Though we live in Michigan, and there’s a good chance it’s going to start snowing again, the first rays of sunshine have crept through gray clouds. It’s only March, but summer will be coming soon. If you and the girls are looking for something to get you prepared for the hot and sunny days ahead, or want to stay inside when the temperatures grow to scorching hot, look no further.
- The Princess Diaries (2001)
Does this movie even take place during the summer? Probably not, because Mia is actively in school while training to be the next leader of Genovia. I only care about two things. This movie is perfect Y2K nostalgia, from the fashion and music to the makeover montage and fairytale ending. Also, part of it takes place on a beach, featuring an iconic performance of “Stupid Cupid!” We all may be adults now, but the dream of living in a converted firehouse and then leaving to rule a country with Julie Andrews still persists.
- Aquamarine (2006)
Continuing with 2000’s movies about teenage girls thrown into a fairytale, Aquamarine is the perfect slumber party movie. Life used to be so much simpler, we may have bigger issues now than friends moving away and mermaids hiding in the pool, but spending time with the girls, eating junk, and psychoanalyzing boys is a pastime that never grows old.
- High School Musical 2 (2007)
One final car on the nostalgia train, HSM2 was manufactured in the Disney Channel lab to be one of the greatest summer movies of all time. In fact, its premier had garnered the biggest cable audience ever at the time, and was the biggest premier Disney Channel had seen. The songs and dialogue are iconic, and its impact on this generation’s summertimes has been insurmountable. You can bet on it!
- Marie Antoinette (2006)
Believe it or not, this is not a complete tonal shift. Is Sharpay Evans just the Marie Antoinette of East High? This fits into a summer movie list because of the queen’s affinity for cottagecore, being with her friends, and bright, saturated colors. Though we know tragedy is looming, it’s still relatively lighthearted. It’s a great way to explore the complex and tragic nature of girlhood with the girls, in a fun way.
- Barbie (2023)
I know it’s been less than a year, but I miss the summer of Barbie. Barbie was the perfect summer blockbuster. Everything was covered in sparkly pink, everything was beach. When Barbie is included in your summer movie marathon, every night is girl’s night, and every house is a dream house.
- Dirty Dancing (1987)
We’re going back in time for this entry, and we’ll have the time of our lives! This movie has been one of my personal favorites since I was young. Idealistic and perhaps unrealistic in many ways, this movie celebrates the twilight days of summer in a supposedly simpler time. This movie is so intrinsically tied to summertime for me that I refuse to watch it during the winter, waiting patiently for the sun to come out so it actually feels appropriate to celebrate summer with this movie.
- Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)
Before the summer of Barbie, I had the summer of Mamma Mia! When the highly anticipated sequel came out when I was in high school. I miss those days. Why I chose the sequel as opposed to the iconic original, while it’s mostly personal preference, the songs are better, and this one refines the themes outlined in the first movie. Donna and the Dynamos have even more fun in the sun in this adaptation, and the 1970’s flashback setting paints the film with a feeling of nostalgia that isn’t as present in the first, as much as I love the questionable 2000’s fashion. Also, this one has Cher! Comparison is the thief of joy, so if you feel like throwing in the first film, I implore you to.
This summer, if for some reason you need to take a break from the sunshine, the perfect movie marathon for you and the girlies is right here waiting. When the skies inevitably turn gray again, this lineup will still be waiting for you.