Easy Funny Feel Good Movies?
November 21, 2023 10:16 AM   Subscribe

Looking for some easy, funny feel good movies for the dark season. I guess the movies i am looking for are silly, funny, feature good friends doing mostly heartwarming stuff.

Examples of movies that are in the vein we are looking for:
Hot Tub Time Machine
Waynes World
Lego Movie
Brian and Charles
Kenny

Adult themes are fine, Kids movies that adults could enjoy would also fit the bill. All streaming services accepted.
posted by wowenthusiast to Media & Arts (64 answers total) 53 users marked this as a favorite
 
I think the newest Dungeons and Dragons would suit the bill. Obviously there's a little angst and conflict since there's a villain, but it's simply a romp!
posted by Iteki at 10:41 AM on November 21, 2023 [25 favorites]


Toy Story (the first one)
Adventures in Babysitting
Explorers
Pee Wee's Big Adventure
Aladdin (Disney 1992)
posted by zooropa at 10:44 AM on November 21, 2023 [3 favorites]


Singing in the Rain
posted by hhc5 at 10:44 AM on November 21, 2023 [7 favorites]


Galaxy Quest ticks your boxes nicely.
posted by Well I never at 10:46 AM on November 21, 2023 [25 favorites]


Gregory's Girl PG 1980
Pride 2014
The Commitments 1991
posted by BobTheScientist at 10:50 AM on November 21, 2023 [4 favorites]


Roman Holiday
The Princess Bride
posted by AndrewInDC at 10:52 AM on November 21, 2023 [2 favorites]


Joe vs the Volcano.
Ocean's 11-12-13 might not be "mostly heartwarming stuff" but otherwise fits. If you like caper movies, Steven Soderbergh is really good at them and they generally feature humor.
posted by adamrice at 10:57 AM on November 21, 2023 [1 favorite]


Have you seen the Barbie movie?

Scott Pilgrim vs The World
posted by AzraelBrown at 10:57 AM on November 21, 2023 [3 favorites]


Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Easy A
Bridesmaids
Stepbrothers
I Love You Man
posted by windbox at 11:00 AM on November 21, 2023 [5 favorites]


The Hangover
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 11:03 AM on November 21, 2023 [2 favorites]


Speed Racer (2008) is a delightful technicolor romp and I’m always trying to convince people to watch it.
Home (2015) is extremely cute and also has a stylish and goofy 2-d spin-off cartoon.
Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion is still funny and has one of the best female friendships.
9 to 5 is an enduring classic and omg the hair!
posted by Mizu at 11:23 AM on November 21, 2023 [5 favorites]


Barb and Star go to Vista del Mar
Palm Springs
The Castle
Three Summers (the Australian 2017 film)
Strictly Ballroom
posted by Coaticass at 11:27 AM on November 21, 2023 [6 favorites]


Bottoms
posted by crocomancer at 11:33 AM on November 21, 2023


Stardust (2007) feels like a sibling of The Princess Bride.
posted by meemzi at 11:38 AM on November 21, 2023 [7 favorites]


Bottoms (dir. Emma Seligman)
Glass Onion
Pitch Perfect
Barbie
Spy
Ocean's 8
posted by panther of the pyrenees at 11:40 AM on November 21, 2023 [3 favorites]


HOT ROD
21 and 22 Jump Street
posted by dudekiller at 11:46 AM on November 21, 2023 [1 favorite]


I accidentally posted my answer too early but honestly I topped out at Hot Rod
posted by dudekiller at 11:47 AM on November 21, 2023


Oh god, I just remembered the animated film Luca, delightful.
(seconding Spy since it's been linked, absolutely rollicking)
posted by Iteki at 11:52 AM on November 21, 2023 [3 favorites]


Magic Mike XXL (emphatically *not* the original Magic Mike movie). So fun and silly, and honestly really heartwarming. A celebration of male friendship! Plus hot male strippers dancing and enjoying giving women pleasure! Woo! We love to see it!

Legally Blonde

Ocean's 11, 13, and 8 (*not* Ocean's 12, I don't know what went wrong there but it's...really not as good as the others in the series)
posted by peperomia at 11:53 AM on November 21, 2023 [2 favorites]


Dude, Where's My Car?
posted by knile at 11:58 AM on November 21, 2023


Seconding Magic Mike XXL. People always look at me weird when I call it a go-to comfort movie but it really is a light romp. *Very* different in tone to the first one – which I also loved, but a different mood entirely.

Parenthood (the one with Steve Martin + an amazing cast)

And you didn't ask for shows but gonna throw these in anyway: Ted Lasso, Our Flag Means Death, and anything Michael Schur is involved in making – all of these have good solid hearts.
posted by Molasses808 at 12:17 PM on November 21, 2023 [3 favorites]


Doing my blog I found two older French films that were unexpectedly charming:

A Nous, La Liberte! is a film about two guys who try to make a prison break - one makes it out and the other doesn't. Then there's a fast-forward of about 10 years where the other guy is released from prison and looks up the first one, who has by now become this corporate stuffed-shirt owner of a factory. They buddy up again. I described it somewhere as "if SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION was made by Disney".

Le Million is by the same director, and it's more zany screwball - a starving artist wins the lottery, but when he goes to get the ticket out of his jacket pocket he realizes he loaned his jacket to his girlfriend - who in turn loaned it to someone else, who brought it to a thrift store, where it was bought by the costumer for the local opera, and...

Both stories end happily, are generally warm-and-fuzzy, and unexpectedly endearing.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:29 PM on November 21, 2023 [3 favorites]


I kind of want to nominate Long Shot with Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron. It is a good-hearted, hilarious movie in which the two protagonists are deeply likeable. It has some sex stuff in it, one bit of it pretty explicit, and a few dangerous situations played for laughs. If I were to relay the plot it doesn't sound heartwarming but I found it heartwarming.
posted by less-of-course at 12:29 PM on November 21, 2023 [1 favorite]


Palm Springs
Bringing Up Baby
The Birdcage
Happiest Season (dramatically better than I expected)

Abusing the edit window:
Twins!
posted by samthemander at 1:09 PM on November 21, 2023 [5 favorites]


Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was more delightful than it had any right to be. I've never played D&D and there was still lots of comedy to enjoy, with a tight script and a likeable cast. One of my favorites this year.
posted by mochapickle at 1:13 PM on November 21, 2023 [4 favorites]


Josie and the Pussycats. Upon reading your list, I realized that it's functionally the same movie as Wayne's World.
posted by urbanlenny at 1:31 PM on November 21, 2023 [4 favorites]


Seconding Bringing Up Baby. (Has a bit of what would now be considered offensive to be funny, but it's there in the imdb link), it is perfectly charming. Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn just going to town.

And if we are heading into whacky slapstick, What's Up Doc? is very, very funny.

"I am Hugh".

"You are me?"
LOL, love that movie.

Seconding Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. "Wallace? Again?"

And always The Fantastic Mr. Fox.
"Good luck out there..."
posted by Windopaene at 1:32 PM on November 21, 2023 [2 favorites]


Our Idiot Brother
Safety Not Guaranteed

Are two movies that charmed me so much the first time I saw them that I watched them twice in a row.
posted by maddieD at 1:36 PM on November 21, 2023 [2 favorites]


I have a mate who's company made the custom hot tubs for Hot Tub Time Machine. One, Two or both I'm not sure. BUT, he got to go down and build one of their units for the premiere. Have never seen any of those. But, with that on your list and Wayne's World, I'd suggest also Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
posted by Windopaene at 1:38 PM on November 21, 2023 [5 favorites]


I always recommend Max Dugan Returns (1983) for a quirky take on a family that drifted apart and then unexpectedly came back together and then ... well, I don't want to spoil it. Nothing to do with the holidays though.
posted by forthright at 1:39 PM on November 21, 2023 [1 favorite]


Earthgirls Are Easy has young Jeff Goldblum. Not to mention young Geena Davis, young Jim Carrey, young Damon Wayans etc. etc... As the comment in the clip linked attests,
[I]f you want a purely undiluted shot of the late 80's directly into your veins, this is the movie...
In the words of the late Dick Proennke, You can't beat that.
posted by y2karl at 1:41 PM on November 21, 2023 [7 favorites]


Agreed y2karl. no moar late 80s than that.

Short Circuit is pretty mid-80s charming. Despite, things.
posted by Windopaene at 1:51 PM on November 21, 2023 [1 favorite]


Young Frankenstein
posted by polecat at 1:52 PM on November 21, 2023 [1 favorite]


The original Father of the Bride.
posted by jgirl at 2:32 PM on November 21, 2023




Yes, there's a giant crocodile, but Lake Placid is mostly about an odd group of characters with a common goal. Kelly (Bridget Fonda's character) says it best, "I just want to be part of something." Also, a very feisty Betty White.
posted by SPrintF at 3:25 PM on November 21, 2023 [2 favorites]


Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion certainly fits this category and is one of my all-time favorites.
posted by wicked_sassy at 3:29 PM on November 21, 2023 [4 favorites]


Omit needless crocodiles.
posted by y2karl at 3:40 PM on November 21, 2023


We just watched Quiz Lady and enjoyed it. It is a funny feel good movie. Important note: at one point there is a dognapping (they give it away in the trailer) but at no point is the dog (or any other animal) in any kind of danger.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 3:48 PM on November 21, 2023 [2 favorites]


Brigsby Bear (2017)
We Are the Best! (2013)
posted by 2N2222 at 3:51 PM on November 21, 2023 [1 favorite]


The Way, Way Back hits the mostly heartwarming bullseye. Sam Rockwell's Owen is one of my favourite movie characters in recent memory.
posted by HillbillyInBC at 4:23 PM on November 21, 2023 [1 favorite]


Ocean’s 8 is a lot of fun with the pleasure of a heist and female friendships.

Pride about the LGBTQ-miners strike alliance in England is so so heartwarming but also emotionally charged - I end up laugh-crying the second half through.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 4:26 PM on November 21, 2023 [1 favorite]


Looking for some easy, funny feel good movies for the dark season.
I am really wondering if the recommendation up above for Something Wild was from a person who watched the whole movie. Because at the risk of spoiling a 37-year-old film, what starts as a happy-go-lucky yuppie-stiff-meets-manic-pixie-dream-girl adventure takes a real turn away from "easy" and "feel good" halfway through.

Still a terrific movie with a great soundtrack (keep an eye out for the very young Feelies putting in an appearance as the band covering Bowie at the high school reunion among other hidden 80s gems) but maybe not the best match for the ask here.
posted by Nerd of the North at 6:20 PM on November 21, 2023 [1 favorite]


Paddington 2
posted by saturdaymornings at 6:24 PM on November 21, 2023 [3 favorites]


My usual plug when asked for a recommendation along these lines is The Court Jester. Undemanding and comfortingly cliched plot, great songs, running gags used to terrific effect, and madcap set pieces - just remember that the pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle.
posted by Nerd of the North at 6:27 PM on November 21, 2023 [4 favorites]


Seconding Quiz Lady.
Also, off the top of my head,
Little Miss Sunshine
The World's Fastest Indian
The Fall (2006)
posted by Mister Moofoo at 6:29 PM on November 21, 2023


Seconding saturdaymornings on Paddington 2. I finally got around to watching it the other day, as it is streaming free (with ads) on Amazon's FreeVee. It really is a gentle, happy movie.

My favorite throwaway gag: "Exit, bear, pursued by an actor.."
posted by Nerd of the North at 6:35 PM on November 21, 2023


Madagascar 3, for me. Really enjoyed the animals, even the female animals, being beautiful with their animal characteristics not humanoid ones - a sexy hippo does not have a svelte waist, frex. More interesting cartooning with the wider range, too, I thought.
posted by clew at 6:40 PM on November 21, 2023


Noises Off
Waiting for Guffman
posted by brookeb at 6:41 PM on November 21, 2023 [1 favorite]


Definitely the Dungeons and Dragons movie. Instant feel good classic imo.

In no particular order:
A Knight’s Tale
Kiki’s Delivery Service
Whisper of the Heart
Clueless
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Chicken Run
Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure
Tokyo Godfathers
posted by caitcadieux at 7:04 PM on November 21, 2023 [3 favorites]


Amelie
The Dish
posted by D.Billy at 7:10 PM on November 21, 2023


My pick for most underrated heartwarming Christmas movie is 2004's Surviving Christmas.
posted by fairmettle at 10:00 PM on November 21, 2023


Save Yourselves is absolutely adorkable and I’m baffled by why it’s not a huge hit. It’s about a young couple who go to a house in the woods to disconnect right when there’s an alien invasion.

Cocaine Bear turned out to be awesome—it’s on the gory side in some spots but the whole thing is so wonderfully over the top hilarious that I didn’t mind, and it really knows what it wants to be.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 12:42 AM on November 22, 2023 [1 favorite]


Oh, hang on - there is a whole sort of unofficial sub-genre of movies I've noticed in which People From A Small Town In England Or Ireland Get Up To Hijinks. (This is a sub-genre which exists mainly in my own imagination.) This may be exactly what you're looking for. Some recent examples:

Waking Ned Devine. Residents of a very small town in Ireland discover that local resident Ned Devine a) won the big payout prize in the national lottery, and b) had a fatal heart attack when he discovered he'd done so. And they pull together to pull off a con on the lottery board to claim the prize (passing off another resident as Ned) and splitting the money amongst everyone in town.

Saving Grace (make sure you get the film from 2000). A recent widow discovers her husband was hiding a SHIT-ton of debt from her and she's now got nothing. Her gardener (a younger Craig Ferguson) has the idea to pivot from growing prize roses to growing cannabis.

Calendar Girls. This is a BIT more poignant, and is also based on a true story; a group of women in small-town Yorkshire rally together to do a fundraiser for cancer research after one of them loses her husband to cancer. But instead of a bake sale or some other such event....they do a calendar with nude photos of each of them.

And a couple of older ones -

Whisky Galore (the original is from 1949, the remake is from 2016; pick your poison). This is set during World War II, when whiskey is being rationed in the UK; a cargo ship runs aground just off the cost of a small Scottish island, and the cargo ship just so happens to have been carrying a wealth of whiskey. Residents rally to salvage the cargo and hide it from the goverment, who are also eager to reclaim it.

I Know Where I'm Going! - towards the end of World War II, a young English woman heads up to Scotland to meet up with her businessman boyfriend at his private Scottish estate. But the weather conspires to keep her in a small Scottish town for several days, where her affections soon change....I liked this a lot, because the visiting English outsiders are more so the subject of fun as opposed to the "quaint locals".
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:59 AM on November 22, 2023 [3 favorites]


Free Guy
posted by Peach at 5:03 AM on November 22, 2023 [2 favorites]


Ramen Girl!
posted by snusmumrik at 6:46 AM on November 22, 2023


Cool Runnings. It's bobsled time!
posted by guessthis at 9:04 AM on November 22, 2023


About a Boy (2002) -- actually about two boys, one in his late 30s. It's a funny, heartwarming story about coolness & independence vs connectedness & family. (Has some mildly grown-up themes, but I don't want to spoil too much.)
posted by ambulatorybird at 1:39 PM on November 22, 2023


The Austin Powers trilogy.
posted by orange swan at 9:12 AM on November 23, 2023


Lots of great suggestions here. I'll add Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy with Martin Freeman, Sam Rockwell, Alan Rickman, John Malkovich, Bill Nighy and more - the cast alone is worth the watch! Also recently rewatched Eurovision, a fun, campy romp with Will Farrell and Rachel McAdams at their Icelandic finest.
posted by platinum at 1:27 PM on November 23, 2023


Dungeons & Dragons for sure, but also Thor Ragnarök, for me it's in the same vein and has great comedy - Jeff Goldblum is absolutely great in it.

Also great:

Fear and loathing in Las Vegas
25 km/h (German road movie)
Dumb and dumber
Forrest Gump
posted by SweetLiesOfBokonon at 1:09 AM on November 24, 2023




Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 1 or 2 - In the same vein as Lego Movie, but with food instead of lego

Red White and Brass -This movie is exactly as easy-going as the trailer shows.

Mirai - a little boy coping with his family changing with the arrival of a new baby

Beavis and Butthead Do the Universe
posted by WhackyparseThis at 6:18 PM on November 25, 2023


If you want to see one in the theater, Alexander Payne's The Holdovers. Most of Payne's stuff fits this bill, actually.
posted by codhavereturned at 5:49 AM on November 27, 2023


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