When it comes to the fall season, when the leaves start to change color and that cool chill hits the air yet again, there’s no better way to bring in the changing season than by curling up and putting on a good movie. Whether you’re looking for a profound story, a good laugh, or a nostalgic, seasonal classic, we’ve put together a short list of some of the best fall time movies to get you ready for this autumn season.
GOOD WILL HUNTING (1997)
Chuckie (Ben Affleck) and Will (Matt Damon) in Good Will Hunting (1997)
What better place to emulate the changing season than Boston in the fall? This Gus Van Sant masterpiece featuring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and the late Robin Williams sets us smack in the middle of the beginning of the school season with the beautiful foliage of the stunning Harvard campus. If the morals and poetry of the movie isn't enough to warm you up, the autumn themes may do the trick.
STEPMOM (1998)
Jackie (Susan Sarandon) and Isabel (Julia Roberts) in Stepmom (1998)
Get ready for a good, fall-time drama with Stepmom—even the poster screams “fall.” Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon bundle up in this family focused drama that is chock full of autumn color schemes, cozy sweaters, and the seasonal glow of Susan Sarandon’s red hair.
THE VILLAGE (2004)
Ivy Walker (Bryce Dallas Howard) in The Village (2004)
If you’re trying to set the mood for the more creepy suspense that the Halloween season harbors in, you may be looking for The Village. Full of M. Night Shyamalan’s iconic twists and turns, this movie is a perfect autumnal blend of fall colors and bone-chilling terror.
HOCUS POCUS (1993)
Mary (Kathy Najimy) and Winifred (Bette Midler) in Hocus Pocus (1993)
Speaking of Halloween, how could you kick of the spooky season without this Disney classic? Starring the great Bette Midler, Hocus Pocus is just about the most quintessential Halloween movie in existence. If you’re looking for spellbinding nostalgia that you need around this time of year, look no further.
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974)
(left to right) Igor (Marty Feldman), Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder), and Inga (Teri Garr) in Young Frankenstein (1974)
Young Frankenstein, starring the hilarious Gene Wilder as the spawn of Dr. Frankenstein, is the perfect spoof monster movie to put you in the mood for Halloween. For those that haven’t yet experienced this Mel Brooks classic, get ready to bundle up and laugh your way straight through the end of October.
RUSHMORE (1998)
Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) in Rushmore (1998)
In yet another back-to-school icon, Rushmore features Max Fischer (played by Jason Schwartzman), the extracurricular king of Rushmore Preparatory School who is being placed on academic probation. The warm (yet quirky) characters and relationships of this movie contrast nicely with the chilly, fall backdrops that this Wes Anderson movie is set to.
FANTASTIC MR. FOX (2009)
Mrs. Fox (voiced by Meryl Streep) and Mr. Fox (voiced by George Clooney) in Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Leave it to Wes Anderson to craft the most beautifully sentimental and cozy movie of all time. Following an urbane fox (voiced by George Clooney) who cannot resist returning to his farm-raiding ways, we find ourselves in stop-motion, fall-time paradise surrounded by the warm colors of the season and an even warmer story of family, self-discovery, and what it really means to be a wild animal.
