The year 2020 is a bummer for everyone no thanks to the pandemic. With everyone advised to stay indoors as much as possible, it’s a good time to put on some cheerful films to keep spirits up. In this list, we revisit some of the old classics and new ones which will brighten your day and remind everyone to be kind to all.
1. Zootopia
Viewers loved the movie because it managed to cover a complex theme yet make it simple enough for children to understand. Just when you thought the mystery was solved, there’s more! In the exciting anthropomorphic world of Zootopia, a rabbit police officer named Judy becomes the first rabbit in the police force and moves to the big city to kickstart her career.
She finds herself relegated to issuing parking fines instead of busting crime. However, an opportunity arises when she uncovers a criminal conspiracy involving the disappearance of predators. But there’s another hiccup: partnering up with a con artist is her only way to solve the mystery.
2. Pitch Perfect
Pitch Perfect is a movie where the heroines of the story aren’t the usual polished and cool people. They’re talented for sure but they’re also uncool like you and I. The star-studded ensemble cast play members of an all-girl acapella group known as The Barden Bellas. With no prior training, the rag-tag team decides to compete and try to win big at Nationals.
3. Music & Lyrics
Music & Lyrics is one of the rare comedy films with fantastic whip smart lines from the start to the finish. The film focuses on the relationship between Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant), a former pop music idol of a fictional band PoP!, and Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore), an aspiring writer as they struggle to compose a hit song for a pop diva.
4. The Princess Bride
Many people who have watched The Princess Bride love the film for its feel-good and funny story. The plot of the film is fairly simple but its witty yet humorous lines in the film always manage to make people laugh even on their lowest days. The story starts with a grandfather telling a story to his grandson about a farmhand named Westley who must go on a quest to save his love Princess Buttercup from the repulsive Prince Humperdinck.
5. School of Rock
In School of Rock, Jack Black plays as a struggling rock guitarist Dewey Finn who had to teach in a school in order to make ends meet. He hates teaching there until he discovers that his students are talented musically and can truly rock out. He then plots to make them into his bandmates so he could win the prize money to pay off his debts. Throughout the film, every character’s enthusiasm for music is infectious and viewers are also taken on a brief tour of rock music history.
6. Freaky Friday
Freaky Friday manages to capture the teenage angst very well. The rows between mother and daughter come to a height when they accidentally switched bodies. With the switch, both mum and daughter get to really walk in each other’s shoes and realize how tough their lives were. Although not a musical movie, the film features a few catchy songs from Lindsay Lohan who plays the protagonist, a teenage musician named Anna Coleman. By the end of the movie, you’ll come to appreciate your mum more.
7. The Emperor’s New Groove
This movie is THE movie which gave a few generations some iconic and memorable lines. A young and self-centered Incan Emperor, Kuzco, has grand plans for his own selfish desires. Before he can do what wants, his ex-advisor Yzma turned him into a llama so she can rule in his place. Kuzco’s only hope to turn back into a human is to be a nicer and kinder person, and he turns to village leader, Pacha, for help. With interesting and bumbling characters such as Kronk, the movie is another memorable classic.
8. Clueless
A lot of people didn’t realize that this iconic film is really a loose adaptation of Jane Austen’s 1815 novel Emma. This teen comedy film that’s set in modern-day Beverly Hills follows the life of a popular high school girl named Cher Horowitz as she tries her best to help people. Needless to say, her plan backfires in drastic and humorous ways. Clueless also contains plenty of 90s cultural references from fashion to teen lingo which may provoke some nostalgia.
9. The Lego Movie
The Lego Movie is cheery from the get-go with lively original songs and quirky characters. In the city of Bricksburg, a construction worker named Emmet went about his day in his usual jovial manner. Life is awesome until he’s mistaken as the Special who’s destined to save Bricksburg from a tyrannical businessman aptly named Lord Business. By the end of the movie, you’ll find yourself singing the catchy song Everything Is Awesome.
10. Always Be My Maybe
Always Be My Maybe written by comedian Ali Wong, Randall Park and Michael Golamco is a sweet romantic film which pokes fun at the dating life. Childhood friends Marcus (Randall Park) and Sasha (Ali Wong) have not been in touch since their teenage fling ended badly. When Sasha returns to the city to open her restaurant, they find that their feelings for each other are still there. Both try to avoid repeating history by getting themselves into hilarious shenanigans such as going on a date with Keanu Reeves.
This article is published in theSun iPaper HERE
