24 movies to help you get ready for summer
The carefree vibes of summer can sometimes feel far away. Here are 24 movies to help you get in a summertime mood.
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1. ‘The Parent Trap’ (1998)
Identical twins Annie and Hallie (Lindsay Lohan) are strangers until they meet by coincidence at summer camp. The girls’ divorced parents live far away from each other — each with one daughter. After meeting at camp, the girls hatch a plan to swap identities so they can spend time with the parent they have missed.
Where to watch: Disney+.
Rated: PG, for mild mischief, per IMDb.
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2. ‘The Goonies’ (1985)
A ragtag group of kids embarks on a treasure hunt through underground caverns and past dangerous obstacles in the hopes of finding a legendary pirate’s long-lost treasure — and saving their property from being sold and turned into a country club.
Where to watch: Hulu, Sling TV.
Rated: PG, for mild profanity and frightening scenes.
3. ‘The Way Way Back’ (2013)
Awkward, introverted teenager Duncan (Liam James) must spend the summer in a small seaside town with his mother (Toni Collette), her harsh boyfriend Trent (Steve Carell) and Trent’s snobby daughter (Zoe Levin). To escape Trent’s constant harassment, Duncan gets a job at a nearby aging waterpark, where he finds a makeshift family when he most needs one.
Where to watch: Rent from YouTube TV, Amazon Prime, Apple TV.
Rated: PG-13, for thematic elements, language, some sexual content and brief drug material, per IMDb.
4. ‘The Sandlot’ (1993)
As the new kid in town, Scottie Smalls struggles to find a place to fit in. After making friends with a tight-knit but welcoming motley crew of kids who play baseball at the sandlot, the boys spend the summer going on a series of playful and funny adventures — until Scottie steals a valuable baseball from his stepfather.
Where to watch: YouTube TV, Starz, Hulu, Amazon Prime.
Rated: PG, for mild language and kids chewing tobacco.
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5. ‘A League of Their Own’ (1992)
While America’s men are off fighting in World War II, competitive sisters Dottie Hinson (Geena Davis) and Kit Keller (Lori Petty) are recruited to join the first professional all-female team. Their bad-tempered coach (Tom Hanks) hopes to bring the struggling team to fame.
Where to watch: Netflix, AMC+, YouTube TV.
Rated: PG, for language.
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6. ‘Chasing Mavericks’ (2012)
Teenage surf prodigy Jay Moriarty (Jonny Weston) discovers that one of the biggest waves in the world — the mythic Mavericks surf break— is located near his home in California. Jay seeks help from local surf legend Frosty Hesson (Gerard Butler) to teach him how to conquer the Mavericks.
Where to watch: Hulu.
Rated: PG, for thematic elements and perilous action.
7. ‘E.T the Extra-Terrestrial’ (1982)
A kindly alien stranded on earth is befriended by a young boy named Elliott (Henry Thomas). Elliott names the alien E.T., brings him home and introduces him to his brother and his little sister, Gertie (Drew Barrymore). They vow to keep his existence a secret. But things get complicated when E.T. gets sick.
Where to watch: Rent from YouTube TV, Amazon Prime, Apple TV.
Rated: PG, for language and mild thematic elements.
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8. ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ (2012)
Twelve-year-old Sam (Jared Gilman) escapes scout camp to run off with Suzy (Kara Hayward). As a violent storm approaches, a band of quirky adults sets off to find the pair of young lovers before tragedy strikes.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime.
Rated: PG-13, for mild sexual content and smoking.
9. ‘Roman Holiday’ (1953)
In need of a break from her busy touring schedule, a European princess named Ann (Audrey Hepburn) goes out for a night in Rome. Ann falls asleep on a park bench when a sedative she took from her doctor kicks in. Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck), an American reporter, finds her and takes her home. When Joe discovers Ann is a princess, he bets his editor he can get an interview with her.
Where to watch: Paramount+, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime.
Rated: G.
10. ‘Something’s Gotta Give’ (2003)
Harry Sandborn (Jack Nicholson) is pushing mid-60s and still wants to date women far younger than him. When Harry and his young girlfriend, Marin (Amanda Peet) arrive at Marin’s family beach house, they discover her mother, Erica Barry (Diane Keaton), also had plans to stay. Harry suffers from a heart attack and his doctor (Keanu Reeves) puts him on bed rest. During his stay, Harry realizes he may be falling for a woman his own age.
Where to watch: Paramount+, Tubi, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime.
Rated: PG-13, for sexual content and language.
11. ‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’ (2005)
Best friends Bridget (Blake Lively), Carmen (America Ferrera), Lena (Alexis Bledel) and Tibby (Amber Tamblyn) are all embarking on separate adventures for the summer. To stay connected, the girls take turns sharing a pair of jeans that fits all four girls — and provides them with a bit of good luck.
Where to watch: Rent from YouTube TV, Amazon Prime, Apple TV.
Rated: PG, for thematic elements and language.
12. ‘Surf’s Up’ (2007)
Surfing is Cody Maverick’s (Shia LaBeouf) passion. Followed by a crew of documentary filmmakers, Cody leaves his podunk town in Antarctica to participate in the Big Z Memorial Surf Off. Cody is convinced that winning the surf-off will bring him the admiration and respect he desperately desires. Cody crosses paths with a washed-up surfer who teaches him what is truly important.
Where to watch: Netflix.
Rated: PG, for mild language and some rude humor.
13. ‘The Endless Summer’ (1966)
Documentary filmmaker and competitive surfer Bruce Brown follows professional surfers Michael Hynson and Robert August around the world on a surfing adventure. The pack of surfers travel from California to Hawaii, Australia, South Africa and other surfing spots in search of the perfect wave.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime, YouTube TV, Tubi, Sling TV.
Rated: Not rated.
14. ‘Dirty Dancing’ (1987)
Wholesome teen “Baby” (Jennifer Grey) is stuck spending the last summer of her youth with her family at a sleepy resort in the Catskills. Baby has a change in attitude when the resort’s charming dance instructor (Patrick Swayze) selects her to be his new dance partner.
Where to watch: Paramount+, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime.
Rated: PG-13, for language and sexual content.
15. ‘Aquamarine’ (2006)
Best friends Hailey (JoJo) and Claire (Emma Roberts) discover a mermaid at the bottom of their beach club’s pool. The sassy sea creature, Aquamarine (Sara Paxton), wants to prove to her father that love exists — with help from her new friends, she might find true love.
Where to watch: Disney+.
Rated: PG, for mild language.
16. ‘My Girl’ (1991)
Tomboy Vada Sultenfuss (Anna Chlumsky) has a morbid outlook on life for a 10-year-old — her mother died in childbirth and her father runs a funeral service from their home. The kids at school think she is strange, and it doesn’t help that her best friend is a boy (Macaulay Culkin).
Where to watch: Paramount+, Showtime, YouTube TV, Hulu.
Rated: PG, for mild language and intense scenes.
17. ‘Holes’ (2003)
Stanley Yelnats (Shia LaBeouf) and his family are tormented by bad luck from an ancient curse that has followed the Yelnats family for generations. He is unjustly sent to a brutal boys camp where the campers are forced to dig holes every day in the hot desert sun. It doesn’t take long for Stanley to discover the real reason the campers are required to dig holes.
Where to watch: Disney+.
Rated: PG, for violence, mild language and thematic elements.
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18. ‘High School Musical 2’ (2007)
It’s summer at East High School, and the wildcats are eager to work together at a wealthy country club owned by Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) and Ryan’s (Lucas Gabriel) family. The seemingly-perfect summer plans take an unexpected turn when the wildcats discover Sharpay hired Troy (Zac Efron) with an ulterior motive.
Where to watch: Disney+.
Rated: G.
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19. ‘Grease’ (1978)
A straight-laced exchange student named Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) and leather-clad greaser Danny (John Travolta) fall in love over the summer. They unexpectedly discover that they attend the same high school — can their feelings for each other overcome their high school cliques?
Where to watch: Max, Hulu.
Rated: PG, for sexual references, teen smoking and drinking, language.
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20. ‘Because of Winn-Dixie’ (2005)
After moving with her preacher father (Jeff Daniels) to a small town in Florida, 10-year-old Opal (AnnaSophia Robb) is in desperate need of friends. Opal befriends a mischievous dog she names Winn-Dixie, who helps Opal make new friends and helps to heal her relationship with her father.
Where to watch: YouTube TV, Hulu, Disney+.
Rated: PG, for thematic elements and brief mild language.
21. ‘Cheaper by the Dozen 2’ (2005)
Tom Baker (Steve Martin) wants to treat his rapidly-growing 12 kids to a final trip at the lake. They end up staying at a shoddy cabin across the lake from Tom’s old nemesis Jimmy Murtaugh (Eugene Levy) and his eight children. A not-so-friendly rivalry between the families threatens to ruin the Baker family vacation.
Where to watch: Disney+.
Rated: PG, for some crude humor and mild language.
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22. ‘Blue Crush’ (2002)
Anne Marie (Kate Bosworth) is determined to become a champion surfer. She’s up at the crack of dawn every morning to hone her skills for the Rip Masters surf competition. Everything comes together perfectly until pro quarterback Matt Tollman (Matthew Davis) catches her eye and threatens to throw her off balance.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime.
Rated: PG-13, for sexual content, teen partying, language and a fight.
23. ‘The Baby-Sitters Club’ (1995)
When Kristy Thomas, president of The Baby-Sitters Club, proposes the club run a summer day camp, all the girls agree it is the perfect way to spend the summer together. The girls support one another as they each suffer through the growing pains of adolescence in unique ways.
Where to watch: Rent from YouTube TV, Amazon Prime, Apple TV.
Rated: PG, for brief mild language.
24. ‘In The Heights’ (2021)
In Washington Heights, New York, bodega owner Usnavi saves every penny while dreaming of escaping to the shores of his native Dominican Republic. Usnavi plays a vital role in his tight-knit community — he takes care of the elderly woman next door, watches over his young cousin and pines after his childhood best friend, who has just returned from her first year of college.
Where to watch: Max, Amazon Prime.
Rated: PG-13, for some language and suggestive references.
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