Comfort Cinema

When I was a kid, my abuela often exclaimed that all she wanted to see was a “nice, sweet movie.” (One time she went to see a movie whose title in Spanish sounded promising: “The Sweet Cousins”. Unfortunately, it turned out to be French soft core porn.) Anyway, whenever she said that, I’d think, “Ay, abuela, how corny and boring!” As I recover from what appears to be a mild case of the virus, I’m beginning to see her point. I’ve tried to keep up to date with the news, but there’s only so much distressing information I can take, especially when all I want to do is sleep. So I decided to compile a list of movies that provide much-needed escape. I’ve tried to come up with titles the whole family can watch, regardless of age, but I’ve noted where there’s nudity or violence that might disturb young kids. One more thing: I enjoy watching Robert Osborne’s TCM intros before a flick, so I’ve included them where available.

True Grit (Western) – A teenage girl enlists the help of an outlaw in order to avenge her father’s murder. I prefer the Cohen brothers’ version but the original one is also available for free on Amazon Prime.

Blind Date (RomCom) – This is a charming comedy about two misfit neighbors who date and fall in love despite there being a wall between them — literally. Definitely gives a new spin to social distancing. Warning: Some adult situations. Netflix.

Casablanca (Drama) – Made in the middle of WWII, this classic film starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman might be particularly inspiring right about now. Either way, it’s always worth a watch.

Sing Street (Coming of Age musical dramedy) – A teenage boy in 80s Dublin starts a New Wave band in order to impress a glamorous older girl. It sounds cliched, but the girl is a well-written, fully rounded character in her own right.

Radio Days (Coming of Age dramedy) – A nostalgic, heartwarming look at a working class Jewish family living in the Rockaways in the 30s and 40s.

Today’s Special (RomCom) – Asif Mandvi is a chef who aspires to escape to Paris but ends up taking over his family’s failing Indian restaurant in Queens. Mandvi wrote the script and I wish he’d write some more because this one’s superb.

Groundhog Day (Comedy) – I haven’t seen this movie in years but it’s on AFI’s 100 Greatest Screenplays. Bill Murray is a selfish, cynical journalist who gets stuck reliving the same day while on assignment in a podunk town in New York. Netflix.

Charade (Comic thriller) – Wouldn’t it be fun to romp through 1960s Paris with Cary Grant? Thanks to Amazon Prime, you can! Pretend to be Audrey Hepburn, dressed to the nines in Givenchy, as she tries to figure out who killed her late husband. Amazon Prime.

My Man Godfrey (Screwball Comedy) – Carole Lombard plays a ditzy socialite who meets William Powell in a shantytown as part of a scavenger hunt. Amazon Prime, YouTube.

Moonstruck (RomCom) – If you ever wanted to be part of a boisterous New York Italian family, this is the film for you. Amazon Prime.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople (Family) – A foster child runs off to the New Zealand forest when his beloved foster mother dies and the state won’t allow him to stay with his foster father. Sounds sad, but it’s funny, heartfelt and exciting. Hulu.

Father Goose (Comedy/Family) – Cary Grant plays a feckless misanthrope who’s conned into helping the British in the Pacific during WWII. While on a night raid, he runs into boarding-school teacher Leslie Caron and seven little girls who only speak French.

The Court Jester (Comedy/Family) Danny Kaye’s inspired flights of silliness will delight very young viewers. Amazon Prime.

Antonia’s Line (Drama) – This feminist tale of a woman’s family from the 40s through the 90s is sad, funny, silly, and uplifting. Warning: there’s some full-frontal nudity.

The Illusionist (Period Romance) Ed Norton plays a magician in 1900s Vienna who shocks audiences when he summons a ghost accusing the crown prince of murder. The outstanding cast includes Paul Giammatti, Jessica Biel and Rufus Sewell. This one might be best reserved for older kids.

Sunset Boulevard (Drama) – Okay, this classic Billy Wilder flick skews dark, but it’s absorbing from the moment it starts, so I count that as a form of escape. William Holden plays a down-on-his-luck screenwriter who gets stuck in a psychodrama when he agrees to help a former movie star to stage a comeback. Amazon Prime.

The Apartment (Dark Comedy/Romance) – Jack Lemmon is a young office clerk who loans out his apartment so that his boss, Fred MacMurray, can have trysts there with his mistress. Unbeknownst to Lemmon, that woman is his crush, elevator operator, Shirley MacLaine. This Wilder comedy manages to combine truly dark moments with snappy dialogue and memorable characters. Amazon Prime.

Some Like it Hot – (Comedy) Another Billy Wilder masterpiece. Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis are unemployed musicians in 1920s Chicago who accidentally witness the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. On the run from the mob, they end up masquerading as women and join an all female jazz band fronted by Marilyn Monroe in full fizzy, dizzy glory. Amazon Prime.

That’s all for now. If you watch any of the movies on this list, let me know how it went!