, what better movie to keep you off the edge of your seats than one about a teenager who can never quite open his own eyes? In this cult classic from the early 2000's, Jon Heder plays Napoleon, a nerdy high schooler with a penchant for drawing and making unlikely friends. Rainy summer afternoons are the epitome of lazy and a movie where nothing exciting really happens is the perfect accompaniment.
9. The Sound of Music (1965)
Your house will be alive, with the sound of you singing off-key on your couch. Fresh off Poppins, Julie Andrews plays Maria, a nun who is sent away from her convent in Austria to watch seven children for a widower captain played by Christopher Plummer *swoon*. So many songs, so many smiles, and even a bit of adventure in this cheerful tale of the love found between Maria and the children, and (spoiler) Maria and Captain Von Trapp. Honestly, watch this movie when it's raining, or dry as a bone outside, it's that amazing.
10. The Pursuit of Happiness (2006)
Want your eyes to rain too? Then Will Smith and his mini-me have had you covered for the past 10 years. In this true rags-to-riches story, the American dream is realized by Smith's Chris Gardner after a competitive internship at a brokerage firm. Although the story is set in the early 1980's, the everyday setting and simple, piano-infused soundtrack will find their way to relate to and capture your heart.
