As each season changes into the next, there are films or shows that people watch to ring in their return. Humans are creatures of habit, and a rewatch of Gilmore Girls at autumn might be as traditional to some as listening to Mariah Carey as November 1st rolls in. Christmas films at Christmas time aside, seasonal watches are things that may not have that much to do with the season, but remind us of particular times and bring us back to those feelings.
This is the perfect time of year for them. When the weather is turning and we’re all spending more time indoors. There’s nothing better then sitting down in a warm living room when it’s pouring rain outside and switching on a reliably good film. This is a small list of some of my favourite seasonal watches that I tune in to every year.
Autumn
This is an obvious one and a clear favourite for many at this time of year. Over the Garden wall was released ten years ago by Cartoon Network. Created by Patrick McHale and Katie Krentz, this ten-episode show follows Wirt (Elijah Wood) and Greg (Collin Dean), two brothers trying to get home from the Unknown. They are joined on the way by a bird named Beatrice (Melanie Lynskey) and meet a whole host of kooky, and often just plain creepy, characters as they travel along.
Though it is a kids show it sits perfectly in the bracket of shows mature enough for an older audience to continue enjoying even after they have aged out of the target demographic. On top of this, the art style is beautiful, the soundtrack is unique, and the story is nail-biting at times. Though McHale had much more ideas for the show, he was cut short by Cartoon Network as they allegedly thought that the show wasn’t as marketable as other cartoons and they kept it as a one-off. Despite that, it has a large cult following and there are many who, like myself, switch it on in the run up to Halloween.
This is the perfect Autumn show as it takes place on Halloween itself, it’s a little scary but with a fun spirit to it. Nothing too heavy as the weather gets a little bit dull.
Winter
This is a new edition to my list of seasonal watches but it’s one that I’ve been looking forward to seeing again. The Holdovers is a little bit Dead Poet’s Society and a little bit Good Will Hunting. This film is about a grumpy English teacher (Paul Giamatti) who gets stuck over Christmas looking after troubled student Angus. This role as student was the breakout for actor Dominic Sessa who was cast after given the chance to audition as part of the student body who attended the school in which shooting was set to take place. Also in this film is the talented Da’Vine Joy Randolph who won an Oscar for her role as Mary Lamb, a grieving mother and cook at the school.
The entire story is a very lowkey and quiet depiction of humanity. Grief, kindness, empathy, and decency are all gently wrapped up in this visually, beautifully cold film and lend it a whole new layer. It’s repeated feature of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is the clue that tunes you in to the thematic stoicism that hangs over the picture. It is just a genuine, human, film. This is what makes it a perfect Winter film. Winter is arguably one of the toughest seasons to get through on a number of levels which is why it takes a good-willed film like The Holdovers to bring things together again.
Spring
Hard to pass up an opportunity to rewatch one of the best romcoms ever made. 10 Things I Hate About You came out in 1999 boasting a whole cast of just really attractive people. With a tantalising, Shakespearean-based narrative and 90s fashion that has rolled back into style since, this film is a timeless classic that everyone needs to see at least once.
Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik) suffers under a rule her protective father came up for when she wanted to start dating. When her older sister Kat (Julia Stiles) started, then she could. This kicks off the plotting of Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a boy interested in dating Bianca, when he hires Patrick (Heath Ledger) to try date Kat. This film is light-hearted, fun, and it’s a Shakespeare comedy so everybody wins in the end except the bad guy. What more could you want? It’s a bright, warm start to your Spring and a definite required watch for anyone who has never seen it before.
Summer
Perhaps the most iconic movie of the 80s, Dirty Dancing keeps coming back for a reason. While at a holiday resort with her family, Frances, or ‘Baby’, meets a dance instructor who is less than acceptable company in the eyes of her uptight father (Jerry Orbach). Heartthrob Patrick Swayze played against Jennifer Grey in this romance as they acted in roles with character age gaps only considered to still be both romantic and acceptable in 80s films. That aside, the music is iconic and the choreography ranges from elegant to fun to, as suggested in the title, a bit dirty. It all culminates in the excitement of the final dance scene with the lift that has its place cemented in pop culture. It has so many 80s-important things contained within that this is a must see for historical reasons for anyone born after the decade.
This is a feel-good Summer film about friends, family, love and dancing, the four most important components of a good film at this time. Still just as enjoyable now as it was then, Dirty Dancing is a yearly occurrence.
