Feelgood summer movies
It's been a year for April showers and wash-out bank holidays and no doubt Brits everywhere are craving a bit of sunshine. With any luck the warm weather is on its way and just to get you in the mood for the long, hot days and balmy evenings (or remind you what you're missing), we've rounded up a list of the feel-good films to give you that summer glow.
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Grease
Even if you're not a musicals fan, the kids from Rydell High are guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Having fallen for Aussie girl Sandy over a summer at the beach, Danny Zuko does his best to play it cool when she turns up at school. His inevitably flawed attempts to win her back are set to a soundtrack of songs you almost certainly know the words to, even if you won't admit it, and a light-hearted look at high school life. By the time Olivia Newton-John squeezes into those skintight trousers, you'll be grinning like a Cheshire cat and singing shoo-bop sha wadda wadda yippity boom de boom with the best of 'em.
Dirty Dancing
Jennifer Grey, aka 'Baby', falls for dirty dancing Patrick Swayze in the ultimate holiday romance. It's the age-old story of middle-class daddy's girl meets boy from the wrong side of the tracks as Baby learns about freedom and responsibility. Crowd-pleasing dance sequences, romance and a great 1960s soundtrack have turned Dirty Dancing from guilty pleasure to coming-of-age classic.
Stand By Me
Four childhood friends, each of them trying to cope with their own deeply personal trauma, go on a journey to find the dead body of a missing boy thought to have been hit by a train. Okay, so it doesn't sound like a bundle of laughs but Stand By Me reminds us of the hopes, dreams fears and pressures of our own childhoods, as well as that seemingly unbreakable bond we felt with our friends. Pathos, a few laughs, a fabulous soundtrack and well-acted, it's a coming-of-age story that is made all the more poignant thanks to a stand-out performance by River Phoenix, whose life was so tragically cut short.
Mamma Mia
Sorry chaps, it's another musical but this star-studded movie version of the hit stage show has so much energy you'll be singing along to Dancing Queen before you know it. Ex-rock chick Meryl Streep and her gal pals have a riot as Streep's daughter Amanda Seyfried journeys to Greece to marry sweetheart Dominic Cooper. Throw three of Meryl's exes into the mix in the shape of Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard, any of whom could be Seyfried's father, and you've got a charming, Abba-packed comedy with heart. Add sumptuous Greek locations and a sizeable movie star karaoke, and you've got plenty of good, clean summertime fun.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Skipping school has never been this much fun. Teens everywhere watched in awe as Ferris, played by Matthew Broderick, borrowed a vintage Ferrari, dined out as Abe Froman the Sausage King, took a starring role in a street parade and took in the sights and sounds of Chicago with girlfriend Sloane Peterson and angst-ridden best friend Cameron. As Ferris so famously put it: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't look around once in a while, you could miss it."
What's your favourite feelgood summertime film? Let us know below...
