This crazy fall weather, that’s right it is still fall, might have us all running for the comfort of our couches or beds, wanting nothing more than to binge watch our favorite TV shows and movies. If you, like me, find yourself in this situation, here are a few of my favorite fall and movies that are perfect for cold days.
My honorable mention for this list is the movie Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. In this 1987 comedy, the character Neal Page, played by Steve Martin, is trying to get home for Thanksgiving, but encounters many delays and difficulties that make things look like he’ll never make it. Along this journey, he partners up with a shower curtain salesman Del Griffith, played by John Candy. Neal finds Del to be very annoying and the two continue to part ways after many incidents but always end up meeting each other again. They eventually make it back, and the two part ways again. However, Neal realizes that Del is spending Thanksgiving alone, and invites Del back to his home to have dinner with his family. This is a movie that is put on every time it is running on TV during the fall. However, it is not for the entire family to watch, due to intense language.
5. To Kill a Mockingbird
Something about the fall weather makes me want to curl up with a soft blanket and watch To Kill a Mockingbird. Maybe because it was fall the first time I read the book and watched the movie. However, this is becoming a fall staple for me. Based off the book by Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird is narrated by adult Jean Lousie, telling the story of the summer when her father Atticus, played by Gregory Peck, defends an African American man in Alabama in the 1930s. The movie, released in 1962, also includes the following fall when Jem and Jean Louise are headed home from the fall pageant and are attacked by Bob Ewell and then saved by Arthur “Boo” Radley.
4. Harry Potter Series
Honestly, when isn’t it a good time to watch all of the Harry Potter movies? The cold weather and nostalgia that accompany fall make it an even more perfect time to stay inside wrapped up in a warm blanket and binge all eight Harry Potter movies. The entire series gives off so many fall vibes, from the overall color cast to the giant pumpkin patch behind Hagrid’s hut in The Prisoner of Azkaban. Everything about this series screams fall. Harry’s adventures always begin at start of fall and are brought to an end at around Christmas time, so maybe this also draws us to go on those adventures with him.
3. The Fox and the Hound
Yes, I included this classic animated Disney movie in this list. The colors and background images of this movie give it the perfect fall film aesthetic. The Fox and the Hound, released in 1981, tells the story of a young fox, later named Tod, who is taken in by a widow who continues to care for him as he grows older. He soon becomes friends with the neighbor’s hound dog named Copper. The two are best friends but after Copper is placed on a leash, the two cause trouble, making them unable to see each other anymore. Hunting season comes and goes, and the end brings Copper’s return. Tod tries to meet up with Copper, but things don’t work out well. The widow releases Tod into the wild, knowing that he is no longer safe with her. After he tries to adjust to living in the forest, he has another encounter with Copper and his owner, and Copper defends Tod. As with nearly every Disney movie, the ending is happy and all is well. There’s nothing like watching a classic Disney movie telling the story of two uncommon friends on a cold fall day.
2. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
This classic animated Peanuts film, released in 1973, is a fall and Thanksgiving staple. This movie is an adorable mixture of childhood antics, friendships, and back and forth between the lovable characters Snoopy and Woodstock. Growing up, we would watch all of the holiday Peanuts movies, and this one was no exception.
1.Son in Law
My number one pick took very little thought. When I think of fall movies, especially now that I am in college, I think of Son in Law. This 1993 comedy tells the story of Rebecca Warner, an incoming college freshman from a small town. She attends California State University, Northridge in Los Angeles, which is a major change in lifestyles. Rebecca considers moving back home, but her resident advisor Crawl tells her to give it a chance. She does and begins to adapt to her new lifestyle. She cuts and dyes her hair and even gets a tattoo. Thanksgiving soon approaches and, realizing Crawl has nowhere to go, Rebecca invites her to come back with him. Her parents and boyfriend from home are shocked, but put up with the changes and Crawl. Upon realizing her boyfriend is planning to propose, Crawl steps in and says he is already engaged to Rebecca. This creates more issues for the pair, but all works out well in the end. Crawl enjoys Thanksgiving dinner with Rebecca’s family, and is finally accepted by her father. From the farm in the fall to the Thanksgiving dinner, this movie emits all of the fall vibes one craves in a movie.
There are so many other amazing fall movies I didn’t mention. These are just the ones that stand out to me the most when I think of watching a movie during the fall. I hope you enjoyed my list. I hope you all stay warm this fall, either while binging these movies or being out and about.
Photo Credit / Hulu
