Anne Shirley-Cuthbert once said, “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
Pumpkins. Fall festivals. Cardigans. Evening walks. Warm candles. Autumn spice coffees. Changing leaves. Cozy flannels. Similar to Anne, I am thankful that I live in a world where I have these things to look forward to each year. For many people, fall is a time of nostalgic feelings and romanticizing life. It reminds us of our families and the traditions we share with the people we love. We often glamorize this season of the year in the midst of the inescapable summer heat or the harsh snowstorms of winter. Many of us wait all year for these two months to make their way back to us. And although this season brings back memories, it also reminds us of something deeper, an undeniable truth about the human life. Much like our lives, the falling leaves remind us that change often takes place through letting go of the old and allowing the new to spring forth. This is the beauty of the autumn season. In this first week of October, although Tennessee’s weather may not share the same desire for summer to end and fall to begin as we do, we strive to manifest these feelings of change and beauty by watching the shows and movies that do it best.
The Watch: “When Harry Met Sally”
By: David Alcazar
We all yearn for change and Harry and Sally are no different. Since its release in 1989, “When Harry Met Sally,” directed by Rob Reiner, has come to embody not only the ideal rom-com but also the ideal fall movie — perhaps because the two go hand in hand. The film follows Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan), two friends who attempt to stay “just friends” and nothing else. Of course, you see where this is going. The film portrays not only the ideal aesthetic of what fall is in our heads, but also captures the spirit of the season, making it the perfect film to revisit or watch for the first time this fall. Fall is a time for changes of all kinds. We yearn for it just as the leaves change and Harry and Sally fall in love.
Available to stream on Netflix.
The Watch: “Boy Meets World”
By: Mattie Washington
The show “Boy Meets World” embodies fall in a way that is not immediately apparent. The show itself does not host fall festivals or display the leaves changing colors as others would, but there is a core focus on school that snags our attention. Because it is set in the 90’s, there are a lot of browns and oranges in the cast’s wardrobes. Bomber jackets in both brown Carhartt and black leather frequent the screen. Paper airplanes flying across the room and plaid oversized flannels are present in nearly every episode. The idea of each episode is focused on learning life lessons. At the end of every episode, there is a serious moment where Feeny bestows a certain level of wisdom on Cory. As someone who thoroughly enjoyed “Boy Meets World” from beginning to end, I can say that these aspects of growing up are now permanently linked with the crisp feeling of autumn.
Available to stream on Prime Video and Disney+.
The Watch: “Fantastic Mr. Fox”
By: Aubrey Eytchison
Only Wes Anderson could make a family movie about stealing chickens so witty and zany that you forget it is about theft. “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” adapted from a Roald Dahl book of the same name, follows the exploits of Mr. Fox (voiced by George Clooney) as he battles for survival against the farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean, as well as struggling against his family’s knowledge of his routine larceny. Cheeky, twisted and charming, Wes Anderson and Roald Dahl are an aesthetic match made in heaven: acerbic dialogue and off-kilter characters make “Fantastic Mr. Fox” a delightfully eccentric film that will leave you hungry for gingersnaps and theft.
Available to stream on Hulu and Disney+.
The Watch: “October Sky”
By: Wyatt Spahn
Director Joe Johnston’s 1999 movie “October Sky” serves many purposes. It was the breakthrough film for future star Jake Gyllenhaal, it is an inspirational story about the human spirit and ingenuity and it is also a feel-good fall flick. Honestly, it still amazes me the lineup that this movie managed to get in one place. You have Laura Dern, who forgot to age since this movie came out, Chris Cooper right before he decided to get into bloodier films like “The Patriot” and the “Bourne” movies, and you of course have Jake Gyllenhaal at age 17, with the skill of a much older actor. The film itself gets me right into the season of fall, from the title to the scenery. It is set in Coalwood, West Virginia, where the only industry is, funnily enough, coal mining. I always feel at home with the four high school friends, as the film shows their failures and their eventual success. The story is a true one, based on the memoir of the same title written by Jake Gyllenhaal’s character in real life, former NASA aerospace engineer Homer Hickam. All in all, the film grabs onto that uplifting 90’s movie quality, while mixing it with the themes of friendship, parenting and determination until the combination is just right. If you’re looking for a full-service fall film, look no further.
Available to stream on Hulu.
The Watch: “You’ve Got Mail”
By: Samuel Stettheimer
Fall is all about the never-ending changes of time’s cycle. Fall looks back with fondness at the fun of summer while preparing for the bleakness of winter. “You’ve Got Mail” (1998) does the same. It comes from a long tradition: it uses the same plot as two older movies with some key scenes and dialogue borrowed from its predecessors. It’s a fall movie in look and feel — it’s also the “fall” of the three films.
“The Shop Around The Corner” (1940) is spring. It’s the original life of the “two professional associates who hate each other turn out to be anonymous pen-pal lovers” story. All the best elements — the shocking “it’s her!” meet up and the quick witty roasts — first blossomed here.
“In The Good Old Summertime” (1949) is summer. It’s in the name, and it has the feel. This is a musical, it’s fun and it’s in color. Jimmy Stewart becomes Van Johnson and Margaret Sullavan becomes Judy Garland; a general store becomes a music store; and Budapest becomes Chicago. It’s all the same plot concept, but the mood changes from witty situational humor to true romantic comedy. It’s fun and bright.
Finally, “You’ve Got Mail” gives us our fall. It’s now centered in a bookstore (reading is best in the fall), everybody is wearing sweaters and wandering a Christmas-light-covered New York, fancy cups of coffee are flowing (before pumpkin spice happened) and the main conflict — the impending death of the bookstore — creeps forward like the cold of winter until warmed by the protagonists’ (Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan) new love. Same story, new season.
Available to stream on Hulu.
The Watch: “Knives Out”
By: Noel Moore
When you hear the word fall, your mind might jump to all sorts of images associated with the season. Leaves changing color as they fall from trees, or murder inside a lavish mansion or Chris Evans in a sweater. Okay, maybe those aren’t the first images that came to mind. But they all feature heavily in a film I believe pairs well with apple cider and Thanksgiving decorations – “Knives Out.” Autumn is a season of change, all the splendor of spring and summer dying splendidly as the earth gives way to a harsher beauty. It brings a certain mystery into the air, a greater knowledge of the way of things (to live, to die and to make way for the new), and “Knives Out” is the perfect movie to watch as we witness a dramatization of that same idea. A kind of backwards mystery, we from the get-go are rooting for who we think is the killer, a young girl caught up in affairs beyond her with a family straight off a Clue board. Throughout the film, you as the viewer must ask yourself who is in the right, and the idea of the old giving way for the new is explored as long-held family traditions and expectations are challenged. And, again, sweater-wearing Chris Evans immediately cements “Knives Out” as an undisputedly fall film – one that should immediately top your list of movies to curl up to and watch this season.
Available to stream on Prime Video.
Maybe this year is different for you, and maybe you aren’t as excited for fall as you have been in years past. No matter what season of life you may be living in, I hope these movies bring you the peace and joy that fall never fails to bring to me. Soak it in. Take pictures of the colorful leaves and autumn skies. Be grateful for the little things. And if all else fails, turn on these movies and watch them with a friend. You won’t regret the way that they make you feel.
Photo by Laila Al-Hagal
Fall is special and I loved reading thoughts about this special season.