We’ve entered the ‘ber months, and that means we might need to start bracing for the seasonal mood switch, right? Even with all the cozy vibes, it can get tough in the later months, what with less daylight, colder temps, and all of that. So, movie nights should help.
Everyone’s got their go-to comfort films, but sometimes, you want to mix it up. So, we’ve come up with a backup list for you — some movies that are just about guaranteed to leave you with a smile on your face once you’ve finished watching them.
Here are five feel-good movies to stream in September.
Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!
Film adaptations of Dr. Seuss’ work have been … pretty wild, to say the least. There’s the fever dream that is the live-action “Cat in the Hat,” there’s the beloved Christmas movie that is Jim Carrey’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” and plenty more. But for this list, we’re going the animated route, with “Horton Hears a Who.”
Ironically, Carrey stars in this one too. Here he plays Horton, an elephant who discovers an entire civilization on a speck of dust, thanks to his elephant ears. He befriends the mayor of the town — Whoville, of course — and promises to keep their floating speck safe. That becomes pretty hard though, when Horton’s own world thinks he’s crazy because they can’t hear or see any whos.
It’s Dr. Seuss, so this movie has a lot of good lessons, but chief among them is to just help people whenever you can. It’s a sweet film that’ll surely give you some warm fuzzies.
You can stream it now on HBO Max.
Miss Congeniality
“Practical Magic 2” hits theaters on Sept. 10, bringing all the spooky season vibes you need this September. But if you’re a bit of a scaredy cat, that might be a little much. Instead, I offer Sandra Bullock in “Miss Congeniality.”
Here, she stars as not a witch, but an FBI agent. She’s a bit of a loose cannon agent, but a devoted one. When the Miss United States pageant is threatened, Gracie (Bullock) goes undercover as a contestant, hoping to sniff out the terrorist and keep her fellow contestants safe. The thing is, Gracie’s always had a disdain for women like the ones who compete in pageants.
But, in going undercover, Gracie learns just how incredible those women actually are, and develops some real friendships. Together they gorge on pizza, go to a paint party, learn self-defense and more. It’s one in a million.
You can stream “Miss Congeniality” on HBO Max.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
“Coyote vs. Acme” is now in theaters, and it would make a pretty great double feature with “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” for more reasons than one.
The core one, naturally, is the fact that both are heartfelt stories that are told in the form of a genuinely great hybrid between animation and live-action. “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” tells the story of Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins), a private investigator with a grudge against toons — he lives in a world where toons and humans co-exist — who is hired to help exonerate Roger Rabbit, after the toon is framed for murder.
Roger is as goofy as they come, but he’s devoted to his wife and to his job — he’s not a murderer. What follows is almost two hours (though it doesn’t feel like it) of delightful hijinks, innovative creativity and plain old fun times. Christopher Lloyd is mildly terrifying in this, but it’s okay, you’ll adjust to it.
You can stream “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” on Disney+ now.
Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion
“Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion” is good for a lot of reasons, but it is a particularly underrated Elaine Hendrix performance. That’s not why I’m recommending it here, it just felt worth noting.
What really makes this movie a feel-good film is its message, it’s cast at large, and of course, its needle drops. “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion” tells the story of Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michele (Lisa Kudrow), two underachieving women in L.A. When their high school reunion rolls around, they decide to make up fake careers for themselves to impress their former classmates, who have found success.
But, at the end of the day, they realize that just about everyone is faking some aspect of their lives, and Romy and Michele are actually happy with what they’ve got. It’s a reminder we could all serve to remember every now and then, and we’re stoked to see what comes from the sequel.
“Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion” is streaming now on Pluto TV.
Father of the Bride
Listen, Nancy Meyers knows how to craft an aesthetic, and with September officially underway, that aesthetic is especially welcoming in “Father of the Bride.”
Steve Martin stars as George Banks, a man who’s been struggling with his daughter getting married after only three months of knowing her groom-to-be. The exorbitant bill for said wedding does nothing to help out, and as a result, George isn’t always the most supportive father through everything. Fortunately, he has his wife Nina (Diane Keaton) to encourage and help him, and scold him when needed.
“Father of the Bride” is really just a fall comfort film, and it will definitely help you set your September vibes.
“Father of the Bride” is now streaming on Hulu and on Disney+.
