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Gilmore Girls walking through Fall Festival
Gilmore Girls walking through Fall Festival
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Baylor | Culture > Entertainment

FEELING UNMOTIVATED FOR FALL? I GOT YOU 

Samantha Cartagena Student Contributor, Baylor University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Baylor chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

When September hits my calendar and the school year begins,  I cannot help but switch into “fall reset mode.” However, as a Texas girlie, it can be pretty hard to get excited for autumn. After all, who wants to wear sweaters and drink pumpkin spice lattes when it is 100 degrees outside? Not me!  However, I think it is good to transition into the season as soon as possible, even if the trees have not started to change colors yet. Since digital media helps me to do just that, I wanted to share some movies and TV shows that have helped me get excited for fall without seemingly drenching me in apple cider. Plus, some of these films are great motivation for going back to school, and Lord knows we all need that. 

  • E.T. (1982) – A story about a young alien who is trying to get home after he becomes stranded on Earth. When I watch E.T., I feel like a little kid again in the best way possible, so if you haven’t seen it already, GO WATCH IT. And if you have already seen it a bajillion times, GO WATCH IT AGAIN. This movie also helps me mentally prepare for the spooky season as well with its magical undertones. 
  • The Breakfast Club (1985) – A movie about five teenagers stuck in detention who learn that they are not as different as they seem. Directed by John Hughes and released in 1985, this movie does a good job of making one feel nostalgic for high school in some appealing and not so appealing ways. Also, the soundtrack speaks for itself. 
  • Any Old Animated Disney Movie- When I say old Disney movie, I’m talking Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, pick your pleasure. Basically, anything from the Golden Age, Silver Age, or Renaissance Period of Disney. Even though they are not proper “fall movies,” they make me feel cozy and comforted, which is sometimes all I need after a long day of school. Perfect to watch in bed with a hot drink of your choice. 
  • Mean Girls (2004)- Cady Heron moves to a new school and learns very quickly that high school is not what she expected. I love Tina Fey’s humour so, so much in this film. Mean Girls always gives me that inevitable “back to school” feeling and is just a perfect watch within the first couple of months of school. 
  • Pitch Perfect (2012)–  A college student named Beca competes in college acapella. I don’t think I need to say much, but it’s a cult classic for a reason. Also inspirational if you are scared to join a club. 
  • Back to the Future (1985)-  Marty McFly accidentally goes back in time and meets his parents. This movie is great for getting into the Halloween spirit and is a must-see for the season. Not only is it from the 80s and has the perfect aesthetic, but it also involves time travel. What’s not to love about that?
  • Legally Blonde (2001)- A sorority girl goes to Harvard Law to win back her snobby boyfriend who recently dumped her. Someone who got a 179 on the LSAT just to prove she was not a dumb blonde, Elle Woods is an inspiration to us all, and that alone is reason enough to watch this movie
  • The Social Network (2010)-  The story of how Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook while he was a student at Harvard.  If you are feeling stuck or unmotivated by your side hobbies as a college student, this movie may be a good one for you (shoutout Baylor!). And the college setting also reminds me a bit of the fall season. 
  • Whiplash (2014)- A jazz drummer is mentally pushed to the edge by his music teacher. I really love Damien Chazelle and his work in this film for so many reasons, but I think if you want to see a story that is emotionally intense and makes you want to pick up an instrument, this is a good movie for you.
  • Interstellar (2014)-A man ventures into space to find a new home for humans when the Earth begins to die. If you can understand this movie, you can understand anything. So if you want to think about something other than school for a couple of hours, this movie is it. 
  • Monsters University (2013)– This movie details how Mike Wazowski and Sully from Monsters. Inc. met in college. A great movie for going back to school and for rush season (if you know, you know). 
  • The Village (2004)– A  film about a village that is surrounded by mysterious creatures, forcing the people to never leave. This movie is a nice soft launch into the spooky season in the thriller sense. I am not a horror movie girl, but this one does have a good balance of not being too scary while also being just the right amount of ominous. 
  • The Graduate (1967)— A recent college graduate feels lost and doesn’t know what to do with his life. I won’t say much, but I was 😯the entire runtime.
  • High Fidelity (2000) – A niche romantic drama about a record store owner who goes on a self-discovery journey when his girlfriend breaks up with him. I don’t think this movie classifies as a romantic comedy, as it is pretty edgy, but it does have some funny moments with Jack Black, so no complaints. 
  • Gilmore Girls Season 2 and 4 – Though Gilmore Girls is always a must for the fall season, I think seasons 2 and 4 are specifically perfect for the transition into fall, as they are not as fall-intense as some of the other seasons. At the same time, these seasons also focus on the transition to school and the cycles of drama that can come from that. 
  • Severance (2020)- If you want a show that is bingeable, creepy, and witty as well, Severance is a great fit. I can’t say too much, but if you like Adam Scott, you are basically guaranteed to love this show <3
  • The Crown (2023)– a TV show that depicts the lives of the British royals from different time periods. I personally adore the Princess Diana seasons, but the other seasons are wonderful as well. This show educates you on the history of the royal family while also making you feel drawn into the family and its drama, which I think is perfect. 

Consuming cinema has always helped me to get into the spirit of any season, and I hope these picks do the same for you!

Happy fall! <3

Samantha Cartagena

Baylor '30

Samantha Cartagena loves stories. Seriously, her passion for mediums such as novels and films gets her out of bed in the morning. She is an incoming writer at Her Campus at Baylor University who hopes to make her readers feel welcomed, inspired, and creatively-empowered through her own stories or the stories of others.

Besides Her Campus, Samantha is a Business Scholar and hopes to purse Finance and Marketing with a minor in Film and Digital Media. Her dream job would be to become an executive of some sort (woman in business!). For her writing, she was awarded First Place for the Brio Magazine Challenge and has also written for her high school newspaper.

Samantha’s other hobbies include reading, concert-going, travelling, baking, junk journaling, and tennis! She also loves 90’s sitcoms of which her favorite couple is Monica and Chandler. On top of that, she is an AMC Stubs member (if you couldn’t tell already) and is looking forward to talking about anything related to the entertainment industry in her articles. AND she is chronically obsessed with Pinterest and has too many mood boards to count. You can find Samantha ranting about her vinyl collection, the last book she read, or the latest news in tennis.