I saw "The Taste of Things" at my local independent cinema last winter. A film set at a country chateau in the Loire Valley in the summer of 1885 was the perfect antidote to a cold, dreary February afternoon.
Great list!!! Moonrise Kingdom by Wes Anderson & A League of Their Own are also on my summer list. Anderson captures the New England summer aesthetic, but of course it’s not just the looks it’s the mood, the contrast of possibilities and responsibilities. A League of Their Own is of course the best Baseball movie ever, so that one is self explanatory.
Ps. Rear Window is probably the only movie I watch every single summer, on that day when I simply cannot take the heat anymore and the brooding air and insects and humidity literally make me angry. It’s perfection.
Great recommendations, thank you! I haven't started my Wes Anderson journey yet and that sounds like an idea place to start. You captured the exact vibe of Rear Window. Love it!
LOVE this list. What a perfectly curated list, I never would have paired some of these films together, but they really do all share a similar sort of vibe.
This is a fabulous list. How to Steal a Million is one of my very favorites of all time. I've been waiting to watch The Secret Life of Arietty until we read The Borrowers. I read and really enjoyed Foster, so I definitely need to watch The Quiet Girl. And Stand by Me looks like a great film to watch with my husband.
I always gravitate to musicals in the summer. The Music Man, Brigadoon, Hello Dolly etc. Haley Mills movies: The Moon Spinners, Summer Magic, Pollyanna. Screwball comedies: Bringing Up Baby, You Can't Take it With You, The Thin Man.
Also, I remember really loving Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources when I watched them in a French film class.
Also summer isn't summer for me without Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado :)
Ahhh! I'm so glad you know How to Steal a Million. I've introduced it to so many people I've felt like I made it up or something 😂 Absolutely agree on Branagh's Much Ado. Thoroughly Modern Millie is on my list for a new-to-me musical this summer (Mary Tyler Moore tap dancing in an elevator, who kept this from me!!!). Brigadoon is perfect for gloomy summer. The first time I saw it I thought they really filmed on location, because the scenery was so lovely. Pollyanna is such a great summer film! My mother-in-law has prisms all over her house, and it always makes me think of that story.
LOL Melody we're living parallel lives. I'm visiting my parents right now with my kids and my daughter is obsessed with the prisms my mom has hanging near the windows...inspired by Pollyanna.
Have you seen Kiss Me Kate? That's another super fun musical! Also Doris Day's Pillow Talk and Katharine Hepburn's Desk Set are both great. Haven't seen them since high school but it's all coming back to me.
And why isn't How to Steal a Million better known? I discovered it at my local library in high school (we had a great retro film collection) and it delighted me and my much younger brothers who couldn't get over how great the boomerang bits were.
Oh my word we are! Bahaha. I have to add those musicals to my list, I am severely under-watched in Doris Day! I ended up cutting this out of the article, but I first watched An American in Paris at my ballet school. We had a sleepover on the marley one summer, and we kept getting up and dancing to the consternation of our teachers who were trying to get us to settle down. The Princess Bride worked for that, because we'd all seen it before and it didn't have dancing (unless you count sword fighting, which I kind of do, because it was so beautifully choreographed). 😂
This is a great list, Melody! All these films really capture the vibe of summer. I didn’t know Foster had been adapted into a film. My wife and I will definitely be watching The Quiet Girl soon!
Thank you Jonathon! I can't recall exactly, but I found out about the Foster adaptation in a roundabout way. Since it doesn't have the same name (and a different name in Irish) it didn't come up when I was looking up things about the book, which is my favorite of Keegan's. Hope you and your wife enjoy!
Depth in simplicity is such a good way to describe it. I sobbed three times while watching it. Hope I can help it get a slightly larger viewership here in the US.
For me, watching Gosford Park was like having someone draw a warm bath that you could slip into and just luxuriate; effortlessly being enveloped by it.
An amazing cast directed by Robert Altman. Be comfortable in a quiet space and let it flow over/through you.
I see you are a wool worker, this is an inventive wool animation from India with full video on YouTube. One of my favorite substacks. Worth supporting them with a one month paid subscription which gives you access to their archive, https://substack.com/@animationobsessive/note/c-127858319
An adaptation of The Borrowers? How delightful! How to Steal a Million sounds so fun! The only movie in this list I've seen is The Hundred-Foot Journey, and I loved it. I have a list of movies to watch on summer afternoons when I hate heat...this is going to bulk it up nicely! LOL
LOL! I hope this brings you some cool comfort! The Secret World of Arietty especially, some scenes take place at night (when the Borrowers "borrow") and it's just lovely and cool and green in general. How to Steal a Million is SO much fun, a great movie night kind of movie. :)
We've seen Stand by Me and Rear Window, and I've put The Quiet Girl and The Secret World of Arrietty on hold at my library. One of my daughters just finished The Borrowers, so the timing is perfect. I've never heard of The Quiet Girl, but it sounds like the perfect movie for me to watch while my husband takes the kids to the raceway this weekend.
Yes, perfect timing! I watched The Quiet Girl while home alone and it was really great to watch alone (I cried so much and it was nice to do that uninterrupted). Rear Window is on my "don't watch while home alone" list, haha. Wishing you happy movie nights this summer!
Stand by me is so important for me, I used the main song for my quinceañera dance with my father, who I really don’t have a very good relationship, but when we were dancing and I was so nervous bc everybody was watching me he said “just listen to the song and enjoy dancing like you did when you were little”.
What a lovely list! I’m so interested in watching The Quiet Girl and reading the novella. This is the first I’ve heard of either and it feels so up my alley!
I’d add Now & Then (an all time favorite) and The Sandlot. Both make me nostalgic for a 1960s summer. Also a plug for, Picnic at Hanging Rock - it’s moody, mysterious, and beautifully atmospheric. I think it fits your list well!
Oh, I love Now & Then! It's a great pairing with Stand by Me IMO, boys/girls and 1959/1970. Amazing to see how American childhood changed (and didn't change) in a decade. I am intrigued by Picnic at Hanging Rock, thank you for the recommendation! 😊
I remember when Secret World of Arriety first came out, my brother and I were taking some film classes together and had some time to kill between classes, so we went to see it. It was a clear day when we went into the theater. After the movie we walked out, and a huge thunder storm was brewing. We still had time to kill so we just sat in the car in the parking lot and enjoyed it. Great memory.
Great list! Have you seen The Taste of Things? I think it fits into this category nicely. And it's set in France!
I saw "The Taste of Things" at my local independent cinema last winter. A film set at a country chateau in the Loire Valley in the summer of 1885 was the perfect antidote to a cold, dreary February afternoon.
That sounds wonderful! Added to my list. Thank you both for the double recommendation!
Great list!!! Moonrise Kingdom by Wes Anderson & A League of Their Own are also on my summer list. Anderson captures the New England summer aesthetic, but of course it’s not just the looks it’s the mood, the contrast of possibilities and responsibilities. A League of Their Own is of course the best Baseball movie ever, so that one is self explanatory.
Ps. Rear Window is probably the only movie I watch every single summer, on that day when I simply cannot take the heat anymore and the brooding air and insects and humidity literally make me angry. It’s perfection.
Great recommendations, thank you! I haven't started my Wes Anderson journey yet and that sounds like an idea place to start. You captured the exact vibe of Rear Window. Love it!
LOVE this list. What a perfectly curated list, I never would have paired some of these films together, but they really do all share a similar sort of vibe.
Thank you! I'm so glad it made sense. I really did go by vibe, and somehow it clicked for me, glad it did for you too!
This is a fabulous list. How to Steal a Million is one of my very favorites of all time. I've been waiting to watch The Secret Life of Arietty until we read The Borrowers. I read and really enjoyed Foster, so I definitely need to watch The Quiet Girl. And Stand by Me looks like a great film to watch with my husband.
I always gravitate to musicals in the summer. The Music Man, Brigadoon, Hello Dolly etc. Haley Mills movies: The Moon Spinners, Summer Magic, Pollyanna. Screwball comedies: Bringing Up Baby, You Can't Take it With You, The Thin Man.
Also, I remember really loving Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources when I watched them in a French film class.
Also summer isn't summer for me without Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado :)
Ahhh! I'm so glad you know How to Steal a Million. I've introduced it to so many people I've felt like I made it up or something 😂 Absolutely agree on Branagh's Much Ado. Thoroughly Modern Millie is on my list for a new-to-me musical this summer (Mary Tyler Moore tap dancing in an elevator, who kept this from me!!!). Brigadoon is perfect for gloomy summer. The first time I saw it I thought they really filmed on location, because the scenery was so lovely. Pollyanna is such a great summer film! My mother-in-law has prisms all over her house, and it always makes me think of that story.
LOL Melody we're living parallel lives. I'm visiting my parents right now with my kids and my daughter is obsessed with the prisms my mom has hanging near the windows...inspired by Pollyanna.
Have you seen Kiss Me Kate? That's another super fun musical! Also Doris Day's Pillow Talk and Katharine Hepburn's Desk Set are both great. Haven't seen them since high school but it's all coming back to me.
And why isn't How to Steal a Million better known? I discovered it at my local library in high school (we had a great retro film collection) and it delighted me and my much younger brothers who couldn't get over how great the boomerang bits were.
Oh my word we are! Bahaha. I have to add those musicals to my list, I am severely under-watched in Doris Day! I ended up cutting this out of the article, but I first watched An American in Paris at my ballet school. We had a sleepover on the marley one summer, and we kept getting up and dancing to the consternation of our teachers who were trying to get us to settle down. The Princess Bride worked for that, because we'd all seen it before and it didn't have dancing (unless you count sword fighting, which I kind of do, because it was so beautifully choreographed). 😂
This is a great list, Melody! All these films really capture the vibe of summer. I didn’t know Foster had been adapted into a film. My wife and I will definitely be watching The Quiet Girl soon!
Thank you Jonathon! I can't recall exactly, but I found out about the Foster adaptation in a roundabout way. Since it doesn't have the same name (and a different name in Irish) it didn't come up when I was looking up things about the book, which is my favorite of Keegan's. Hope you and your wife enjoy!
The Quiet Girl is one of my all time favorites. Such depth in its simplicity. Thank you for featuring it.
Depth in simplicity is such a good way to describe it. I sobbed three times while watching it. Hope I can help it get a slightly larger viewership here in the US.
For me, watching Gosford Park was like having someone draw a warm bath that you could slip into and just luxuriate; effortlessly being enveloped by it.
Ooh, I haven't seen that one yet. Thank you! Love the analogy!
An amazing cast directed by Robert Altman. Be comfortable in a quiet space and let it flow over/through you.
I see you are a wool worker, this is an inventive wool animation from India with full video on YouTube. One of my favorite substacks. Worth supporting them with a one month paid subscription which gives you access to their archive, https://substack.com/@animationobsessive/note/c-127858319
Wow, I LOVE that! Thank you for sharing! 🐑 Well worth checking out their archive.
welcome. the painted on glass animation is incredible
Arietty is a pretty underrated ghibli film I think, but that OST is honestly SO good!
Yes, I agree!
An adaptation of The Borrowers? How delightful! How to Steal a Million sounds so fun! The only movie in this list I've seen is The Hundred-Foot Journey, and I loved it. I have a list of movies to watch on summer afternoons when I hate heat...this is going to bulk it up nicely! LOL
LOL! I hope this brings you some cool comfort! The Secret World of Arietty especially, some scenes take place at night (when the Borrowers "borrow") and it's just lovely and cool and green in general. How to Steal a Million is SO much fun, a great movie night kind of movie. :)
Haha thank you! Both sound delightful! 🥰
We've seen Stand by Me and Rear Window, and I've put The Quiet Girl and The Secret World of Arrietty on hold at my library. One of my daughters just finished The Borrowers, so the timing is perfect. I've never heard of The Quiet Girl, but it sounds like the perfect movie for me to watch while my husband takes the kids to the raceway this weekend.
Thanks for writing this.
Yes, perfect timing! I watched The Quiet Girl while home alone and it was really great to watch alone (I cried so much and it was nice to do that uninterrupted). Rear Window is on my "don't watch while home alone" list, haha. Wishing you happy movie nights this summer!
Stand by me is so important for me, I used the main song for my quinceañera dance with my father, who I really don’t have a very good relationship, but when we were dancing and I was so nervous bc everybody was watching me he said “just listen to the song and enjoy dancing like you did when you were little”.
That is a memory to treasure. Thank you. ❤️
Such a great list - chef’s kiss
Thank you! 😊
What a lovely list! I’m so interested in watching The Quiet Girl and reading the novella. This is the first I’ve heard of either and it feels so up my alley!
I’d add Now & Then (an all time favorite) and The Sandlot. Both make me nostalgic for a 1960s summer. Also a plug for, Picnic at Hanging Rock - it’s moody, mysterious, and beautifully atmospheric. I think it fits your list well!
Oh, I love Now & Then! It's a great pairing with Stand by Me IMO, boys/girls and 1959/1970. Amazing to see how American childhood changed (and didn't change) in a decade. I am intrigued by Picnic at Hanging Rock, thank you for the recommendation! 😊
What a great list! Stand by me is one of my favorite movie! I was just talking about it today! 🤗
Ahhh I love the serendipity! Thank you! 😊
I remember when Secret World of Arriety first came out, my brother and I were taking some film classes together and had some time to kill between classes, so we went to see it. It was a clear day when we went into the theater. After the movie we walked out, and a huge thunder storm was brewing. We still had time to kill so we just sat in the car in the parking lot and enjoyed it. Great memory.
Oh, that's so special. Love how the experience was made better by the weather!
Loved The Quiet Girl so much! And Stand By Me - ah- I’d forgotten that one. Love your whole list!! Thank you!!!
Thank you! Isn't it the best? Glad you enjoyed! :)