It’s getting warmer out and what better to get into the season with some spring-time films! Spring is the season of change, a time of in-betweenness. It is the time of ends and beginnings, and all of these films reflect this in one way or another:
- “Uptown Girls” (2003)
A staple early 2000s film starring the late icon Brittany Murphy, it follows her eccentric character, Molly, as she takes on a job nannying after a young girl named Ray who acts too grown for her age. This is an essential film that looks at girlhood and explores the line between being an adult and child.
- “Whisper of the Heart” (1995)
An underrated Studio Ghibli film, there is no direct conflict or even a big plot driving the film, but the simplicity in watching the main girl navigate her life with her family, friends, and love is endearing and engaging. Paired with Ghibli’s beautiful animation, I believe this is perfect to watch during spring to feel the nostalgia of what it means to grow up and be a young girl.
- “My Neighbor Totoro” (1988)
A more classic Studio Ghibli film, “My Neighbor Totoro” brings us into a whimsical world of forest spirits and cat buses! We follow two sisters as they navigate their life in a new house and sisterhood and meet the iconic spirit, Totoro, along with his various friends. As always, the animation is beautiful with lots of nature settings and spring-time colors.
- “Pride and Prejudice” (2005)
One of my ultimate comfort movies, who doesn’t love watching the classic period piece slow burn filled with yearning tension? The beautiful wide shots of the English countryside with the sun shining and occasional foggy landscapes are perfect for springtime as we watch an adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel.
- “Banshees of Inesherin” (2022)
The Oscar-nominated film takes place on the west coast of Ireland in the 1920s and follows the friendship of two men and why the friendship is deteriorating. Once again, scenic wide shots of the Irish landscape are one reason the film reminds me of spring, but also as it deals with the experience of ends of relationships and beginnings of others. It’s not as cheerful or “sweet” as some of the other films, but its melancholy and bittersweet tone makes us linger.
- “Marie Antoinette” (2006)
Another early 2000s classic, Sophia Coppola directed this modern re-telling of the iconic historical figure. It follows Kirsten Dunst as Marie Antoinette as she grows and leads her life with opulent sets filled with pinks and florals.
- “The Secret Garden” (1993)
An adaptation of the 1911 classic novel of the same name, this film follows a young girl after the death of her parents and her new life in the English countryside. She must adjust to her new life and loneliness, but when she finds a hidden garden and decides to restore it, she finds a purpose for herself. This is perfect for spring with its themes of growth, nature, and childhood.