There are bad days and then there are bad days. I mean those days when watching Zombieland (or whatever your favorite comedy is) won’t cut it. When you don’t just need something to cheer you up, but to grab you by the shoulders and shout “Snap out of it! You’re going to be fine!” These are the movies that do that for me, and might for you to.
(P.s I didn’t realize how many of these were from 2012 until I wrote this. I guess it was a good year for movies!)
1. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Silver Linings Playbook tells the story of Pat (Bradley Cooper) and Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence). Long story short, both of them have had some pretty messed up things happen to them, but they learn to work through it together. Pat’s theory of remaining positive is a driving force in the movie and the thing that makes this movie perfect for those days when you aren’t feeling so positive yourself. Pat and Tiffany are also hilariously socially inept and their relationship is a reminder that no matter how weird you are, there’s probably someone out there that is just as weird.
Movie quote: “You have to do everything you can, you have to work your hardest, and if you do, if you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining.”
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower centers on Charlie (Logan Lerman), who is just beginning his freshman year of high school. Charlie suffers from depression and recently lost his best friend to suicide. He ends up befriending two seniors, Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller). One of the themes of the movie is remembering to actively participate in life, which is something Charlie learns to do through his friendship with Sam and Patrick. There are lots of other themes as well, but I’ll save that analysis for another day- just go watch it!
Movie quote: “This one moment when you know you’re not a sad story. You are alive, and you stand up and see the lights on the buildings and everything that makes you wonder. And you’re listening to that song and that drive with the people you love most in this world. And in this moment I swear, we are infinite.”
3. Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)
The premise of Safety Not Guaranteed is this ad: “Wanted: Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. P.O. Box 91 Ocean View, WA 99393. You’ll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED. I have only done this once before.” Journalist Jeff (Jake Johnson) and his two interns, Darius (Aubrey Plaza) and Arnau (Karan Soni) seek out the man behind the ad, Kenneth Calloway (Mark Duplass). All I’m going to say is that it gets interesting and that a main theme could be that trusting yourself and believing in something or someone even when no one else does is perfectly okay.
Movie quote: “It’s that time and that place and that song, and you remember what it was like when you were in that place. And then you listen to that song, and you know you’re not in that place anymore, and it makes you feel hollow. You can’t just go find that stuff again.”
4. Lost in Translation (2003)
This movie is just so beautifully shot; it’s more about the aesthetics and the soundtrack than the story (although don’t get me wrong, the story is great too). Lost in Translation focuses on Bob Harris (Bill Murray) and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson). Both are Americans that find themselves in Tokyo and feel somewhat detached from their lives. They become friends and help each other work through their troubles. To me this movie is loneliness personified and there’s just something soothing about watching it on a bad day (Also I just love Japan).
Movie quote: “The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things upset you.”
5. The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is basically just a big fat reminder that some mistakes are worth making and that no matter how much of a disaster something was, it can still make you a better person. The movie focuses on Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet), a couple who decide to remove each other from their memories . Let’s just say that it wasn’t the best choice for them and they meet again anyway.
Movie quote: “I don’t need nice. I don’t need myself to be it, and I don’t need anybody else to be it at me”.
6. Ruby Sparks (2012)
This is one of those the-imaginary-friend-is-actually-real kind of movies. Calvin (Paul Dano) is a writer with a bad case of writer’s block. Ruby (Zoe Kazan) comes to life after being imagined/written by Calvin after he has a breakthrough. Because he made her up, he can make her do and be anything he wants her to. I would say that one of the overall messages in this movie is that you can’t control people, and even if you could- it wouldn’t work out very well.
Movie quote: (Ruby’s response to Calvin naming his dog after F. Scott Fitzgerald) “Naming your dog after him? It’s a little disrespectful… Think about it. You’re a novelist. You think this guy’s the greatest. So you name your dog after him to cut him down to size. This way, you can put him on a leash… and yell “Bad Scotty” and feel all superior because you pee inside. Kill your idols, man. I’m all for it.”
7. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Little Miss Sunshine is a hilarious movie that’s here to sympathize with you if your family is just a little bit dysfunctional. It involves a road trip to a beauty pageant and a lot of misadventures. The dance scene at the end is fantastic too.
Movie quote: “Losers are people who are so afraid of not winning that they don’t even try.”
8. Hector and the Search for Happiness (2014)
Hector (Simon Pegg) is a psychiatrist who has every reason to be happy, but isn’t. He goes a trip to research what makes people happy for himself and to be able to advise his patients better. Let’s just say he eventually figures it out.
Movie quote: “Avoiding unhappiness is not the road to happiness”
9. Man Up (2015)
If you’d rather watch something more comedy than dramedy (I would definitely classify the rest of these as straddling the line between comedy and drama), then Man Up is a good movie to watch. Nancy (Lake Bell) ends up stealing someone’s blind date (Simon Pegg) and it turns out the way you might expect any Rom Com to. Yes it’s predictable, and the title is a kind of outdated saying, but it’s still pretty great.
Movie quote: “You’re just – you’re an emotional jigsaw at the moment but you’re gonna piece yourself back together. You know, start with the corners. Look for the blue bits.”
So next time you’re having one of those days, curl up and escape the world for a couple hours with some of the these movies. Hopefully they’ll make your day a little better.