Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge! (2001)
(20th Century Studios)

Feel-Good Movies Clearly Are the Best

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A feel-good movie is something that can completely change your mood. I have quite a few personal favorites, many of which I’ve already screamed about into the universe. From Ricki and the Flash to I, Tonya; Moulin Rouge; and Rocketman, I have so many movies that I like to put on when I’m feeling sad and cry over.

It’s the way we exist in this world. There are comforts that we find that are extremely useful when we’re upset—meaning that when the world gets to be too much, we can then turn our attention to the movie and forget, for a little while, about whatever is happening in our lives.

Maybe it’s just because the world of cinema (and often television) lets us escape, but there is something so beautiful about the love of a movie that never really leaves us. For me, I’ve loved Moulin Rouge since 2001, and so now, as a 28-year-old, I don’t really remember a time when I didn’t look to Satine and Christian’s love story for an escape. And even with newer movies, there’s just a joy in finding that movie that you cling to that stays with you, oftentimes after just one viewing.

More often than not, I rewatch Spider-Man: Homecoming because I know that I’ll cry and laugh and enjoy myself and let whatever is bothering me roll off my back. I know that I won’t leave this movie and want to crawl back into a blanket and never look at the world again, and maybe that’s why our “feel-good” movies are so important to us all. We know that when we turn to them, we can end up feeling just a little bit better.

All of this came to me because Amazon Prime Video tweeted out to us this question:

When Twitter started to answer the call, their responses ranged from the entire Harry Potter series to Big Fish and beyond because honestly, there are just so many movies we can turn to and rewatch to bring us joy.

What’s your favorite movie to put on just to forget about things for a while? Let us know what your choice is in the comments below, Mary Suevians!

(image: Fox)

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Rachel Leishman
Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. She's been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff's biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she's your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh. She has multiple podcasts, normally has opinions on any bit of pop culture, and can tell you can actors entire filmography off the top of her head. Her current obsession is Glen Powell's dog, Brisket. Her work at the Mary Sue often includes Star Wars, Marvel, DC, movie reviews, and interviews.