The virus and the quarantine have been hard on us all. To raise some spirit, I made a list of feel-good movies with amazing music designed for everybody!

Hairspray

Hairspray truly is the star of feel-good movies. Featuring a talented cast, it takes place in 1960s Baltimore and centers around a cheerful girl named Tracy Turnblad who joins a local TV teen dance show. The film is both hilarious and touches on several important issues, such as racial segregation. It’s a musical romantic comedy, and the iconic songs take up about half of the film, maybe even more. The music is truly phenomenal, and the best part is that every single character has the chance to sing (and dance a little). I really couldn’t stop myself from smiling like an idiot while watching all the dynamic characters interact with each other. (Also, Tracy’s love interest is Zac Efron.)

Yesterday

My first thought when I saw the trailer for this movie was, “It’s about the Beatles, who I don’t really listen to. It takes place in some other part of the world. Eh.” I remember being reluctantly dragged by my friend to the movie theater to watch it. The movie had already started and I had no idea what was going on, but I remember being absolutely captivated a few minutes into watching. The plot is this:  A boy wakes up one day, and discovers that everybody in the whole entire world has forgotten about the Beatles. I won’t spoil anything else, but it will take you to stirring concerts, adorable romance, and, of course, the Beatles. Yesterday is especially memorable, at least to me, because of the music. Before, when someone brought up the topic of the Beatles, the first thought in my mind was a brown bug. Now, I probably know all the lyrics to “Yesterday” from listening to it so much.

Baby Driver

I originally wanted to watch the movie because of Ansel Elgort, but it definitely exceeded my expectations. Baby Driver centers around a young getaway driver named Baby who is coerced into participating in an illegal heist. He was left with a condition that constantly gives a hum in his ears after a car accident, so he always drowns it out with music. That’s why he always dons earphones in his ears and the movie has a pretty awesome soundtrack. Baby also forms a bond with a waitress named Deborah over their love of music. Their romance is pretty adorable.

Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist

This movie centers around a sensitive musician named Nick and a girl named Norah who plays by the rules. Towards the beginning of the story, Nick is making “breakup” mix CDs for his ex-girlfriend, still heartbroken over her. Nora finds the CDs after the ex discards them, and the audience finds out that they have the same taste in music. The story continues as Nora asks Nick to pretend to be her boyfriend. I watched this movie when I was pretty stressed, and it actually helped me relieve stress. It’s also pretty funny and I remember myself laughing, so it should definitely belong on the feel-good movies list.

La Boum (I and II)

I am always shocked at how little people know about this movie. I always thought it was very famous, and I’ve listened to the iconic soundtrack ever since I can remember. It’s a French 80s coming-of-age movie, centered around a girl named Vic whose request to go to a party is opposed by her parents. Although fewer people than I expected know the movie, I suspect many more know the melody of its theme song, “Reality.” There also exists a sequel, which in my opinion, is far better than the original. The first movie is a little overdone and confusing at times, but the second is more organized and realistic. I was also smiling like an idiot, and the ending is actually perfect. Nevertheless, if you want a feel-good aesthetic 80s movie set in Paris, this is the one.

Grease

Grease is also a movie that fewer people know than I initially thought. The movie itself is a movie musical, and it’s from the 1970s. The adorable singing and dancing will get you hooked from the start. The film follows two protagonists named Danny and Sandy, who meet at the beach in the summer of 1958. The only personal flaw that I would point out was that when I first saw the singing and dancing and all, I thought it was a little overdone. I quickly got used to it, though, and I believe it does fit well with the ambiance of the movie.

PS:

Flipped

This movie isn’t particularly centered around music, but leaving this movie out of the feel-good list would make me feel so guilty. Flipped is probably the purest movie I’ve ever watched. It takes place in the 1950s-60s, when the protagonists Bryce Loski and Julie Baker meet for the first time as second graders. The basic plot is that Julie falls in love with Bryce at first sight, then eventually stops liking him as time passes. The problem is that Bryce starts liking Julie as she stops liking him. But there’s just so much more to the movie than just that. It explores topics like family and love, and I swear I’m not trying to sound dramatic, but it taught me a pretty good lesson about life. I promise that it’s a movie that is worth watching, for any age.

Amélie

This list wouldn’t be complete without Amélie. Also known as Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain, it’s a French film, set in Montmartre, Paris. The feel-good level of this movie can give Flipped a run for its money. It’s one of the most peculiar films that I’ve seen, but the directing was very well done. The film centers around an eccentric and shy waitress named Amélie who makes a plan to make the lives of the people around her better, which in turn gives happiness to herself as well. Anyway, the story and the protagonist are both so unique and have such a happy ambiance that it needs to be put up on the list.

So, if you need some cheering up in the somber time, check out these feel-good films.