Seven Movies to Watch on a Rainy Day
Posted by Cherise Fantus / Monday, June 18th, 2012
It’s tough to get motivated when it’s cloudy and rainy outside. So I say, don’t bother. Instead, curl up with a blanket and the cat, order some takeout (apparently Zooey Deschanel likes tomato soup on rainy days), and watch movies all day. Here are some of my all-time favorite rainy day movies:
1. Top Gun
Tom Cruise wearing aviator sunglasses. That should be enough said, but I’ll say more, anyway. This is the quintessential ’80s action movie, with just the right amount of romance to steam the windows. Maverick and Iceman are the perfect companions for a rainy day.
2. Almost Famous
It’s the rockstar world through the eyes of a high school kid who gets a chance to write a story for Rolling Stone. He finds that the real world of music isn’t as bright and shiny as he’d hoped, but he learns about life and about himself in the process.
3. Dazed and Confused
The last day of high school in 1976 is a day for partying. The hilarious step back to the days of being a stupid teenager will keep you laughing until the rain stops. My favorite line is, of course, Matthew McConaughey’s character’s description of why he likes high school girls: “I get older, they stay the same age.”
4. Tommy Boy
Total mindless humor, but it will keep you laughing all the way through. Chris Farley and David Spade played a lot of idiots in the early- to mid-1990s, and they certainly perfected the art.
5. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
Leonardo DiCaprio proved he had some real acting talent early in his career as he played the mentally handicapped younger brother to Johnny Depp. It’s a touching story with some great acting and a few opportunities for a good cry.
6. Memento
With a main character who has short-term memory loss and an out-of-order story line, the audience is nearly as confused as the main character throughout the film, which gives it an interesting perspective and makes it impossible to stop watching.
7. Old School
Will Ferrell may only be able to play one comedy character (though he’s proven he can actually act in dramas), that character is, in fact, hilarious. In “Old School,” he’s Frank the Tank – a drunk buffoon, who, along with the rest of the cast, elicits laughs on the first viewing and the 27th.
Tags: Almost Famous, Cherise Fantus, Chris Farley, David Spade, Dazed and Confused, Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matthew McConaughey, Memento, movies, Northern Virginia, Northern Virginia Magazine, NoVA, Old School, Rolling Stone, The Game Plan, Tom Cruise, Tommy Boy, Top Gun, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel