Is it me, or does this week’s theme feel like a deja vu? When last week we touched upon our childhood favourites, this Thursday Movie Picks is all about nostalgia. For me, these two are very similar but I am going to spin this week’s theme to my favour. Here are three movies, featuring young people as leads, that make me feel nostalgic about my own youth!
1. JUNO (2007)
For my first recommendation, I’m going with something sarcastic and ironic. Though my teenage years have nothing to do with a pregnancy, the very unique and interesting leading character feels right up my alley. Was I weird? Yes. Am I still weird? Probably. So watching Juno always makes me feel nostalgic.
2. THE FIRST TIME (2012)
The reason I picked this movie is because it has a very realistic plot. Or at least that’s how I remember it. I might have not paid enough attention because Dylan O’Brien was playing the lead. O’Brien by the way is my nostalgia element with this recommendation, as he always brings back memories of my later teenage years. Ah, who am I kidding, I was practically an adult by then but who’s to say I still didn’t hang out with the youths?!
3. EUROTRIP (2004)
In high school, I went to two bus trips that took me to many places in Europe. I’m pretty sure I’ve driven through most of the European countries (including Poland, where I saw a car burning on the side of the road) but most of it feels like a blur. So does Eurotrip, but only in the grand sense of the movie. I do have flashbacks to that train scene and that alone is worth it! And yes, it does spark up some nostalgia with the whole traveling thing happening.
THIS SERIES IS CREATED BY WANDERING THROUGH THE SHELVES
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Interesting way to go. I haven’t seen The First Time but Eurotrip was silly fun. While I thought Juno was okay I also thought it was wildly overpraised. The best part for me was Allison Janney and J.K. Simmons as the lead’s parents.
I went with films whose general theme was a nostalgic one.
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)-A year in the life of the upper middle class Smith family (including second daughter Esther played by Judy Garland) as they and their hometown prepare for the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. For the most part charming, sweet and bandbox pretty full of great songs-The Trolley Song, The Boy Next Door, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (which was written expressly for Judy) etc.-this is interwoven with dark undertones most courtesy of borderline psychotic (though she’s meant to be seen as innocently eccentric) youngest daughter Tootie (Margaret O’Brien-who won a special Oscar). Wonderfully produced by the Freed unit and directed by Vincente Minnelli.
On Moonlight Bay (1951)-Based on stories by Booth Tarkington we are once again at the turn of the 20th century. In bucolic small town Indiana the upwardly mobile Winfield family has just moved into a bigger house that only the father likes until tomboyish daughter Marjorie (Doris Day) meets handsome neighbor, college student Bill Sherman (Gordon MacRae). Suddenly she gets in touch with her feminine side and she and Bill start a romance which goes along fine until her father finds out Bill is a nonconformist who doesn’t believe in marriage or other traditional values. But after many songs, several mishaps and lots of warm and fuzzies all ends happily. Followed by a sequel “By the Light of the Silvery Moon”
Radio Days (1987)-Told as a remembrance Joe (Woody Allen) recalls his youth (played by Seth Green) growing up in the 30’s and 40’s with his colorful and somewhat crazy family (including his parents who will argue about anything including which is the greater ocean-Atlantic or Pacific!) and people he encounters including the story of radio personality Sally White (a quite brilliant performance by Mia Farrow). Filled with beautiful period detail this captures both the period and a sense of youth.
I liked Juno’s soundtrack when it came out. I probably wouldn’t be able to listen to it now, but back then, it was great!
I love your nostalgic trip and Juno is a fun film for sure. I loved the parents and got such a kick out of their conversations. It is sweet, true, funny. I haven’t seen the other films but Eurotrip sounds like fun and I have been on many trains in Europe as well and I loved every minute of it.
Thanks! It did have a very well written script, I hope the upcoming Love, Simon is also that type of clever writing – I’m waiting for that movie forever. Check out Eurotrip, it makes you miss the comedies they used to make. 😀
I haven’t seen Juno in years but I loved it so much! EuroTrip wasn’t great but it was kinda fun.
I haven’t seen Juno in years either.. Though I don’t know if I can look at Michael Cera the same after This Is the End. 😀