There’s no place like home: 5 feel good movies that remind you of home

Whether it’s your first day of college, or you’re entering your last year, a new school year can bring its share of excitement as well as stress. One way to help combat any first-day nervousness is to relax with a feel-good feature. 

Before Sunrise

Available to rent (trust me, it’s worth the $3.99)

“Before Sunrise” is quite possibly a perfect movie that can’t help but make you feel at home. It is the first film in a truly fantastic trilogy that follows the romance between Jesse, portrayed by Ethan Hawke, and Celine, portrayed by Julie Delpy. 

This rewrites the standards for a romance film. It isn’t your typical boy-meets-girl situation. 

Jesse is on his way to catch a flight back to the United States and Celine is on her way to Paris; however, they have a core connection that leads them to spend the little time they have together exploring Vienna. 

By the end of this movie, you feel as invested in this relationship as the characters are because you pretty much lived every moment of the day with them.

It’ll have you laughing, crying, and wondering if there’s anywhere nearby that still has a record listening booth that still works.

Under the Tuscan Sun

Streaming on Amazon Prime Video

This film inspires me to want to make Italy my new home every time I watch it. “Under the Tuscan Sun” follows Frances Mayes, played by Diane Lane, a writer in San Francisco, as she attempts to rethink her life while on a trip to Italy. 

The film kicks off after Frances learns that her husband is cheating on her, and to help her regain a sense of self, her best friend Patti, portrayed by Sanda Oh, convinces her to go on a tour of Italy. 

During the trip, Frances impulsively decides to uproot her life and purchase a Tuscan villa. While on this new path, Frances dives into this culture meeting a sprawl of different characters with unique personalities. 

This story focuses on these ideas of reinvention, femininity, and independence, all with the Tuscan landscape in the background.

Moonrise Kingdom

Available for rent (this is also worth it)

Nothing makes you feel more at home than a storybook. “Moonrise Kingdom,” possibly my favorite Wes Anderson film, just feels like you’re flipping through pages of a picture book as you watch. 

The film follows two 12-year-olds, Sam, portrayed by Jared Gilman, and Suzy, portrayed by Kara Hayward, as they claim to have fallen in love and run away from home. 

Set in 1965 on a small island off the coast of New England, this small community seems to be its own world apart from anything happening elsewhere. 

There’s also a great cast of adults that are searching for Sam and Suzy, including Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, and Bill Murray. This quirky film can’t help but bring you back to that age of no responsibilities and pure imagination. 

The Parent Trap (1998)

Streaming on Disney+

“The Parent Trap” is a nostalgic classic that has that comforting feeling of home throughout. 

For anyone who hasn’t seen it or if it’s been a while since your last watch, “The Parent Trap” is a remake of a film that came out in 1961 of the same name and follows a similar premise. 

Two girls meet at summer camp, learn that they’re actually twins separated at birth, and decide to switch places with the goal of meeting their other parent and reuniting them when they have to get switched back. 

The standout of this film is the incredible introduction of Lindsay Lohan. It’s hard to imagine this was her first film because she manages to bring life to not one but two characters.

Whether you never got to enjoy this or haven’t seen it since you were a kid, it’s worth the watch and definitely holds up.

Mamma Mia

Streaming on Peacock

If Italy doesn’t work out, this movie also makes Greece seem like a gorgeous place to make a future home. “Mamma Mia” is a movie that’s less about the story and more about the show-stopping music and dance sequences. 

That being said, the story follows Sophie, portrayed by Amanda Seyfried, who has been raised by her single mother Donna, portrayed by Meryl Streep. 

The film begins as Sophie is trying to figure out who her father is by inviting three potential men who all slept with her mother around the same time to her upcoming wedding. 

This film goes on to prove that I don’t think there’s anything Meryl Streep can’t do. Even with the, at times, bad singing, it’s still hilarious, fun, and just makes for a feel-good feature. 

If you love this, definitely check out the sequel, which I have to say I think I might love even more than this one.