PMS-ing or Sick? These Movies Are Proven To Make You Feel Better
OPINION PIECE:
So, I've just gotten over being sick for the second time this winter, and I don't know about you, but when I'm sick, one of the best things to do is lay in bed and watch comfort movies.
I have a list of many movies that make me feel better, and it obviously differs from person to person, but below you can find the movies that ALWAYS make me feel better, and why.
It could be nostalgia, it could be comedic, who knows.
HARRY POTTER
First off, is the Harry Potter movie series. I grew up with this series, having seen each film about five times, possibly more. The characters, the storyline, the action and colours are all things that bring this series to life.
It follows the protagonist Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), who is left to live with his aunt and uncle after his parents' death when he was a baby.
On his 11th birthday, a giant of a man named Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) shows up with a birthday cake and tells him "You're a wizard, Harry."
He goes on to explain that wizards are real, magic is real and how his parents really died. He tells him he was accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, and proceeds to take him to Diagon Alley to purchase everything he needs for school, and sends him on his way using the Hogwarts Express train.
On the train, Harry meets Ronald (Ron) Weasley (Rupert Grint), and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) who later become his best friends. He also meets Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) upon arrival, who later becomes one of the main antagonists, apart from the main villain, Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes).
The series follows him, Ron, and Hermione, as they fight Voldemort, and various other antagonists, trying to save the wizarding world from destruction.
Throughout the series, mythological creatures, and new characters are introduced, and storylines progress, with certain characters getting redemptions.
The movies in order are: 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone,' 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,' 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,' 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,' 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,' 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,' 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One,' and finally 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two.'
It is very colourful, especially when the wands are in use, casting spells and creating magic. It immerses you into a whole new adventure, with heroes and villains, creatures of shapes and sizes, and is enjoyable for any age.
BACK TO THE FUTURE
Back To The Future follows Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) on adventures through time, along with his scientist friend Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd). It is a three-part trilogy where each movie follows after the story of the last one.
In the first film, Marty finds himself chased by Libyans as they shoot at him trying to retrieve back the plutonium stolen by Doc to create the DeLorean that has the ability to travel through time.
Without thinking, he jumps into the DeLorean to outrun the Libyan van that is following him and shooting at him. He reaches the speed needed to be able to travel in time and finds himself suddenly plowing through a field and ending up in a barn. He started in a mall parking lot.
The family that owns the barn mistakes him for a space martian due to his getup, and he finds himself suddenly being shot at again.
He drives off only to find things don't look like they should. He comes to realise he has traveled back in time to 1955 when his parents were teenagers. He left in 1985, 30 years later.
He finds Doc, who at that time has no idea who he is or what he has managed to create, and thinks Marty is losing the plot. He eventually believes him and tries to help him find a way back home.
The conflict of the film comes when he saves his dad from being hit with his grandfather's car, which is the story of how his parents met.
He instead gets hit, so his mother falls in love with him, meaning before he can home, he has to get his parents to fall in love with each other otherwise he and his siblings disappear forever.
The antagonist of the film is Biff Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson). His dad's high school bully. Marty finds himself in a world of trouble trying to help his dad. When he finds his way back home, he notices a lot has changed. His parents are still in love, and now they're richer. Biff Tannen went from being his dad's superior at work and still bullying him, to washing the cars of Marty and his parents.
At the end of the film, Doc comes back and says that Marty needs to follow him into the future because his son is in a world of trouble.
The second film follows that, with Biff tagging along as the antagonist once again. And at the end of that film, Doc decides to travel back in time to go and live in the Wild West in 1885 as a cowboy. Marty gets stranded in 1955 after a freak accident, resulting in him having to travel to 1885 to rescue Doc and get himself back home. The antagonist in this film is Buford Tannen who ends up being the great-grandfather of Biff Tannen and the local town's outlaw.
These action-packed comedies are a great laugh whether you are watching on your own, surrounded by friends or family, or even pets.
They are classified as sci-fi comedy films, but who doesn't love the pairing of Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd. The two actors bounce off each other so well, it makes for a great comedic pair. And not to mention, Christopher Lloyd does an AWESOME job of playing a crazy scientist.
MAMMA MIA
Now, I know not everyone is into musicals, but the A-list cast of these two films makes them what they are.
The first film, released in 2008, follows the story of Meryl Streep's character Donna, and her daughter Sophie, played by Amanda Seyfried, as Sophie explores the idea of finding her father before she gets married.
The movie takes place over a couple of days, as Sophie reads her mother's diary, finds out she has three possible fathers, and invites them all to her wedding before her mother's back, hoping she would know who her father is as soon as she sees him.
To her dismay, she has no idea, leading to a chaotic film of Donna trying to avoid the three men she previously had relationships with while helping prepare her daughter's wedding, the three men trying to find a way to talk to Donna causing mischief, and Sophie struggling with the idea of who her father is, and how she is supposed to answer her lifelong questions.
With the cast covering ABBA's music the whole way through, this is a movie to sit down for a girl's night, or with the family and just enjoy and sing along. The cast includes Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgard, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, & Dominic Cooper.
The sequel, released in 2018, 10 years after the original, follows Sophie as she redesigns the hotel her mother ran for her whole life, along with a younger Donna, along with her best friends, as she meets and falls in love with the three men who end up being a possibility for Sophie's father, as well as finding her way in life.
This movie also covers ABBA's songs, with a few reprises of songs from the original, and adds to the cast Lily James as a young Donna, Jeremy Irvine as a young Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Josh Dylan as a young Bill (Stellan Skarsgard), Hugh Skinner as a young Harry (Colin Firth), Jessica Keenan Wynn as a young Tanya (Christine Baranski), Alexa Davies as a young Rosie (Julie Walters), Cher as Sophie's long lost grandmother, and Andy Garcia as Fernando, Cher's long lost lover.
These movies are the PERFECT choice for a girl's movie night if not for anything else, but the dynamic of the cast makes for great films, and you can't deny ABBA's songs are not catchy.
ICE AGE
Yes, OK I know these are technically animated, children's films but I can't help but have a soft spot for them. I grew up with these movies, or at least the first few, and loved them. They became comfort movies for me.
They follow Sid the Sloth, Manny the Mammoth, and Diego the Sabre Tooth Tiger, as they travel near and far during the Ice Age, becoming the strangest herd of animals to exist.
In the first film, 'Ice Age,' they find a human baby, who makes nothing but noise, which turns out to be the human language, animals can talk and humans grunt and moan. They join together to save the baby first from Diego before they decide to use him to help track down the humans to return him.
As the movie progresses, Diego learns what it's like to be part of a herd that cares for you and has your back, so in the end, he betrays his pack of tigers and becomes one with the crowd.
This herd becomes a family, with number two, 'Ice Age: The Meltdown,' introducing a love interest for Manny, and two troublemaker possums. Ellie is a mammoth found after it was believed the mammoths had gone extinct, however, she was living her life as a possum because that's what she believed she was.
She had lost her family young and was 'adopted' by a family of possums, which include the two brothers Crash and Eddie, the troublemakers. So her whole life, she believed she was just different, but still a possum. She and Manny fall in love, and the third movie 'Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs,' introduces them having a child of their own.
But with this, also comes dinosaurs. Sid believes he is on the outs of the group and finds three eggs, which turn out to be dinosaur eggs. Dinosaurs that were missing from their mother, but their mother was searching for them. This leads Sid and the gang down a rabbit hole of trouble trying to flee from the terrifying dinosaurs, with the help of new accomplice Buck, who is an English weasel that has been navigating his way through the dinosaur world for a long time.
Then comes 'Ice Age 4: Continental Drift,' which follows Manny as he gets lost at sea with Diego, Sid, and Sid's grandmother Granny. The group has to navigate around a bad pirate crew, which are similar to themselves in the fact that it's not all the same animal. There is Captain Gutt (an ape/Gigantopithecus), Shira (a female sabre tooth tiger), Flynn (a British elephant seal), Squint (a rabbit), Ras (a kangaroo), Silas (a southern giant petrel/blue-footed booby hybrid), Gupta (a male badger), and Dobson (a boar).
The team must fight off this pirate crew to survive, and try and make it back to Ellie and Manny's daughter Peaches, which they do with the help of some creatures on an island, and Shira one of the pirates, who ends up turning her back on her crew to join Manny's herd, as she fell for Diego.
Then comes the fifth and final movie, 'Ice Age: Collision Course,' when an asteroid is threatening the lives of the gang. Diego and Shira, Sid, Manny, Ellie, Peaches, Crash & Eddie all must race to save the world from the deadly asteroid headed their way.
They meet some interesting characters along the way including a yoga llama, and a woman sloth named Brooke who has the hots for Sid. While the herd is on their way to save the world, alongside old friend Buck, they collect some rocks which turn out to be magnetic. Buck goes on to describe how these magnetic rocks can be used to propel the asteroid away.
They end up coming across a crashed asteroid filled with magnetic crystals, which turns out to be Geotopia. Buck ends up asking the yoga llama to launch the asteroid into space to save the world which the llama refuses as Geotopia is what kept him and some other animals young.
Sid ends up pulling a crystal out of the wall causing it to smash into bits, to which Brooke enlists the help of others to throw into the active volcano to try and divert the incoming asteroid. There are a few bumps along the way but the plan ultimately works.
For a bit of fun, laughter and for those wanting to watch a movie and not take it too seriously, these are great.
THE GREATEST SHOWMAN
The Greatest Showman is a musical that takes place between the 1850s and the 1860s and follows P.T. Barnum as he sets his sights on a new adventure.
After marrying the love of his life, having two daughters, and being fired from his mainline job, he decides he wants to create magic.
He plans on opening a museum for people from all over to come and see what's inside. But after his daughter says everything in there is dead, and should be alive, he comes up with the idea of a circus. But not just any old circus, one that puts people with abnormalities on display to show the world they're human too.
You have the animals alongside, P.T. (Hugh Jackman), his associate (Zac Efron), and his performers, the acrobats (Zendaya and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), the bearded lady (Keala Settle), The Lord of Leeds, tattoo man, dog boy, and more.
The whole movie surrounds these individuals wanting to put on a show, along with being liked for who they are. There are obviously haters, especially in this era, which leads to some trouble, like the building being set on fire, and burning down, leaving P.T. and the gang with nothing.
Even P.T. Barnum hands over the reigns to his associate so he can spend more time with his family, but not before rebuilding the circus to something much bigger, and much better.
This is a great movie that will result in songs stuck in your head and will catch you singing in the shower, on the train, at work, and in your dreams.
IN THE HEIGHTS
In The Heights follows a character named Usnavi (Anthony Ramos) as he tells a group of children about a little dream everyone has.
A musical focusing on a group of characters living in Washington Heights in Manhattan, New York City. Usnavi owns the corner bodega and looks after the elderly community 'grandmother' (Olga Merediz), and longs for Vanessa (Melissa Barrera), the cute girl wo works at the beauty salon.
Usnavi has dreams of winning the lottery and returning to him home in the Dominican Republic to restore and reopen his late father's business.
His childhood friend Nina (Leslie Grace) returns after her first year in college, struggling with news she now has to tell her father, who along with her mother, have spent their life and savings to build a better life for her.
Throughout the film, Usnavi along with his neighbourhood friends, Vanessa, Nina, Carla (Stephanie Beatriz), Benny (Corey Hawkins), Kevin (Jimmy Smits), Daniela (Daphne Rubin-Vega), Cuca (Dascha Polanco), and Sonny (Gregory Diaz IV), get an understanding of what it means to be home.
The streets fill with music as the temperature rises due to a heatwave in summer, and it appears nothing can stand in the way of young optimism as they all hope for a chance of winning the lottery.
During a pool visit by the cast due to the heat, Sonny receives a call that someone won the lottery on a ticket sold by the bodega worth $96,000.
Later on, it is revealed who actually had the winning ticket, while others fantasize about what it would be like to have everything they ever wanted.
The city even experiences a blackout that lasts two days thanks to the high heat that surrounded the city and residents.
The music in this film is upbeat and sweet, with many songs having the ability to get stuck in your head. Some of my favourite songs are 'Blackout,' '96,000,' 'In The Heights,' 'Finale,' 'The Club,' 'Champagne,' and 'Carnaval Del Barrio.'
'Blackout' surrounds the blackout as it happens in the city, and mentions how the residents feel 'powerless' which to me relates to how most of them are broke, and trying to make ends meet, all while not giving up on their dreams.
This movie is great for understanding the struggles of real-time individuals trying to survive on little to no money, and is very easily relatable for anyone who has struggled as well.
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM
This three film series follows Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) as a middle aged man struggling to find his place in life, with big ideas and nothing to get them going.
After his son mentions having a fallback plan, and says his mother believes Larry should find a fallback as none of his ideas ever land, Larry finds himself trying to secure a job, any job to stop from being evicted, and to make his son proud.
After visiting a job recruitment agency, Larry finds himself with one option for a job, and is sent to interview for a night guard at The Museum of Natural History in New York City where the film is located.
Upon arrival, he meets Rebecca (Carla Gugino) who gives him a quick tour, as director of the museum, Dr. McPhee (Ricky Gervais) interrupts to claim children are climbing on the exhibits, before introducing him to the current night guards, three elderly men on the verge on retirement, Cecil (Dick Van Dyke), Gus (Mickey Rooney), and Reginald (Bill Cobbs).
What Larry doesn't know is that he is the replacement they've been looking for, someone naïve enough to not realise they were planning to rob the museum.
On his first night, Cecil gives Larry the keys to lock the gates, a list of instructions and tells him to turn on a few lights as it can get a bit spooky in the museum at night, and in a serious, suspicious tone, warns him not to let anything in or out.
Turns out there is a tablet in the Pharaoh's Chamber which has an Egyptian curse placed on it, bringing all the animals and exhibits to life at night, and if an exhibit gets out, once the sun rises they turn to dust.
Larry goes through some ups and downs in the film, making for a very hilarious comedy, but ends up finding his feet and sticking with the job that he almost gave up a few times.
The second film takes place a few years after the first, with Larry having become a successful businessman following the invention of a glow in the dark flashlight.
The Museum of Natural History is under renovations moving into a fully digital experience, where all animals and exhibits are being shipped to the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. for storage.
The Pharoh (Ahkmenrah, Rami Malek) and his tablet will be staying in New York, so in his typical fashion, the mischievous capuchin monkey Dexter steals the tablet leading to a whole world of chaos in the Smithsonian, with Ahkmenrah's brother (Kahmunrah, Hank Azaria) and his soldiers coming to life, and wanting to take back the tablet, very willing to kill for it.
Larry realises the Natural History Museum needs to have the animals and exhibits and be kept authentic, and travels all the way to the Smithsonian to save his friends along with bringing them home where they belong.
Along the way he meets some new people (exhibits) that help him with the takeover and defeat of Kahmunrah, General George Armstrong Custer (Bill Hader), Joey Motorola (Jay Baruchel) a WW2 US Navy Seal, Albert Einstein (Eugene Levy), and Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams). He also comes across some new enemies that are on Kahmunrah's side, but eventually want nothing to do with him, Al Capone (Jon Bernthal), Napoleon Bonaparte (Alain Chabat), and Ivan the Terrible (Christopher Guest).
Then comes the third and final installment which sees Larry back at the museum putting on a special event featuring the exhibit and the "special effects" the museum has added.
However, what no one notices is that the tablet is corroding causing all the animals and exhibits to create mayhem, act wild, and start attacking the guests. Afterwards they are all stunned as to what caused them to act the way they did, then Ahkmenrah notices the corrosion and tells Larry.
While trying to search for answers to the corrosion, he comes an image of a young boy and his father, and learns the boy is C.J. Fredericks, a.k.a. Cecil from the first film.
Larry explains what has been happening to which Cecil remembers hearing the phrase "The end will come," while with his father. He then suggests Larry find Ahkmenrah's parents, who were sent to the British Museum of Natural History.
Larry and his son Nicky (Skyler Gisondo) travel to England to sort the issue, and upon arrival find that many of the gang have snuck into the crate to make the journey and assist them in their quest.
Along the way they meet Sir Lancelot (Dan Stevens) who helps them in their journey, then changes paths and ends up stealing the tablet from them, making it almost impossible to fix.
However, before this happens, the gang meet Ahkmenrah's parents Merenkahre (Ben Kingsley) and Shepseheret (Anjali Jay). At first, Merenkahre won't reveal the secrets of the tablet, then proceeds to explain it was a gift made for his son, and needs moonlight to fix the corrosion and maintain the magic.
The gang chase Lancelot through London trying to save the tablet and gang, with each corrosion causing different issues, such as Ahkmenrah aging, Teddy freezing up and becoming wax, and the others to almost die.
After almost losing everyone, Larry manages to get magic into the tablet once again through moonlight saving everyone. He then returns the tablet to Merenkahre and says it and Ahkmenrah should stay here with his parents.
The rest of the gang return to New York with the knowledge they will no longer awake when the sun goes down.
Three years later, we see a British National Museum event taking place at the Museum of Natural History in New York which brings everyone back for a night of fun and chaos.
These films were directed towards children, however they are fun for the whole family, and are just great to laugh at and not take seriously.
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
The Pirates of the Caribbean films were made based off an amusement park ride at Disneyland, with the first film being released in 2003.
After 20 years and five years films, it remains one the best fantasy franchises out there, with one of the best main characters in cinematic history...in my opinion.
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, these films star Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, Geoffrey Rush as Hector Barbossa, Kevin McNally as Joshamee Gibbs, Orlando Bloom as William 'Will' Turner, Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann, and Bill Nighy as Davy Jones.
Jack Sparrow remains one of the most memorable, iconic and loveable characters, with a combination of a disheveled look, witty and sarcastic sense of humour, a love of rum, and his troublemaking.
The films are set in the Golden Age of Piracy around the Caribbean Islands, with the main plot following Jack Sparrow, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann on dangerous adventures across oceans.
The first film is 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl' which follows Will and Jack teaming up to rescue Elizabeth, who was captured by Hector Barbossa, who along with his crew, become undead under the moonlight due a curse of the ship they helm.
The Black Pear (the ship) was originally Jack's, and was stolen by Barbossa along with cursed gold coins.
The second film, 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest,' follows the reuniting of Will and Elizabeth at the end of the first film, about to get married.
Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander) interrupts the wedding, arresting Will and Elizabeth for abetting Jack Sparrow. He offers Will a pardon if Will searches for Jack's compass and finds the Dead Man's Chest, along with the heart of Davy Jones.
Jack has a debt to Jones, involving Jack serving on the Flying Dutchman (Jones' ship). He wants the chest to free him of his debt, which gets complicated with Will's deal.
The third film, 'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End' sees Will, Elizabeth and Barbossa rescuing Jack from Davy Jones' Locker. At this point, Lord Beckett has complete control over Davy Jones, trying to eliminate piracy. In order to stop Beckett, Jack must be rescued, which can only happen through the unleashing of an ancient goddess.
The fourth film, 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' sees Jack Sparrow on another quest, forced to ally with Angelica (Penelope Cruz), his former lover. They are searching for the magical Fountain of Youth to save her father's soul, (Blackbeard, Ian McShane).
This film doesn't include the characters Will, Elizabeth, and Davy Jones.
The final installment (so far), 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales' follows on 13 years from the previous film, with new characters Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites), who is Will Turner's son, and Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario).
Henry lost Will as a child to a curse on the Flying Dutchman, learning it can only be broken by the Trident of Poseidon, allowing the owner to control the seas, its life, tides, curses, etc. He attempts to recruit Jack Sparrow to help, however Jack keeps eluding him.
Jack's old nemesis, Captain Armando Salazar (Javier Bardem) has arisen from the dead to kill all pirates and avenge his death.
Will, Elizabeth and Gibbs briefly reprise their roles.
Although these are Disney films, and based on a Disneyland ride, they are not for children. They have many dark scenes that include hangings and more, along with terrible images set to scar young children's minds. But for anyone above the age of 12, they are great adventure movies, tied in together with humour and fantasy.
STEP UP
The Step Up franchise is a dancing film series following the lives of many different characters, with lots of crossover between the films.
The first film 'Step Up' follows challenged teen Tyler Gage (Channing Tatum), who spends his time with best friend Mac (Damaine Radcliff), and Mac's brother Skinny (De'Shawn Washington) stealing cars, playing basketball, and attending house parties.
After being caught and charged with vandalism, Tyler is sentenced to 200 hours community service at the scene of the crime, the Maryland School of the Arts.
Classically trained dance student Nora Clark (Jenna Dewan) loses her dance partner Andrew due to an injury and quickly needs to find a replacement as she will lose way too much practice time without one.
Nora asks Tyler to help out, despite his lack of training and a hesitation from the school director, and the two start a partnership, with many bumps along the way. Tyler makes Nora view how she sees her craft, creating changes and implementing new styles into the dance.
Nora is conflicted between her boyfriend, her commitment to Andrew and her feelings for Tyler, whereas Tyler is being pulled in two different directions, a chance to be better, or to keep his best friend.
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The second film, 'Step Up 2: The Streets' follows Andie West (Briana Evigan) living with her mother's best friend after her parents' deaths. She doesn't care about school, and doesn't know where she fits in. What she does know is that she loves dancing with her crew, the 410, led by Tuck (Black Thomas), and known for causing public disturbances.
Andie is threatened with a move to Texas to live with her aunt unless she cleans up her act. Her childhood friend Tyler Gage (Channing Tatum) convinces her to audition for the Maryland School of the Arts. She passes the audition and starts school where she meets Moose (Adam Sevani) and Chase Collins (Robert Hoffman).
After Tuck learns she's missing practice due to her obligations at school, he kicks her out of the 410, to which Chase suggests forming her own crew and competing at the streets. They do so bringing in outcast dancers from the school including Moose, Cable (Harry Shum Jr.), Monster (Luis Rosado), Hair (Christopher Scott), Smiles (LaJon Dantzler), Fly (Janelle Cambridge), and Kido (Mari Koda). They even bring in Missy (Danielle Polanco) from the 410.
Through some ups and downs, the crew end up competing at the streets against the 410, with an epic dance comprised of many different styles.
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The third film, 'Step Up 3D' follows Moose attending college after graduating the Maryland School of the Arts with his best friend Camille (Alyson Stoner). He does this in an attempt to "grow up" and quit dance to become an electrical engineer.
An impromptu street battle leads him to meet Luke (Rick Malambri), who introduces him to his crew The Pirates, and tries to convince him to help them win The World Jam.
In order to save the crew's house which is five months behind on rent, they need to win The World Jam, which has a grand prize of $100,000, and Luke believes Moose is the key.
Moose becomes conflicted as he deals with the crew, school and almost losing Camille as a friend. Along the way he meets new people including Natalie (Sharni Vinson) and new nemesis Julien (Joe Slaughter).
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The fourth film, 'Step Up Revolution' follows new crew The Mob, located in Miami, who are known for bringing dance to the streets.
Sean (Ryan Guzman), is the leader and along with best friends Eddy (Misha Gabriel Hamilton) and Jason (Stephen 'Twitch' Boss), he shows newcomer Emily (Kathryn McCormick) what it means to dance for something you believe in.
Emily's father is a businessman planning on tearing down the neighbourhood The Mob lives in to build new hotels. Sean and the gang devise a plan to show him that he can't take what doesn't belong to him, and brings the community together through dance, with the help of a few old friends.
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The fifth and final installment, 'Step Up: All In' follows Sean and The Mob, after months of auditions in LA, struggling to make rent. The gang decides to head back to Miami, while Sean stays in LA, calls up his friend Moose, and hopes to create a new crew to take on a new competition in Las Vegas called 'The Vortex.'
The competition's grand prize is a three year contract which will help Sean through his financial troubles. With the help of Moose, old friends Monster, Hair, Andie, Kido, and new friends Vladd (Chadd Smith), The Santiago Twins (Martin & Facundo Lombard), Violet (Parris Goebel) and Chad (David 'Kid David' Shreibman), he competes against The Mob, and newcomers The Grim Knights to win that grand prize.
After defeating The Mob, for the final battle, he brings the two crews together for one final battle against The Grim Knights, and puts on a show. It's a terrific ending to a long-running franchise.
FOOTLOOSE
Footloose follows rebellious city teen Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon) as he moves from the big city of Chicago to a small Midwestern town called Bomont, bringing forth a new culture shock.
After the death of some local teenagers, upon arrival Ren comes to find that rock music and dancing have been banned.
He meets Ariel Moore (Lori Singer), a troubled, lovely blonde with a jealous boyfriend and bible-thumping minister father.
Other cast members include Chris Penn (Willard), Sarah Jessica Parker (Rusty), John Lithgow (Reverend Shaw) and more.
With the senior prom right around the corner, Ren and his classmates want to rid the ridiculous banning of rock music and dancing, with Ren having the courage to battle to abolish the law and bring forth the spirit of the townspeople.
It is a faced paced drama filled with classic hit songs including 'Footloose' and 'Let's Hear It For The Boy.'
A remake made in 2011 follows the same story, however stars Kenny Wormald as Ren, Julianne Hough as Ariel, Miles Teller as Willard, Dennis Quaid as Reverend Shaw, Ziah Colon as Rusty, and Andie MacDowell as Vi Moore.
It is a good movie for singing and dancing and having a good time, but gives an idea of what politics are like in such small towns.
FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF
This film is about a teenager Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) and his ingenious attempt to skip school. Tagging along are his best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) and girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara), and an exciting adventure through the city of Chicago begins.
However, there are many ways his plan could fall apart, and he has to do everything he can to navigate around them, including his sister Jeanie (Jennifer Grey) knowing he's up to no good, and the Dean of Students at his high school Ed Rooney (Jeffrey Jones) knowing he's ditching and wanting to catch him in the act and make him pay.
For a fun, crazy adventure of ditching school, trying not to be caught, and play the act to the best of intentions, this film brings the chaos and entertainment sure to keep you laughing for days.
NICHOLAS SPARKS
Nicholas Sparks is a romance writer who has found the soft spot in anyone wanting that perfect romance that sweeps you off your feet and gives you butterflies in your stomach.
He's written a bunch of books that have been turned into film including 'The Notebook,' 'A Walk To Remember,' 'Dear John,' and more.
Each has been a hit in their own way, and being a sucker for a sappy romance story, I have to admit I've seen them all.
The first film 'Message In A Bottle' was released in 1999 starring Kevin Costner and Robin Wright. It's about a divorced, single mother finding a bottle on the beach while jogging. Taken aback by the message inside, she uses her resources at the Chicago paper to track the sender. Upon meeting, the two quickly fall for each, but something in his past is casting a huge shadow over him.
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The next film 'A Walk To Remember' was released in 2002 and stars Mandy Moore and Shane West. It's surrounds two characters Landon Carter and Jamie Sullivan who are thrown together after a practical joke with Landon's group lands a young teen in hospital.
Landon is held responsible and forced to join an after-school community service activity that sees him spending more time with Jamie. Jamie is the reverend's daughter and has nothing in common with troublemaker Landon. He realises he wants to start taking things seriously and asks for Jamie's help, leaving the two together a lot more often. Their relationship grows to the point of love, much to the despise of Jamie's father.
It ends up revealed that Jamie was diagnosed with cancer, placing a turmoil on their relationship, leaving Landon battling with what he wants versus what is expected of him.
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Then comes the movie 'The Notebook' released in 2004, follows the story of an old man Duke (James Garner) reading a story to an old woman (Gena Rowlands) about two young lovers Allie (Rachel McAdams) and Noah (Ryan Gosling) in the 1940s.
The two meet one night at a carnival and quickly become inseparable. Allie's rich parents disapprove of Noah and him being unwealthy, and move Allie away. Noah writes to Allie every day for a year, waiting for her to write back, however she never does. Allie then meets a handsome soldier Lon (James Marsden) and gets engaged.
One day while reading the paper, she sees Noah in the paper standing in front of the house they dreamed of building together. Realising her love for him is still alive, she stops by "to see if you were okay." They quickly reconnect as if no time had passed, leaving Allie to choose between Noah and Lon.
Later in the film, it is revealed that the two old people are Noah and Allie after living life together, only she is suffering from Alzheimer's and can switch at any moment.
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Next is 'Nights In Rodanthe,' released in 2008, starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane. It's about a woman suffering through a chaotic life, choosing to retreat to the tiny coastal town of Rodanthe to look after her friend's inn for a weekend.
She's hoping to find tranquility, only as soon as she arrives so does the forecast for a major storm and a guest Dr. Paul Flanner, the only guest trying to escape from his own conflict. The two must turn to each other for comfort, and in just one weekend, set forth the magic for a new kind of romance.
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Then comes 'Dear John' which was released in 2010 starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried. US Army Special Operations soldier John is home from his German base visiting his widowed father when he befriends college student Savannah, her buddies, a terminal father and his angelic son.
John and Savannah fall in love, his father is diagnosed as mildly autistic, and then John has to return to duty after two weeks. Their relationship flourishes until 9/11 when John reenlists. Savannah can't handle the time apart and starts falling for a familiar face back home.
John has to return home for a family emergency, facing life without Savannah until the two find a way to hope to love again.
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Next is 'The Last Song,' released in 2010, starring Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth. Ronnie and her younger brother Jonah are sent to spend the summer at their father's house in a small town on the beach. Ronnie despises her father and has no intention of spending time with him.
Her father, Steve, has become a recluse due to the locals believing he set a fire that burnt the church down. Ronnie declines a Julliard scholarship and pretends to only care about the survival of newly hatched sea turtles. She meets local boy Will, who works as a mechanic and volunteers at the aquarium. She and Will end up falling in love, only to reveal why her father is so eager to reconnect with his children.
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Then comes 'The Lucky One' which was released in 2012 and stars Zac Efron and Taylor Schilling. While on tour in Iraq, soldier Logan Thibault finds a picture of a woman with the message "Keep Safe X." He places the photo in his pocket in hopes to return it to the soldier who lost it, and then get caught mortar fire.
He believes the photo saved his life and the woman in it is his guardian angel. Upon return to civilian life in Colorado, he struggles with PTSD and adjusting to normalcy, leading him to decide to find the woman in the photo.
He researches the landscape to find it's located in Louisiana., and walks the journey with his dog Zeus. He finds the woman is Beth Clayton, the owner of Green Kennels with her grandmother Ellie, and son Ben. Upon meeting Beth, Logan is unable to tell her the real reason he found her. She assumes he is there for a job they advertised and he agrees.
After landing the job, he befriends Ben and Ellie, and falls for Beth, although her ex-husband Keith, the sheriff, doesn't make life easy for him.
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Next is 'Safe Haven' starring Josh Duhamel and Julianne Hough, released in 2013. A mysterious young woman, Katie, arrives in the small town of Southport, North Carolina, much to the dismay of the townspeople, raising questions about her past.
She is determined not to make personal connections, finding a place to live far away from the town, however, events lead her to become close with two individuals, Alex a widower shop owner, and her single neighbour Jo.
Despite the walls she's built up, Katie starts to let her guard down, putting down roots and becoming quite close with Alex and his family. She starts to fall in love but continues to struggle with her dark, terrifying past that she left. With Jo's support, Katie realises she must choose between a life of safety or one with riskier rewards.
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After this comes 'The Best Of Me' released in 2014 starring James Marsden, Michelle Monaghan, Luke Bracey, and Liana Liberato.
It follows the story of Dawson Cole, an oil rig worker who survives an explosion on the rig, Amanda Reynolds (nee Collier), a housewife and mother.
Dawson and Amanda were high school sweethearts, getting together in their senior year. Amanda comes from an upper middle class family, and Dawson comes from the wrong side of the tracks, having been physically and emotional abused by his drug dealer father.
The two are reunited after 21 years upon the death of their mutual friend Tuck, who ended up being the father Dawson never had. Due to tragic circumstances, Amanda and Dawson were ripped apart after their senior year, and now they have to deal with unresolved feelings.
To reignite their relationship, they have to overcome many obstacles including Amanda's husband Frank, who she stayed with due to their son despite his alcohol abuse and non-supportive nature. However, it's Dawson whose past may come back to haunt him.
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Then comes 'The Longest Ride' starring Scott Eastwood, Britt Robertson, and Alan Alda, released in 2015, following the story of a star-crossed love affair between Luke (a champion bull rider) and Sophia (a college student dreaming of a career in New York). With conflicting paths and ideals, their relationship is put to the test.
They begin an unlikely connection with 91 year old Ira who tells the story of himself and his late wife to the couple through memories and letters, which deeply inspires them.
Through generations and intertwining love stories, this film follows the endurance, challenges, and rewards of true love.
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Finally we have 'The Choice,' released in 2016, starring Teresa Palmer and Benjamin Walker, follows the story of veterinarian Travis Shaw, who works very closely with his father Shep, and Gabby, a medical school student.
Travis is very much a ladies man, and when Gabby moves in next door, she believes he is a pretentious, obnoxious man. Despite having a serious boyfriend, Gabby starts falling for Travis, with him returning the favour.
Out of the blue, Gabby's boyfriend Ryan returns from a business trip and proposes to her. Now she must face the decision of who her true love is, and what she wants her future to be.
THE BREAKFAST CLUB
Despite being in the same class at school, teens Claire (Molly Ringwald), Andrew (Emilio Estevez), John (Judd Nelson), Brian (Anthony Michael Hall), and Allison (Ally Sheedy) all have nothing in common.
Claire is a princess, Andrew is an athlete, John is a criminal, Brian is a brain, and Allison is a basket case. When they all end up in Saturday detention together, under the supervision of Richard Vernon (Paul Gleason), each is required to write an essay on who they think they are.
If they had been planning on writing the essays, at the beginning they would've written something around how the world sees them, but after getting into mischief and chaos during the nine hours, each makes a discovery into who they really are, and what they really want, forming close bonds with each other.
MUSICALS
Now, I know I've listed some musicals above, but this is one genre where I've never had a problem finding something to watch.
Some of my favourites include 'Mamma Mia,' 'In The Heights,' 'The Greatest Showman,' 'Tick, Tick...Boom,' 'Grease,' 'West Side Story,' 'Pitch Perfect,' 'Burlesque,' 'Hairspray,' 'Into The Woods,' 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show,' 'Les Misérables,' 'The Phantom of the Opera,' and 'Bohemian Rhapsody.'
Each has a unique story to them, along with classic intriguing songs sure to get stuck in anyone's head. For someone just beginning their musical adventure, I would suggest starting with 'The Greatest Showman' or 'Grease' as they are a good starting point.
DISNEY & DISNEY/PIXAR
I grew up with Disney and Disney/Pixar movies so they bring much comfort when I'm not feeling well or want to just throw something on that I can have playing in the background while I complete other tasks like cleaning.
My all-time favourites are 'Mulan,' 'Pocahontas,' 'Tangled,' 'Aladdin,' 'The Lion King,' 'Ratatouille,' 'Monster's Inc.' and 'Up.'
There are many more that I just adore, but the above are my definite go-tos.
The best part about watching these films is that there are a lot of jokes and references that children don't understand, and now that I'm older, I've picked up on them, which makes the film that much more enjoyable.
Do yourself a favour and put on any Disney/Pixar movie and just look out for those adult jokes and references. You won't be disappointed.
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What are some of your comfort movies? Do we share some of the same ones? Let me know. :)
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