Spring breaks come in all shapes and sizes. For many, an unhinged week in Cancun, Mexico is a dream come true. Others visit high school friends and family in their hometown. For me, Spring Break has always meant Phoenix, Arizona.
It’s not a raging party, but it is not necessarily home either. I always say that Phoenix is one of my “second homes,” a place with family that makes me feel at home. In between the many hikes and bike rides, I spend a lot of time watching movies. Not just any old movies though.
My two and four-year-old cousins are currently discovering the plentiful Disney/Pixar movie archives. This Spring Break I rediscovered so many movies that I fell in love with as a little girl and still love to this day. It is hard for me to stray from the comfort of the movies that I know are good. It can be scary to deviate into the unknown of this new generation’s movies. Luckily enough, however, I discovered that Disney has not dropped the ball.
Here are some great–new and old– movies that will spark the inner-child in you.
- “Moana”
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Even now, Moana is still a character that acts as a role model for me. She needs no man. Nonetheless, her side kick, Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson), still has my heart. In addition to her unbeatable strong female lead, this soundtrack takes the cake. I am still listening to “How Far I’ll Go” each time I visit the beach as if I am about to sail away to find the heart of my island. What can I say, it is pretty hard to beat any soundtrack that Lin-Manuel Miranda touches.
- “Turning Red”
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You have heard of One Direction, the Backstreet Boys and N’Sync. Let me now introduce you to 4*TOWN. This dreamy boy band is all the craze in Pixar’s newest movie, “Turning Red.” FINNEAS and Billie Eilish perfectly encapsulate that boy band charm.
Looking back at my middle school years is scary. Luckily, I 100% would stomp the halls, earbuds in, listening to 4*TOWN. It’s an awkward time to say the least, but this movie capitalizes on the beauty of those awkward quirks of being a girl in middle school. Behind the silliness of MeiMei turning into a panda, “Turning Red” is Pixar’s “Lady Bird.”
MeiMei and her mother are navigating what it means to grow up — or if you ever really “grow up” at all. Even though this is a 2022 Pixar release, there is a certain built-in nostalgia that makes it feel so familiar. Sitting in the airport right now, I shamelessly am bopping to 4*TOWN’s “Nobody Like U” while channeling that inner little girl. Maybe it is the awkward middle school girl in me, my fangirling over boybands, my relationship with my Mom or a little bit of it all that got me hooked. Needless to say, tears were shed by the end of the movie.
- “Mitchells vs The Machines”
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There is an art to making movies entertaining enough for kids while also bearable for adults. I have never quite understood the formula for this balancing act — but my appreciation for it goes through the roof.
“The Mitchells vs The Machines” is one of those movies that had my Mom and I equally as entranced as my four-year-old cousin. This movie shows all of the wrongs, and rights, of family road trips — except this time it is the apocalypse. I wouldn’t want to watch any other wonderfully quirky, dysfunctional family take on evil robots. I have a special appreciation for movies that embrace what it is to grow up. The little ones watching may not have those feelings yet, but it certainly will prepare them for what is ahead.
- “Beauty and the Beast”
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The original “Beauty and the Beast” is played on repeat for my cousins. While I had not watched the original in years, I can see why it is a go-to. Belle quickly won over my heart as my favorite original Disney princess. Watching it now, I see so many wonderful ways that she is a role model.
Plus, as a shameless lover of “Love is Blind,” I am intrigued by the idea of falling in love with someone regardless of looks. Belle really was a pioneer in that department. The love story is easy but also had me wrapped around its finger — that’s the best place to be in a romance. The cherry on top is the backdrop of beautiful France and the even more adorable French characters. Come on, the names Lumière and Gaston are too cute.
- “Wish Dragon”
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I must first disclose that “Wish Dragon” is on Netflix and produced by Sony. However, it is important to note that there are other players, besides Dinsey+, in this movie realm. We decided to watch “Wish Dragon” on a whim, but I am so glad we stumbled upon it.
Jackie Chan is a co-producer, so you better believe there will be some karate action. Growing up, I was all over “Kung Fu Panda.” I don’t remember exactly why I was so hooked on karate fighting animals, but I know I spent a lot of time thinking about it. “Wish Dragon” tickled that same fascination within me that “Kung Fu Panda” did years ago. The main character, Din, is a character built to love. He is a sweet, in over his head hopeless romantic. For an action-packed romance, “Wish Dragon” is fool-proof.