The air is cold, and the leaves are orange– it’s officially the best time of the year. When we think about movies that replicate that fall feeling our minds often jump to Halloween. However, for many of us scary movies just aren’t an option, especially if we plan on getting a good night’s sleep. Instead, I compiled a list of my 5 favorite movies that radiate that cool, cozy, crisp autumn feeling.
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Wes Anderson’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (2009) may be my favorite movie of all time, but something about this film in the fall just hits different. Following the story of Mr. Fox who goes against his wife’s wishes to follow his natural instinct of hunting, this movie is warm, heartbreaking, and somehow reflects the human experience through the enthusiastic adventures of claymation animals. Anderson is best known for his aesthetically pleasing, artistic, and slightly wacky films that seem to pack a punch in morality and “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is no different. The films orange color theme, soft-spoken characters, and instrumentals that replicate the music of the 40s-70s feel like being wrapped in a warm blanket and watching the leaves fall down.
When Harry Met Sally
I am willing to argue that “When Harry Met Sally” (1989) is the best movie to come out of the rom-com renaissance of the 80s and 90s. Starring Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, “When Harry Met Sally” follows their two characters (you’ll never guess their names) through the 13 years of their relationship as enemies, strangers, acquaintances, friends, and potentially something more. This movie took the romantic comedy genre by storm upon its release in 1989 as its focus shifted from the physical and sexual aspects of love to a platonic showcasing of perfectly timed destiny. As their relationship in New York City grows, many of the developing conversations of their relationship take place in central park surrounded by yellow and orange leaves, which makes this enough of a fall movie to me.
Dead Poets Society
Apparently 1989 was the year of fall movies. This is the perfect film for anyone whose looking for a tearjerker this autumn. With an incredible performance from notable actors like Robin Williams and Ethan Hawke, the story set at a catholic all boys school from the fall into the winter is shot in warm tones that perfectly represent the look of fall on film. There’s no question why this movie received an Academy Award for Writing or BAFTA Award for Best Film as it explores the complex themes of personal identity, freedom, family, societal expectations, and ultimately how much control we truly have over our own stories. This movie is sure to leave you both grieving and enlightened, making you need to go take it all in alongside the cold fall air.
500 Days of Summer
Similar to “When Harry Met Sally,” “500 Days of Summer” (2009) follows a similar structure to the romantic comedy while being just a bit more upsetting. Despite Summer being in the name of the film the movies setting takes place over the course of one fateful fall. The movie follows Tom Hansen, a holiday card developer, as he falls for the new secretary in his office, Summer. As Tom spends his time romanticizing his budding relationship with Summer, he is forced to confront his own sense of self and what love truly is. The beginning of the movie includes a line that seems to perfectly encapsulate its entire concept: “Tom meets Summer on January 8th. He knows almost immediately she is who he has been searching for. This is a story of boy meets girl, but you should know upfront, this is not a love story.”
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The majority of this movie takes place in a back-to-school setting, and what aesthetic screams fall more than academia? Adding another tearjerker to our list, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” (2012) is sure to leave you feeling every feeling imaginable: euphoric, heartbroken, angry, confused, you name it, and this movie’s got it. The performances by the actors in this movie, most notably Logan Lerman’s portrayal of the main character Charlie, are absolutely incredible and make this movie impossible to be distracted from. If you’re someone who feels the change of season emotionally, this movie is sure to comfort you while somehow doing the complete opposite.