If I’m in a blue mood, one of the best ways to distract myself, and give myself a quick shot of cheer, is to watch a laugh-inducing movie.
Last week, I posted about 7 great movies about the nature of happiness and love. These are wonderful movies; they’re transcendent, but not in a laugh-out-loud way. It’s a Secret of Adulthood:
Happiness doesn’t always make you feel happy. @gretchenrubin (Click to Tweet!)
A mystery.
Here, though, are nine movies that always put a smile on my face:
- Shrek — I’ve seen this movie countless times, and it gets funnier every time. “That’s a niiiiiiice boulder.”
- Groundhog Day — very funny, and also very deep.
- The Sound of Music — I think I’ve memorized every word of the dialogue and every note of every song.
- Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory — funny, whimsical, just a little bit eerie, makes me nostalgic for my childhood in a nice way.
- Tootsie — how I love this movie. So many funny lines.
- Annie Hall — again, I know every line.
- This Is Spinal Tap — I love all Christopher Guest movies, but this is my favorite.
- Monsters, Inc. — so hilarious, so clever; my favorite part is the “blooper reel” at the end.
- Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery — I confess, I can’t remember much about the movie, but I’m including it on the list because I love the opening sequence so much.Watch it here if you need a quick pick-me-up.
In the podcast, in episode 61, Elizabeth and I talk about familiarity vs. novelty. I love familiarity, and have re-watched these movies many times. But not everyone loves to watch (or read) things over and over, I know.
What movies would you add? I’d love to add a bunch of suggestions to my to-watch list.
Gretchen Rubin is the author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller The Happiness Project—an account of the year she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific studies, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier—and the recently released Happier at Home and Better Than Before. On her popular blog, The Happiness Project, she reports on her daily adventures in the pursuit of happiness. For more doses of happiness and other happenings, follow Gretchen on Facebook and Twitter.
Image courtesy of Keegan Evans.
