When I feel uneven and upset, one of the first places I run is to the movies. There are some films that wrap me up in their warm arms, that make me feel comforted, more centered, less lost. There are stories that remind me of who I am and what I believe, that help me to embrace my life with greater joy and enthusiasm. These movies are my comfort movies — the kinds of films that bring a sense of calm just upon watching them.
However, it is also often the case that these kinds of movies are not always considered to be “good.” My comfort films are not necessarily the films that have risen to great critical acclaim or are renowned by cinephiles. Rather, they are movies I connected with at a particular time in my life and, in some way, made me feel better understood. Comfort movies don’t need to be cinematic masterpieces. They are never something to feel guilty over watching. What matters at the end of the day is that these movies have value to you — that’s what makes them good.
What differentiates a comfort movie from any other film is not the fact that it makes you feel something — that’s what all films are intended to do. Rather, it makes you feel a kind of comfort and understanding that other films cannot. Comfort films are the films that speak to you, that you choose to love regardless of style or critical acclaim. While any film may make you feel something, comfort films provide a sense of understanding each and every time you watch.
Comfort movies can be a way for you to make sense of yourself when you don’t even have words to fully express what you feel. These movies can be a way to cheer yourself up, to find a way back to joy and laughter. Comfort movies come in many shapes and forms — they may be old favorites packed with nostalgia, recent watches that moved you deeply or a random movie you found on a rainy day. And comfort movies change — different movies fit for different moments. Sometimes, you want something to cheer you up, and other times, you need something to sit with you in your pain and frustration. What kinds of movies are able to accomplish this for you will change too. As your life changes, as you grow and shift and change, your comfort films will change too. But when you find your movie(s), even as they may change over time, that feeling stays the same — the one of being hugged close and wrapped in a warm embrace. The feeling that a movie gives you is inherently part of its value.
Some of my personal comfort movies include “Ramona and Beezus,” “13 Going on 30” and “The Princess Diaries.” All of these films are ones I return to over and over again when I need a little pick-me-up. They are films that undeniably bring a smile to my face, that I can quote like the back of my hand. In this case, all of these films have a nostalgia factor for me — they’re all films I watched often and with great fervor in my childhood. They’re also all films that have become an integral part of my being. Quotes from “Ramona and Beezus” are passed around my family as inside jokes, “The Princess Diaries” remains my go-to movie anytime I need a laugh, and Mark Ruffalo in “13 Going on 30” has informed every crush I’ve ever had since the first time I watched it. These are movies that fill me with joy, that remind me of the goodness, love and hope that exist in this world, especially in moments where I feel far from that.
In high school, my biggest comfort movie was “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” That movie was one of the first that made me —a teenager with anxiety and depression — feel truly seen. When I watched it for the first time, it felt like letting out a breath I didn’t know I was holding, like being understood so intimately without having to say a word. Over time, this movie continued to be one I kept coming back to — a place I could turn to when I felt lost or misunderstood, a reminder that things could get better, that everything would be okay. And somewhere along the way, without me really knowing, I fell in love not just with the film, but with the city.
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is filmed primarily in Pittsburgh. In fact, the infamous tunnel scene was filmed in our very own Fort Pitt Tunnel, the very same tunnel I drive through every time I enter the city from my hometown in Ohio. The thing that first drew me to Pittsburgh started with that movie — a curiosity about a city I’d only seen onscreen that turned into a college visit and eventually finding my home here at Pitt. All of this is to say, there is always value to be found. Something that brings you joy and safety, no matter how silly or small it may seem, is always worth watching. When a film offers you kindness and comfort, there truly are no limits to where it can take you. Your comfort film just might end up radically changing your life.
Lauren is a senior studying English literature, communications and film. You can connect with her at [email protected].
