11 movies to make you feel like you're far from your couch
It’s summer, but you might not know it because we’re still staying home and safe.
Traveling is basically out of the question. Instead of sobbing our way through the season (just kidding, the world is on fire and crying is a very reasonable response), take your mind off of the horrible headlines and indulge yourself in a movie marathon to make you feel like you’re not in your living room.
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From classics to family favorites, these movies will help you escape the four walls of your house for a few hours.
"Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (2008): Aloha! Let this Judd Apatow comedy send you to Hawaii with newly single Jason Segel as he attempts to use a vacation to get over his ex (Kristen Bell). Unfortunately, Bell is there too with the guy she cheated on Segel with. Chaos ensues.Most Vacationy Scene: Jason Segel and Paul Rudd go surfing in the ocean.
"Now and Then" (1995): It’s the suburban summer of simpler times as four very different BFFs experience love, loss and life in the context of their ever-changing friendship. Most Vacationy Scene: All the kids in the neighborhood team up for an epic game of Red Rover, Red Rover.
"Mamma Mia! And Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!" (2008 and 2018): Summering in Greece has never been easier with this back-to-back musical theater experience set to the songs of ABBA. Most Vacationy Scenes: When everyone sings “Dancing Queen” (Duh!) and traipses by the aquamarine water. Idyllic and theatrical!
"The Holiday" (2006): Get the best of both worlds when Los Angeles-native Amanda (Cameron Diaz) and Iris (Kate Winslet) in the English countryside swap houses in an attempt to run from their disastrous love lives and into the arms of something (and someone) new. This was before the days of Airbnb! Most Vacationy Scene: When Kate Winslet arrives at Diaz’s LA home and runs excitedly through every massive, well-appointed room before falling head first into the world’s most comfortable-looking bed.
"Palm Springs" (2020): "Groundhog Day" meets "Bachelor in Paradise" when two wedding guests find themselves lampooned inside of a long weekend in the desert that never seems to end. Most Vacationy Scene: Anytime they’re in the pool with nothing to do and no where to go. When every day is the same, who needs a towel?
"Girls Trip" (2017):Four besties leave their regular lives behind for the vacation of a lifetime to New Orleans when one of them is invited there to speak at Essence Fest. If you're missing friends, hanging out with friends, hugging your friends and laughing with your friends, this hilarious comedy will only make you miss it more. Sorry.Most Vacationy Scene: The Dance Battle in a crowded and sweaty bar will get you off the couch and onto the dance flo—I mean, the rug.
"What About Bob?" (1991): Family drama and comedy meet in matrimony in this '90s laugh out loud film about a psychotherapist’s patient who tracks down his doctor while on family vaca.Most Vacationy Scene: Anytime anyone is trying, unsuccessfully, to relax. Now that’s vacation reality!
"Under the Tuscan Sun" (2003): When an author (Diane Lane) makes the impulsive decision to, you know, buy a villa in Tuscany in an attempt to liven up her life, it’s just the most relatable thing ever! Most Vacationy Scene: When Diane Lane practically floats into Positano wearing a wonderful white dress. Grab the wine!
"You've Got Mail" (1998): Don't you just love New York in the fall? If you'd rather trade in the heat and humidity for hot coffee and falling leaves, look no further than Nora Ephron's hit about what happens when you find love from behind the computer screen. Most Vacationy Scene: When Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) takes his brother and niece to a autumn-themed block party on the Upper West Side. You can almost smell the air.
"Jaws" (1975): If you like a good thrill, grab a towel and your sunscreen and head to the shores of Amity Island to kick back and relax, but be on the lookout for a massive shark that's reportedly been killing townspeople in the run up to the big Fourth of July weekend. Most Vacationy Scene: Right as the movie opens, you see a shot of a bunch of teens on the beach gathered around a bonfire drinking beer. Remember hanging out with people?
"Johnson Family Vacation" (2004): "National Lampoon's" meets "Rat Race" in this hilarious comedy about a family who runs into chaos while road tripping across the country to an extended family reunion. Most Vacationy Scene: When son DJ (Bow Wow) and dad Nate (Cedric the Entertainer) argue about who gets to control the soundtrack on the road trip. #Relatable
