Because we all need a little comfort right now
We all need a little softness sometimes.
So I broke my knee in January. Which means that I have pretty much been inside for all of 2020. And you know what I?ve been doing? Catching up on trashy reality shows and finding comfort in soft things.
What I mean by that is media that doesn?t ask much of its viewers. Media that has all the feels, but none of the pain. That show that you go back to again and again, even if you feel like Netflix is judging you for watching it once more. We all have our favorite comfort movies and TV. I love edgy, dark, hard-edged things too. But we all need a little softness sometimes.
I know what you?re thinking. Wait a second, this is just a list of your favorite movies, isn?t it?
Why yes, yes it is.
1. Hook
Have I gotten over the death of Robin Williams? Nope, not even a little. But this movie still gives me all the feels. It?s totally different to watch it as an adult, because I now understand so much more about the character of Peter Pan.
A movie that questions the 90s idea of toxic manhood with the assertion that Lost Boys grow up to be jerkhole lawyers, but everyone is redeemable. A world where women are always mommies, but they?re also the ones waiting to welcome you back home. ?He?s just a mean old man without a Mommy.? When we?re old, do we become children again?
Go ahead, sing along:
The stars are all my friends, ?till the nighttime ends. . .
Available on Netflix.
Image courtesy CNN
2. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
I recently watched this with friends via text message. Sure, there?s one moment where Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers stares into the camera and you as the viewer wonder if YOU are having the existential crisis, not the asshole main character. I mean, I think if Mr. Rogers had visited my family we might like each other as a result too. It?s way too empathetic, way too sweet, way to unbelievable, but for some reason, this movie is the perfect antidote for the apocalypse.
I grew up watching Mr. Roger?s Neighborhood. I would sit in the kitchen while my mom poured me cereal before she went to work as a nurse (she worked very long hours so this was our main hangout time) and I remember my favorite part was Mr. Rogers himself. He was a great source of comfort to me as a child, a regular part of my day.
Available on Amazon.
3. The Great British Baking Show
This has long been a comfort favorite in our household. I?m a hobby baker, so my spouse is always begging me to bake for him. We?ve tried several bakes from the show and all have been successful. But the loveliest part of this show is just how kind everyone is to each other. We need that kind of love and support right now.
I love to hate Paul. Yes, I agree that Mel and Sue were better. But this show never gets old. I have watched it?well, too many times to admit.
At the end of the day, it?s cake.
Available on Netflix.
4. Gilmore Girls
I started watching this show in high school and I?ve since realized that it was probably a huge part of my feminist awakening. I?ve even been told I look like Alexis Bledel. People hate on this show because it?s too witty, too cutesy, its protagonists are too imperfect. But to me, it?s a representation of a part of my life. I was a Gilmore Girl. I am a Gilmore Girl.
Two words: Luke Danes. Could that guy be any sweeter and yet also dim? I want to live in Stars Hollow. I want to go to college again and remember what it was like to meet a boy in the laundry room. I want to date a guy with a fast car. I want to be friends with these women. ?I Want To Live My Life So I Can Read An In-Depth Biography About Myself In Later Years.? I want a best friend like Sookie or Paris. I want to be allowed to make mistakes like the Gilmore Girls did.
?Reality Has No Place In Our World.? ? Lorelai
Available on Netflix.
5. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Yes, there are two Amy Sherman-Palladino shows on this list. No, I don?t care in the slightest what that says about me as a person. Have I mentioned that Suzie is me in fictional form? How does this show manage to wrangle sexism, Jewish stereotypes, depression, and so much more all in neat little segments that are hilarious to boot? I don?t know but I want more.
Sure, Mrs. Maisel is perky, annoyingly sweet, and far too witty, but I say we don?t have enough of that in the world. Because women can be housewives and comedians. We can be funny and a failure. We can be complicated.
Available on Amazon.
6. Tidying Up with Marie Kondo
In our house, we say ?it sparks joy? as a kind of inside joke. It means ?I?ll allow it,? when it comes to anything, not just tidying up. For example, I might say to my husband, ?I think we should go to the park. It sparks joy.? Or when we?re faced with a social encounter we?d rather skip, we say, ?They don?t spark joy.?
I?d like to say I?ve been rewatching this and also cleaning my house, but that would be a lie.
Kondo is a lifestyle and it?s one I?m happy to fail at daily. Do I have more books than I can count? Yes indeedy. Do I suck at folding clothes? Uh-huh. Do I have a hoarder spouse? Yeparini. But it?s not about that. This show and the delightful, soft-spoken woman who runs it, are a source of comfort because they make you feel better about being a mess.
I think we all need that right now.
Available on Netflix.
7. Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories
Why are diner owners always so hot? Seriously though, this little Netflix show is based on the popular manga ?Shinya Shokudo.? It?s about a diner owner in Tokyo who will make any dish you ask of him, and the diners who come in to request that special treat. What we eat says a lot about who we are.
Every episode is titled after different dishes like ?Tonteki? and ?Corn Dog.? Have you noticed that shows that feature food are often comforting? It?s because food is a shared cultural landmark, a bridge that brings us together.
I love this show because I get to learn about Japanese food while having feelings and also it?s so sleepy-soft and slow that it makes for perfect rainy day watching.
Available on Netflix.
8. Thor Ragnarok
Of all the Marvel movies, this one is one I tend to put on when I?m cooking and watch on repeat. It?s just so darn silly. My favorite character has got to be Korg, the rock guy, who also happens to be voiced by the film?s director, Taika Waititi.
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Korg. I?m kind of like the leader in here. I?m made of rocks, as you can see, but don?t let that intimidate you. You don?t need to be afraid, unless you?re made of scissors! Just a little Rock, Paper, Scissors joke for you.
But I also have to give props to Jeff Goldblum for perhaps what is the best role in his lifetime? Don?t quote me on that. There?s nothing quite like watching Goldblum be costumed in a SFF film of this magnitude. It FOR SURE sparks joy y?all.
Not much happens in this movie . . . but it?s fine?
And there?s always Chris Hemsworth?s smile to appreciate too.
Available on Netflix.
9. Black Books
This is one of those weird, early 2000s British comedies that somehow became a cult classic and now if you haven?t watched it, I might be judging you a little right now.
When I was a kid, our family watched a lot of British comedies. But I never really enjoyed them until I found Black Books.
It stars Dylan Moran and Bill Bailey as Bernard and Manny, a cranky bookstore owner and his overly optimistic assistant. It?s a sitcom where basically not much happens. But it?s hilarious. As a person who loves books and who knows that all bookshop owners are people who love books, it?s quaint to watch a show where the bookshop owner instead hates everything, in the most delightful way possible.
This is a bookshop, Manny. What?s wrong with that?
Available on Amazon.
10. Julie & Julia
I just want Meryl Streep to sweep me up in her embrace and pat me on the head and then laugh in her Julia Child voice, is that so much to ask?
But really, as a child, my mother used to force me to watch hours of Cooking with Julia Child with her and there was something comforting about Julia. She was funny and unapologetic and strangely feminist. She cooked things and like, didn?t care if they didn?t come out perfect.
So basically, I wish this movie was all Julia Child. But the other storyline, the one of the Julie trying to cook her way through the entire Julia Child cookbook, I relate to her a lot too. Sometimes I don?t feel like cooking. Sometimes, I?m a terrible wife. And that?s okay, because it?s not always, and there?s always a baked good to eat and a good cooking show to watch.
Available on Netflix.
11. You?ve Got Mail
Tom Hanks is basically lowkey wholesome. Rewatching this as an adult makes me wistful for the days of AIM. I mean, Tom Hanks? character is basically a catfish. It?s manipulative but, you know, cute. Token black friend, token somehow-single-just-turned-40 in her adorable bob Meg Ryan.
Mostly I feel like this movie is comforting because it?s genuinely correct about strange things, like how I do which I could shop for school supplies as an adult and I do judge people at Starbucks for their orders.
In the world of You?ve Got Mail, you stay friends with your ex after you breakup, you?ve got a sweet older lady with a mysterious past watching over you, books are still not easy to sell, but the catfish is always a guy you actually love.
Available on Netflix.
Image courtesy IFC
12. Ferris Beuller?s Day Off
We need more unreality right now. More twist and shout. More days off. More hooky. This is the movie that invented the flash mob. What is it about the 80s that is so comforting? Maybe it?s because I?m an 80s baby.
When I was in high school we used to sneak off campus to go to the Pizza Hut and just hang out. We were never as cool as Ferris and his friends. But there?s a kind of lovely nostalgia in the idea of a free day.
We all have a lot of time right now, but we can?t go to a museum or dance down the streets (except at a 6′ distance.) Really, this movie is about sticking it to the man. So I invite you to dance in your living room and do something whacky today.
Available on Netflix.
13. Yes Man
Yes Man is about a guy who has aced introvertism. He?s the king of making plans and then backing out of them. He?s Netflix and chilling so hard that he?s missing out on life.
We all feel like we?re FOMOing right now. We can?t say yes to things, even if someone were to ask us, which they aren?t.
I think a lot about the word ?no.? At one point, I decided I wanted to banish the word from my life. It?s not just about saying yes to getting out of your comfort zone, but saying yes to life itself. We have these rigid ideas about what life is and how to be happy. When that gets turned upside down, we start to see that those are boundaries we put on ourselves.
And you know, who doesn?t want to try something new? Do yourself a favor, live vicariously through Yes Man.
Available on Netflix.
14. Indiana Jones
I really feel like punching a Nazi today. By staying home, we?re fighting evil. What I love about Indiana Jones is that he?s an archeological superhero with a double side. He fights crime by day as a professor teaching soppy kids and by night kicking major ass shirtless.
I think most of the people my age grew up watching these movies and loving them. My personal favorite is The Temple of Doom. It never gets old watching Harrison Ford lowered into a pit as a sweaty hot mess.
And you can?t beat Sean Connery flirting, the devilish old sweetie.
Full Series available on Amazon.
15. Back to the Future (Specifically III)
Back to the Future is a movie series I rewatch every few years just to feel better about the world. Right now, the first two movies are a little too close to reality for me.
But III, now that is a movie I can get behind. What makes this movie comforting is Doc and his enduring sweetness. There?s something touching about Christopher Lloyd?s dotty scientist vibe as Doc Brown steps up to the plate to fight for his love. The costumes are whacky, the same villains are there but somehow make way more sense in a western, and the characters are still naive and adorable.
Also, trains that travel through time. Damn. I need one.
Full series available on Amazon.
?Yesterday? as a Metaphor for the Creative Process
What Would You Do With the Perfect Opportunity?
medium.com
16. Yesterday
Yesterday is about the apocalypse, but it?s not going to make you anxious, I promise. The story follows a down-on-his-luck musician who gets injured right at the moment when something in the world changes. When he wakes up, he realizes no one remembers his favorite band, The Beatles.
Of course, he decides to play his way through their discography and becomes wildly famous doing so. It?s a story that made me question what it means to be a creative person and to make art.
But the ending, for Beatles fans, is the best part.
Available on Amazon.
17. The Princess Bride
The story that started as a 1973 meta novel is probably one of the most well-loved and well-watched films of today. Why do we love this movie so much? Well, I think on both sides of the story, the fantastic one with pirates and the one where a little boy gets read a story by his grandpa, it?s just plain wholesome.
Also, this movie is quotable af. I mean, the pit of despair scene by itself has got me through many an awkward party moment.
It?s worth noting that the 1973 novel ending was changed to bring audiences a happy ending and that?s probably why this movie is so popular. We all want things to wrap up neatly and to end well for the beloved characters we know so well.
As you wish.
Available on Amazon.
18. Amlie
I think I love this movie so much because it?s ultimately about an introvert doing good in the world, but not in the way that people think good should be done. For someone who grew up with an overactive imagination and a lack of friends, I can relate.
Amlie sets out to help people because she?s lonely and wants to connect to the world but doesn?t know how. My favorite moment is when she connects a man to his past by retrieving an old box of items from his childhood. From the charming music to the nostalgic camera filters to the strange and beautiful characters, this movie is a big soft cuddlefest that is sure to make you smile.
Available on Amazon.
19. Kiki?s Delivery Service
This was the first Hayao Miyazaki film I ever watched. It?s still my favorite. Whereas some Studio Ghibli films can be really dark (Grave of the Fireflies, anyone?) Kiki?s story is universal. It?s about setting out on your own, meeting new friends, and finding your place in the world.
Plus, it has a talking cat.
I think Kiki is the softest of Ghibli films because it assumes the best of its characters. It questions those characters who are unkind while also acknowledging that sometimes life is hard. But like, hard in a ?I like this boy and don?t know how to tell him? kind of way.
I really miss the original English language dub, so much so that I have it on VHS. It?s not really the voices that I miss, but the music. A lot of fans complained about the Japanese music being cut out in the English verison, which I totally get, but I loved the songs in the original.
Don?t want to watch it all go by
so I?m gonna fly . . . higher than I ever could.
Available on Amazon.
20. High Fidelity
This movie is worth watching to see Jack Black sing ?Let?s Get it On? by Marvin Gaye. That?s it, that?s the review.
Okay, but really, I have a lot of cynicism about the world. I love indie rock and I connect to the idea that commercialism basically is destroying everything good. This movie is full of these oddball characters like me who just want to talk to someone about how much they love this obscure band from the 80s that no one else has heard of.
It?s like when you find someone who?s also a fan of something bizarre that you thought only you liked. You feel like suddenly, you?re understood.
So yeah, I think this movie is also about fandom. And it?s about romance too, and how men can be dicks, and how women are totally not a top five list. Seeing the protagonist realize how he?s been treating women his whole life is totally shitty is a very big reason of why I like this movie so much.
Available on Amazon.
21. Wayne?s World
Based on popular SNL skits of the time, Wayne?s World is strange and wonderful. I think it gets on the cozy list because of Garth, who is just a super-sweet and lovely character played so perfectly by Dana Carvey.
The director, Penelope Spheeris, reportedly clashed with Myers in filming until she started having her daughter feed him snacks. The famous scene featuring iconic song ?Bohemian Rhapsody? was almost a Guns & Roses song until Myers insisted on it because Freddy Mercury had died just a few months prior. Myers is rumored to have argued with Spheeris over the scene, which went on to make the movie famous.
To this day, everytime I catch Bohemian Rhapsody on the radio I say to myself ?Woah, it?s Phil,? at the break.
Other reasons to love this movie: Alice-freaking-Cooper is in it, the unfortunate scene with the snake, Oh Micky you?re so fine, ?He blows goats, I have proof,? ?What am I gonna do with a gunrack??
Just stop me now.
Available on Amazon.
Holly Lyn Walrath is a freelance editor based out of Houston, Texas. She holds a B.A. in English from The University of Texas and a Master?s in Creative Writing from the University of Denver. She provides editing services for writers and organizations of all genres, experiences, and backgrounds, but enjoys working with new writers best. Find her on Twitter or visit her website.
