With the cooling weather in Boston, all I’ve been wanting to do is crawl into bed with a pumpkin spice latte and watch nostalgic romance films. Sometimes, when midterms and college life becomes too loud, escaping to a different time through the TV screen is all I need.Â
So, I wracked my mind for the best of the best — the magnum opus — of classic fall films. The five films below capture just the right amount of feel-good nostalgia and heartbreaking drama (plus, beautiful visuals and moving soundtracks) to make even the coldest person melt.Â
- Love Story
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Gather the tissues. This classic collegiate romantic drama takes place just across the Charles River at Harvard!Â
Our main protagonists are Oliver Barret IV, a rich, prep school-bred law student played by Ryan O’Neal, and Jennifer Cavalerri, a poor Italian-American music student at Radcliffe College played by Ali MacGraw. Despite the odds, the two fall in love and navigate their differing backgrounds while trying to be together.Â
I won’t spoil the twist … but prepare to be surprised. The soundtrack is beautiful, with a mix of classical music and contemporary songs, like the classic “Love Story (Where Do I Begin)” by Andy Williams.
- When Harry Met Sally (WHMS)
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Co-written with Nora Ephron and directed by Rob Reiner, this film is a certified cult-classic. WHMS takes place over the course of about 15 years, chronicling the lives, friendship, and romantic relationship of Sally Albright, played by Meg Ryan and Harry Burns, played by Billy Crystal.Â
The two opposites answer the thesis of the film, “Can men and women ever truly be just friends?” With New York City as the backdrop, the visuals are absolutely stunning, particularly the scenes that showcase the autumnal foliage in Central Park. The jazzy soundtrack also sets the perfect mood for this clever, yet warming tale.Â
- The Way We Were
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“Your girl is lovely, Hubbell.” If you’ve heard that phrase before, chances are you remember it from the Season 2 finale of Sex and the City. But it actually originates from the classic 1973 romantic drama, The Way We Were, which was later referenced by the hit HBO television series.
The film focuses on Jewish-American political activist Katie Morosky, played by Barbara Streisand and the WASP-y aspiring screenwriter Hubbell Gardiner, played by Robert Redford. Similar to Love Story, the unlikely pair first meet in college, later reuniting in New York City after World War II.Â
When they fall in love, they must navigate their differing identities and desires, all set against the emergence of McCarthyism and the Red Scare in the 1950s. Famously, the hit song “The Way We Were” by Barbara Streisand and Martin Hamlisch comes from this movie.Â
- Good Will Hunting
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Okay, I acknowledge that this film doesn’t fall under the romance genre, but there are certainly romantic drama elements that are key to the story. Ahem, “I had to see about a girl.” Â
I couldn’t resist adding Good Will Hunting to this list, considering the stunning autumnal visuals and the backdrop of Boston. Written by and starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, this film centers on the discovery that MIT janitor Will Hunting, played by Matt Damon, is a math genius.
After he gets arrested, Will makes a deal with Professor Gerald Lambeau, played by Stellan SkarsgĂĄrd, who agrees to intervene in his favor under two conditions: he studies math under him and goes to court-ordered therapy. Will’s therapist, Dr. Sean Maguire, played by the great Robin Williams, teaches Will to work through his trauma, especially when it comes to relationships.Â
This is where Minnie Driver’s character, Skylar, enters as a love interest. Their relationship is a key part of the film and demonstrates the strains that past trauma can put on a love. Ultimately, their love is the catalyst for the film’s ending… but no spoilers!
- You’ve Got Mail!
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Another Nora Ephron classic, this romcom (that’s right, you can finally put those tissues away) stars Meg Ryan as Kathleen Kelly, a small children’s bookstore owner in New York City, and Tom Hanks as Joe Fox, a business magnate for his superstore corporation of Fox Books.
The two are professional rivals, yet they have no idea that they are actually communicating via email under noms de plume after hitting it off in a chatroom! While they slowly fall in love behind the computer screen, they can’t stand the sight of one another in reality.Â
I won’t spoil the hijinks, but this film is hilarious and has a lot of heart. The soundtrack is similar to When Harry Met Sally in its coziness and, of course, has beautiful fall visuals.Â
Fun fact: You’ve Got Mail is based on the 1940 film The Shop Around the Corner!
So, if you’re ever in need of a good cry or laugh this fall, check out these five films.Â
If your life is forever changed, don’t blame me!
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