Calli with Love

If you’re a movie lover like me, there’s no better way to ring in a new season than with a watchlist that reflects its energy.

Early fall gently welcomes a transition to crisp breezes and a landscape of colorful falling leaves. But the world around us isn’t the only thing going through changes. For many, it’s the start of a new school year, a push to become the next version of themselves. For all, it’s a time of reflection and routine. A time for football Sundays and homemade chili on the stove. A time to decorate and immerse themselves completely into the upcoming holiday season. It’s a reset.

Fall isn’t necessarily an ending or a beginning. It’s a gentle reminder that change, though it can be painful, is inevitable and often necessary.

To celebrate the autumnal equinox, I’ve curated a weeks worth of films that I believe perfectly capture the transformative beauty of fall.

1. When Harry Met Sally… (1989)

• Director: Rob Reiner
• Starring: Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal, Carrie Fisher, Bruno Kirby

This quintessential rom com poses a simple question: Can men and women be friends without sex getting in the way? The story follows Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) and Harry Burns (Billy Crystal), two very different people whose friendship blossoms around this debate. Honest discussions about marriage, love, and “faking it” make this a timeless classic. The character growth over a 12 year span, nestled into a stunning autumnal backdrop of New York setting make this a fall movie must. Plus, paired with wine and a cheese board, it’s perfect for a movie night with friends.

2. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

• Director: Peter Jackson
• Starring: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortenson, Ian McKellan, Sean Astin

There is nothing like a high fantasy film with hobbits, elves, and more whimsical beings to indulge in on a cozy fall night. In the first installment of the trilogy, Frodo (Elijah Wood) and friends are tasked with a dangerous quest to carry a powerful ring to Mordor and destroy it. While this is only the first film of 3 (and I do recommend the following two to close out the journey), I think the worldbuilding and early scenes of the Shire make it a great option for your fall watchlist. At its core, it serves as a coming-of-age film, depicting powerful messages of friendship and hope, as the world Frodo has come to know begins to crumble around him.

3. Good Will Hunting (1997)

• Director: Gus Van Sant
• Starring: Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Minnie Driver, Ben Affleck

Will Hunting (Matt Damon) works as a janitor at MIT when he is discovered to be a genius by one of the professors. To nurture his talents and tame his self-destructive behavior, he is forced to see a therapist (Robin Williams). They end up teaching each other to let go of the demons of their past and embrace their future, whatever that brings.

Content warning: This film contains stories of child abuse.

4. E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)

• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Starring: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Robert MacNaughton, Dee Wallace

This story follows Elliot (Henry Thomas), a young boy who comes across an alien, E.T. left behind by his family. Elliot hides E.T. in his home with the help from his older brother Michael (Robert MacNaughton) and little sister Gertie (Drew Barrymore). Elliot is determined to help E.T. make contact with his family, but they’ll run into some trouble along the way. I was obsessed with this movie as a child, especially the Halloween scene. It’s the perfect fall nostalgia film.

5. Dead Poets Society (1989)

• Director: Peter Weir
• Starring: Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke, Josh Charles

Any film set at an elite boarding school in 1950’s New England is bound to be a fall classic. Robin Williams stars as John Keating, an English teacher who connects with a group of young men when his “different” way of teaching inspires them to pursue their passions and express themselves in ways they never thought possible. The boys reform a “Dead Poets Society” in which they sneak out to a hideaway cave to express their thoughts, ideas, emotions, and read beautiful poetry. The delicate handling of each character and their struggles invites a deep connection between the viewer and what’s happening on screen. Just make sure you have the tissues ready.

Content warning: Suicide

Film Substitution: If the above warning is too overwhelming, I recommend Mona Lisa Smile (2003) instead. This film place at elite all women’s Wellesley College. Julia Roberts plays Katherine Watson, an art history teacher from California, whose progressive views inspires the young women in her class to seek more than marriage. This film, like Dead Poets Society, is about encouraging young people to seek more than what society has taught them they’re allowed.

6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)

• Director: Chris Columbus
• Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman

I have to admit, I just finished a Harry Potter marathon this week and I already want to watch it all over again. I consider the Harry Potter series to be a perfect binge watch from the start of fall to Christmas, but this first installment captures a back-to-school, whimsical spirit that makes it perfect for this time of year. Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is an 11 year old boy who discovers he is a wizard and has been invited to Hogwarts, school of wizardry, to learn the ways of magic. There he meets new friends and finds himself in the midst of a thrilling adventure. From catchy spells to quidditch games, this introduction to the wizarding world enchants the soul.

7. The Iron Giant (1999)

• Director: Brad Bird
• Starring: Vin Diesel, Eli Marienthal, Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr.

One of my absolute favorites, The Iron Giant is about a boy named Hogarth (Eli Marienthal) who stumbles upon a giant alien robot one night in the forest. As it takes place during the Cold War, the paranoid government is determined to find and destroy the giant, leaving Hogarth to do anything he can to hide and protect his new friend. This story is fun and sweet and will bring you to tears. This film is set in October of 1957, in Rockwell, Maine, which means the landscapes are painted in warm hues of reds, oranges, and yellows. I promise this isn’t one to miss.

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I hope some of the movies on this list interest you. Let me know what you’ll be watching to kick off the season of change!

Happy fall friends!

From Calli with Love.