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There are some movies that never fail to leave you feeling inspired, uplifted or at the very least just good about your fellow man.
After months of social distancing, I have come to rely more and more on a library of DVDs and streaming services for entertainment
Here are 10 movies to take your mind off the pandemic and brighten your outlook:
Groundhog Day (1993) — Let’s face it, months of staying at home wears you down. If every day seems to be a repeat of the day before, Bill Murray has you beat. A snarky TV weatherman is forced to repeat a single day of his life, and learns lessons in humanity and love along the way. Shot in picturesque Woodstock, Illinois, the film was written and directed by the late Harold Ramis, who credits include Ghostbusters, Vacation and Stripes.
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Rocky (1977) — Sylvester Stallone penned a wonderful Cinderella story about a boxer in the slums of Philly. He find loves with a shy pet shop worker (Talia Shire) and is coached by his estranged manager, played wonderfully by Burgess Meredith, in a once-in-a-lifetime shot at the heavyweight title. Stallone reprised the character in seven sequels or spin-offs over the next 42 years! While some of those films are entertaining, none matched the heart of the original.
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A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)— Tom Hanks plays beloved children’s television star Fred Rogers in a movie that finds kindness triumphing over cynicism. The movie arrived in theaters a year after Morgan Neville’s loving documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” and is less a Rogers bio and more of look at the importance of compassion, acceptance and understanding.
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Moonstruck (1987) — Winner of three Academy Awards including best actress, Cher plays a widowed, Italian-American who falls in love with her fiancé’s estranged younger brother (Nicolas Cage). While Cher and Cage deliver perhaps their best onscreen performances, the film features memorable work by Olympia Dukakis, Vincent Gardenia and Danny Aiello.
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Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) — Robin Williams skillfully goes for the heart and funny bone as a recently divorced voice actor who dresses up as an elderly Scottish female housekeeper to spend more time with his three children after his wife (Sally Field) is granted sole custody. As Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire, Williams’ character becomes a parent and delivers a lesson learned on separation and family.
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Clueless (1995) —Jane Austen’s literary classic “Emma” got updated with the endearing duo of Alicia Silverstone and Paul Rudd cast in the lead roles. The story is moved from Georgian-era England to Beverly Hills and the dialogue is crisp and witty. The film has heart, particularly in the scenes with Silverstone as a doting daughter and Dan Hedaya as her protective father, who tells one of her perspective beaus: “If anything happens to her, I got a .45 and a shovel. I don’t think you’ll be missed.”
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Singin’ in the Rain (1952) — Pound for pound, there is no better Hollywood musical than this MGM gem about the end of the silent film era. Gene Kelley, Debbie Reynold and Daniel O’Connor are pure magic. The set design is gorgeous and the productions are some of the best ever filmed in a movie that radiates joy.
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The Birdcage (1996) — Directed by Mike Nichols and adapted by Elaine May from the film La Cage aux Folles. Robin Williams stars as Armand Goldman, owner of the Florida drag club The Birdcage, where his life partner (Nathan Lane) is the star attraction. Armand’s son plans to wed the daughter of a conservative GOP senator (Gene Hackman) and a meeting between the families is inevitable.
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Heaven Can Wait (1978) — Scripted by the brilliant Elaine May, the film was co-directed by Warren Beatty and Buck Henry. A remake “Here Comes Mr. Jordan,” it focuses on a Los Angeles Rams quarterback, whose soul is taken from his body by an overanxious angel before he was meant to die. He is returned to life in the body of a recently murdered millionaire. Beatty, who stars as the quarterback, initially wanted Muhammad Ali to star in the film and lobbied unsuccessfully to get Cary Grant to play the suave Mr. Jordan.
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Philadelphia Story (1940) / High Society (1956 ) — A socialite sees her wedding plans upturned by the simultaneous arrival of her charming ex-husband and a pair of tabloid journalists. You can’t go wrong with either the classic George Cukor-directed film starring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and James Stewart or the Cole Porter musical with Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra.
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Runners up: Local Hero (1983), My Favorite Year (1982), Princess Bride (1987), Apollo 13 (1995), and The Proposal (2009).
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