As soon as autumn rolls around I cannot wait to get in my cosiest sweater, make soup and pop on a favourite feel good movie. I have a list of favourites that I gravitate to each season and below are my absolute top picks. Now, they aren’t necessarily set during autumn, but they just have that comforting feel to them that sets you up for the season ahead.
I know I said the top 10 movies, there’s 12… I can help myself! So, grab your favourite comfort snack, get cosy!
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
This is the first movie I’m eager to watch each year. The second august ends, I’m in my favourite pyjamas and it’s on. You know the story, boy meets girl, they fall in love… happy ending. Wrong. It’s a twist on the classic rom-com, with mini interviews with real couples slotted in between. It’s a pure delight and never fails to get autumn started just right.
You’ve Got Mail (1998)
I watched this movie so many times with the dream of opening my very own bookshop. It’s another Meg Ryan 90’s classic, she features pretty heavily in 90’s rom-coms and I have no complaints. Falling in love anonymously over the internet, not realising you are enemies in really life. It’s the perfect movie.
I just adore the work of Nora Ephron and could watch any of her works on repeat.
Fantastic Mr Fox (2009)
In my opinion, no autumn is complete without Fantastic Mr Fox. This is a particular favourite with the kids which delights me, I am a huge Wes Anderson fan, his mind just works completely different to everyone else. I love to symmetry, the characters and, oh my, the soundtracks. This movie should be higher up the list if I am honest.
Autumn in New York (2000)
This one is a bit go a guilty pleasure. The autumn scenes are just perfect, but the story of falling in love with an incurable disease looming overhead. It’s heartbreaking. Watching this one with a good cup of tea, tissues and chocolate.
Stepmom (1998)
Marriage, divorce and all the other big moments in life, while it’s not a romantic comedy, it is about the breakdown and beautiful rebuild of a family. I think almost everyone remembers the scene – ‘Ain’t no mountain high enough’ from this movie? And who doesn’t love Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon?
Practical Magic (1998)
Get your blender, margarita mix and enjoy. A spellbinding movie about 2 sisters who discover their gift of practical magic. Their family is cursed and any men who fall in love with them meet an untimely death.
“There are some things I know for certain: always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for luck, and fall in love whenever you can.”
Dead Poets Society (1989)
Teaching his students how to live life unapologetically, it’s one of my favourite films featuring Robin Williams. Other than Hook, of course. It’s well written, well shot and just a beautifully inspiring movie that you can watch again and again.
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
More 90’s goodness, before the internet. I could probably watch anything that Meg Ryan stars in and I think she appears in the most movies on this list. A young boy loses his mother, and wants his father to be happy and in love again, and finds it with the help of a radio show. Another Nora Ephron classic.
Mystic Pizza (1988)
I always thought I was a Daisy, but was probably more a JoJo. A magical little movie that follows 3 friends that have totally different ideas about love, and all work in a pizza parlous together.
Did you know Mystic Pizza is a real pizza parlour?
Little Women (2019)
This might be my favourite version of this movie, the soundtrack just seals it for me. It’s beautifully shot and is a wonderful take on an old classic. You can even snuggle up with the book first if you love the story!
Notting Hill (1999)
‘After all, I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her’. That classic line belongs to this movie, it’s the perfect escapism movie for a cosy night in. It’s got all the 90’s goodness, Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, boy meets girl in the days before social media. There seems to be a theme with my favourite feel goods. It’s an easy watch for a Sunday night in.
Big Fish (2003)
Finishing with a classic, Big Fish. Directed by another favourite, Tim Burton. This is perfect if you like whimsical tales and magically shot scenes. A man, tells his son the story of his life, with what he thinks are some embellishments in the last days of his life. It pure childhood MAGIC. This is a beautiful movie to watch with the kids.
I always love adding to my list of classic feel good movies. If you have any that you think should be added to the list, leave. comment below and I’ll be sure to watch it.
Cosy up with that blanket and cup of tea, pop your feet up and settle into autumn…
