March may not have the cinematic identity like spooky October or festive December, but it has a vibe of its own. March is the month of blossoming, shamrocks, warmer weather and, of course, the overuse of the color green. It’s the transition between seasons, which makes it the perfect time for movies that feel reflective, hopeful and whimsical. Nostalgic comfort movies, lesson-driven sports stories and romance tales about growth and change are great additions to your binge list. With spring break around the corner, there’s plenty of time to catch up on some cult classic films and absorb that lucky feeling.
So, here is my ultimate March movie guide!
Nostalgic Comfort
“The Princess Bride” — streaming on Hulu and Disney+
This film is PURE nostalgia. Combining storytelling, heroes, villains, knights, wizards and true love is what we all dreamed about growing up. The 1987 film centers around Princess Buttercup and the dashingly handsome Westly. These two are deeply in love but must overcome staggering odds to find bliss amid murderous princes, unusual rodents, master swordsmen, a conniving villain and an “inconceivable” Sicilian criminal mastermind.
The movie feeds into the nostalgia by being framed as a story read by a grandfather to his grandson — making it a story within a story. It’s the perfect balance between comfort and adventure, much like the transition from winter to spring. The landscapes, themes of love and whimsical atmosphere mirror the lighthearted energy of spring.
“The Odd Life of Timothy Green” — streaming on Disney+
This film is an underrated classic with iconic faces like Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton, Lin-Manuel Miranda and CJ Adams. This story centers around a couple, the Greens, longing for a child but are unable to conceive. The couple buries a box in their backyard containing hopes of a child. Suddenly, a boy appears at their door, although Timothy Green is not what they expect.
This little boy is magical with leaves on his ankles, teaching them lessons of love, parenting and loss. This heartfelt film centers on growth and quiet hope. Its small town setting and earthy visuals capture a budding energy. The bright green color palette also contributes to the underlying tones of March.
“The Secret Garden”— streaming on Amazon Prime Video
It’s a timeless tale of a special place where magic, hope and love grow. When a young girl, Mary Lennox, is sent to live with her uncle after the death of her parents, her uncle’s attitude and sorrow leave her feeling alone and isolated.
After exploring the property, she discovers an overgrown garden that is hidden. Aided by one of the servant’s boys, they begin restoring its former magnificence. The 1993 adaptation has capturing visuals, strong performances and seizes the book’s dark themes and emotional depth.
The enchanting optics create a nature-y atmosphere that is perfect for getting in touch with the season.
“Little Women” — streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of the classic piece of female literature has EASILY become a staple in cinematic history. Following the years after the Civil War, four sisters come together focusing on their struggles with love, art, poetry and societal expectations. Jo, Amy, Meg and Beth slowly adjust from childhood to womanhood throughout each scene.
Harboring themes of ambition and sisterhood, Gerwig’s version contrasts youthful dreams with adult realities. This empowers women to create their own stories in a male-dominated world. Each scene increases its emotional impact on the viewer, especially during the flashbacks. The flashbacks are warmer with rich pastels and are brightly lit as opposed to the bluish tones of the current timeline, to which the movie jumps to.
The film’s vignette contributes to the interpretation of it being a memory. To me, this movie highlights reflection. March is the opening to a new beginning, reflecting on the past and embracing the nuance of the season.
“Spring Breakers” — streaming on HBO Max
This is truly a forgotten hilarious raunchy movie! Four college girls rob a restaurant to fund their spring break trip to Florida, when they get tangled up with a criminal. This cast is STACKED with James Franco, Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine. This crew does a phenomenal job enticing audiences to follow along on their dreamlike, violent, hallucinatory nightmare that explores dark themes of party life.
Seen as a typical teen raunchy road trip movie, this film shares the histories of the four girls it follows with a dark edge. The visual storytelling highlights societal expectations of spring break parties, which has audiences laughing along with the exaggeration.
This movie is so March because it’s during spring break, a week off from school in the spring. The bright coloring and neon filters give a feeling of euphoria, adventure and the thrill of breaking rules.
Lesson Driven Sports Stories
“Coach Carter”— streaming on Paramount+ and Hulu
As a lifelong basketball fan, this movie is, of course, perfect for March. My dad was our high school basketball coach growing up, and he always referenced this movie to his team.
Based on a true story, Coach Ken Carter returns to his old high school to take over the coaching position for the basketball team. Tensions mount as the Richmond High Oilers face an upcoming basketball championship, with cheering fans ready to fill the bleachers; however, no one could imagine that the gym would be padlocked, refusing the players access due to their failing grades. Ken Carter made national news headlines for benching his entire undefeated team for poor academics.
Samuel L. Jackson does a tremendous job portraying a coach who cares about more than just winning. This heartfelt enactment of human courage and conviction showed young men a future that stretches beyond gangs, drugs, prison and even basketball. This is one of the most moving pieces of cinema. It’s emotional, powerful and deep. This film is so much more than a basketball story; it delves deeper into the struggles of life and how you can’t settle to reach success.
“Luck of the Irish” — streaming on Disney+
A timeless Disney Channel Original Movie, “Luck of the Irish,” follows Kyle Johnson, a popular high school jock that plays basketball. He’s known as being the “luckiest person alive” thanks to finding money on the ground, never missing a shot and acing his tests without even studying. When an evil leprechaun steals his lucky charm, Kyle must embrace his heritage, win back his luck and a basketball game.
Kyle goes through an adventure of learning about his Irish ancestors while his ears are slowly becoming pointed, his hair starts turning red and he begins to shrink. Kyle learns that your past isn’t always as important as the present, but it makes you who you are. My favorite lesson from this movie is that sometimes it takes more than luck to triumph in the face of adversity.
More than a sports story, this film dives into family history and how we should embrace our heritage. It’s a classic for St. Patrick’s Day.
Romance Tales about Growth and Change
“Leap Year”— streaming on Amazon Prime Video
“Leap Year” is a truly original rom-com that feels fairytale-like. When another anniversary passes without a marriage proposal from her boyfriend, Anna decides to take matters into her own hands. Following a Celtic tradition of women proposing on Feb. 29, she plans to follow her future man to Dublin to ask him to marry her — until fate chose otherwise. Anna winds up on the other side of Ireland with a handsome Irishman who may just lead Anna down a path of true love.
Naturally, this movie is perfect for March because it’s set in Ireland, which has a deep history with March and the leap year. These are connected through Irish folklore involving St. Brigid and St. Patrick. This is where the tradition of women proposing to men on Leap Day came about. This breaks traditional courtship roles every four years, and in my opinion, is pretty awesome.
“10 Things I Hate About You”— streaming on Hulu and Disney+
The grumpy/sunshine trope with the girl as grumpy is the perfect way to describe this movie. Kat Stratford is abrasive, independent, smart and doesn’t date. Her younger sister, Bianca, wishes to have a relationship of her own, but her dad says she can’t date until Kat has a boyfriend. Bianca conspires with Cameron, a boy desperately and secretly in love with Bianca, to set Kat up with Patrick Verona. He’s the only guy who could possibly be a match for Kat: a mysterious bad boy with a nasty reputation of his own.
The late ‘90s alternative rock soundtrack gives the film that crisp, chilly feeling, which puts the movie perfectly in the space of March. And it’s not a sweeping summer romance story, it’s in the middle of the school year and more introspective. It’s honestly one of the best romance movies with an even more stellar cast featuring Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik and the late Heath Ledger.
“Father of the Bride” — streaming on Disney+
This movie is the epitome of being a daddy’s girl. It warms my heart in many ways and gives me a sense of comfort. The film follows George Banks, an ordinary middle-class man whose 22-year-old daughter Annie is about to get married. George can’t think of what life would be like without his little girl. When the wedding planning begins, he becomes slightly insane.
Steve Martin as George acts as a father to many kids of our generation, so this movie creates a great deal of nostalgia. This movie is borderline romance but more on the comedy side.
This adaptation feels like March because it captures the season of change and new beginnings. The wedding planning and family moments give early-spring energy, and the emotional theme of a father learning to let go mirrors the transition from winter to spring.
Overall, these movies bring a sense of peace, emotion, nostalgia and comfort, which are adjacent themes of March. I hope you enjoyed my list and watch each of these during break!