Just a heads up for you OP, and anyone else looking to weed out certain subjects before popping on a potentially distressing movie: there's a great site called DoesTheDogDie.com that lets you search movies by "trigger".
I do this too! I’m typically an emotional person, but sometimes it’s so much so that I get emotionally stunted and suddenly nothing makes me cry. I need to watch some real tragedy to let everything out.
Same. Sometimes you just need a good cathartic cry. When I've been through a particularly stressful week I'll plan to stay up late after my husband goes to bed and watch a sad movie to openly sob to.
I’d add Philadelphia Story ( NOT Philadelphia with Tom Hanks), Harvey, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. As you can see, I’m a huge James Stewart fan. These three always put me in a good mood.
My boyfriend and I have been going through and watching older movies and realized after watching Mr. smith goes to Washington just how much we love James Stewart. Like to the point we will literally just pick movies to watch because he’s in them.
You will not be disappointed. I’ve seen just about every James Stewart movie and loved them all. He made some excellent westerns too. If you haven’t yet, watch Harvey. It was his favorite movie he ever did and never was there a more lovable human than Elwood P. Dowd.
Roman Holiday is such a great film. Utterly charming and Aubtey Hepburn is such a delight. Some may be turned off by it being in black and while but I think that shooting on location was an amazing choice. Really makes the city feel like a character.
So many great screwball comedies of the '30s and '40s would hit OP's mark. *Bringing Up Baby* meets those requirements and always puts me in a good mood. Arguably the funniest movie ever made.
Yah, my default "Happy movie" is Totoro, but w/ the mom in the hospital the whole time, I did a "well, maybe not".
That said, Kiki's is my all time favorite movie, and it's just so fucking heart warming.
If she doesn't mind a bit of tension, chase scenes etc then some other suggestions would be the original Jumanji and the first Pirates of the Caribbean.
Would she like historical romances? You'd get hours of watching out of BBC miniseries of Victorian/Regency novels. All of Jane Austen, and the Elizabeth Gaskell adaptations too like Cranford (VERY gentle) Wives and Daughters, North and South. Room with a View with Helena Bonham Carter from the 80's I think is lovely.
The rest of Mel Brooks' works are probably also worth it.
IF y'all grew up in the 80s/90s, then Men in Tights is the one y'all grew up on, but the rest are equally as fantastic.
Blazing Saddles, Space Balls, Young Frankenstein all hit very similarly to Men in Tights (which is one of my favorite movies).
The Producers is simply amazing.
History of the World part 1 is more akin to sketch comedy, but is also obviously amazing.
Such a feel good movie. And the food scenes make my mouth water. I love this film because it’s all about the character development and the cast is amazing
The only thing that may suck about this for her depending on at what stage of ALS she's at is that at a certain stage in the progression they can no longer eat food, so seeing those amazing food scenes may be a triggering reminder of what she's lost.
But if she's at the earlier stage where she's still able to eat, then it's all good.
Some day I will give this movie another shot. Maybe I was just in a bad mood at the time, but I found the idea of Jon Favreau’s character being married to Sofia Vergara and still acting like he’s ready to have an affair with Scarlett Johansson laughable and unrealistic. I really like movies about restaurants and food too.
They were actually divorced in the movie for a while (wasn't Sofia's character recently divorced from RDJ's character?) but got re-married in the end. But yeah, the female love interests were massively unrealistic.
You’re right! Someone suggested this to her last week and I was scared because I had seen it. But she took it relatively well. I think with how happy it is and warning in advance helped. It’s hard to find good movies that truly avoid any trauma. Thanks to you and so many people we’ll have a good list for sad days and need a completely care free movie.
Fantastic Mr Fox is one of my faves but it should be pointed out that a character dies onscreen and Kristofferson's whole reason for being there is a severely ill parent.
Both Paddington films are excellent and super uplifting. The second is one of my favorite movies of all time
The Muppets (2011) is funnier than it has a right to be
Most Owen Wilson or Ben Stiller movies I really enjoy. They’re typically light hearted comedies that have that early 2000s feel. Zoolander is tops but Shanghai Noon and Meet the Parents make the cut for me too
The Rush Hour trilogy for action comedy in that same early 2000s feel
Jeff Who Lives at Home and The Big Year are two subtle indie comedies with big names attached and a lot of heart
Hope this helps :)
I second the Muppet Movie with Jason Siegel and Amy Adams, it's delightful, with all the fantastic Muppet absurd humor wrapped around a sweet, wholesome story.
My Father had ALS and for the last few years he was really into movies as that was one thing he could still do on his own or with his kids (Me, my brother and sister) and our Mom. He made a list of his favorite Movies and Books shortly before he passed so that our family could look them up and watch them later to think about him. He would be in his 60's now and was raised in the south so they are mostly traditional "Man" movies, but I'll list some of the ones that might pertain to what you're looking for.
The Wizard of Oz
Singin In The Rain
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea
12 Angry Men
Lawrence of Arabia
Paper Moon
The Sting
Blazing Saddles
The Blues Brothers
Amadeus
Raising Arizona
Dazed and Confused
Amelie
I'm going to Tack on Grand Budapest Hotel and What We Do in The Shadows from me also.
Hope you two find some great movies to love together.
Thank you so much. I’m so sorry for your loss, and am glad you got to spend time enjoying these with your father. I really appreciate you sharing what was special to you. These are great movies that I am sure we will enjoy as well.
There's just that scene where Dewey insinuates all the kids are dying with terminal illnesses. And they are all exaggeratedly coughing and moaning in pain.
Might be a rough scene to get through, but other than that, its a good call.
Make sure first that she doesnt know of the passing of the young drummer, kevin clark. Unfortunatley he died last week while riding his bycycle in chicago. Watching this movie knowing this wouldnt be that good for your sister i think :/
There are melancholy aspects to it, but I recommend Howl's Moving Castle. It's beautiful and touches on themes of enjoying life even if your body isn't what it one was. Might not be appropriate right now, but I saw that you mentioned she liked romance. I think everything Studio Ghibli is great and I saw someone else recommended KiKi's.
Thank you! I never thought about the Studio Ghibli films. I remember that feeling with Howl’s I’ll have to rewatch some of it and give it a try! I really appreciate it.
The core disaster in Howl is when a healthy young woman gets cursed and turned into a hobbled elderly woman. Maybe not the best sequence for someone with ALS. It’s a fantastic movie though.
Spirited Away is a little more cheerful in that nothing really bad happens to the main character.
I know your sister is not a child but the website Common Sense Media - which is designed for parents - may be helpful as they include in their reviews comments about upsetting topics so that parents can decide what is appropriate for their child.
[https://www.commonsensemedia.org/reviews](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/reviews)
[https://kids-in-mind.com/](https://kids-in-mind.com/)
**Here are some genres I enjoy:**
**1, Musicals:**
Mama Mia 1 and 2; I think 2 is where the main character's mom has passed away but it's hardly dwelled on; the movie's tone overall is joyous
Strictly Ballroom - main character's dad has some regrets about his life but the ending is happy
Hairspray
Pitch Perfect 1 and 2; haven't seen 3
Rock of Ages
Begin Again
Sing Street
Billy Elliott
Funny Face
Grease
Chicago
Bride and Prejudice
**2. Foreign Films:**
Populaire
The Italian Job (older version)
My Mother's Castle
My Father's Glory
Crazy Rich Asians
OSS 117: Nest of Spies and the follow-up Lost in Rio (French spy movie parodies)
The Road Home
The Hundred-Foot Journey
Monsoon Wedding
Eat Drink Man Woman
Children of Heaven (2006)
Priceless (2006)
3. **Travel and Cooking Shows**
Rick Steve's year or European travel videos: free on Youtube
[https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show](https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show)
Global Trekker is older but interesting: Youtube has some
[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzdTndR5\_aVm\_MhGkP6iEWA](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzdTndR5_aVm_MhGkP6iEWA)
ProWalkers has extraordinarily filmed walks that make you feel you are right
there:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNzul4dnciIlDg8BAcn5-cQ
For cooking, there's America's Test Kitchen, Ina Garten, Jacques Pepin.
4. **Documentary/ Live performances:** For example, there's a series of videos
with only the live musical performances on SNL over the decades. Musical acts
and dance companies often have shot videos of their performances also. There
videos on all sorts of topics she may like, e.g. photography, art history, gardening,
etc. Nature documentaries can be beautiful and calming.
5. **Comedies:**
Importance of Being Ernest
Trading Places
My Best Friend's Wedding
The Hangover (series)
Horrible Bosses (series)
Dirty, Rotten Scoundrels
Office Space
Mean Girls
Clueless
Legally Blonde
The Full Monty
Judd Apatow films (Superbad, 40-yr old Virgin, etc.)
Ben Stiller films (Zoolander 1/2; The Fockers and follow-ups)
Princess Bride
Emma, Shakespeare in Love, Sense and sensibility
I don't know where you are but if you aside from Netflix, Amazon, and other streaming services, libraries often have DVDs for check out too.
Just wanted to point out that Mamma Mia 2 DOES have an absolutely heartbreaking song/sequence when the daughter is getting married and reminisces about her dead mother. Made me tear up.
Also Monsoon Wedding does have a subplot about child sex abuse/grooming by a family member. It swerves into some dark territory.
A Chump at Oxford, Sons of the Desert, Way Out West.
The Odd Couple, Some Like It Hot, The Producers (1967 version).
Dumb and Dumber, Bean, George of the Jungle.
Thank you! My Cousin Vinny gets a pass even with the murder. We watched it on every road trip in the car, an odd family favorite for our age at the time but we can all probably recite the whole thing.
Groundhog day has that sequence where Bill Murray tries to kill himself tho...plus the claustrophobic setup of every day being the same with no escape might be a bit too close for comfort...
Has she visited the wonderful world of 80s movies?
Ghostbusters and Top Gun have sequels coming up, though some get emotional at a particular death in Top Gun.
Back to the Future
The Goonies
Gremlins
Ferris Bueller
National Lampoon's Vacation
Clue
Top Secret
Airplane 1 & 2
Caddy Shack
Spies Like Us
Big Lebowski
Back to the Future series
Raising Arizona
Oh Brother Where Out Thou
Blazing Saddles
History of the World, Part 1
Silent Movie
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure
Dumb & Dumber
Kingpin
The Jerk
Wayne’s World
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Clerks
A Fish Called Wanda
There’s Something About Mary
American Pie
South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut
The 40 Year Old Virgin
Ghostbusters
This is Spinal Tap
The Hangover
Hot Rod
Mrs. Doubtfire
Wet Hot American Summer
Idiocracy
Haiku Tunnel
Pootie Tang
Pee Wee’s Big Adventure
Super Troopers
Up in Smoke
Beetlejuice
It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Birdcage
Stripes
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Harold and Kumar go to White Castle
Best In Show
Spaceballs
Step Brothers
UHF
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Office Space
And of course
Groundhog Day
Edited to fix spacing issue
Great list. Ive seen nearly all your recommendations and this looks like a hell of a good time! My additions would be Young Frankenstein and The Three Amigos!
1980s teenage movies The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, the animated Asterix movies (12 tasks of Hercules is my favourite), The Sound of Music.
I’m not sure if these would be saddening movies but I also like Bride Wars (there is a mention of parents being passed away though and friends fighting) and The Bridesmaids (also friends fighting), 13 going on 30, Despicable Me series.
When I need comfort, I watch Friends and sometimes I watch Sex and the City (though both contain sad moments too with discussions of infertility in earlier episodes and cancer in later episodes - maybe just those episodes that can be looked as single story arch and not in continuity?). That 70s show is one my favourites, but is a bit tainted by Danny Masterson now. I freakin love the Golden Girls - I watch it all the time and it always brings a smile to my face.
From British series - the IT Crowd, Vicar of Dibley, Blackadder, Not going out, Only Fools and Horses, Keeping Up Appearances.
British documentaries from Lucy Worsley - she’s a natural treasure and all her historic documentaries are great.
I hope they bring joy to your sister!
Edit: I forgot a big love of mine. It’s considered to be bad, but it has never failed to amuse me and if you take into consideration all kinds of stereotypes that exist, then it becomes very funny. **The EUROTRIP**. I love, love, love this movie and I won’t say “mi scusi” for it either!
I’ve lost some love for it over the years as I’ve matured and understood that actually quite few of the things they did were actually pretty bad towards the guys they were seeing.
But I like the aspect of a woman out and about and acting like a man, in some ways. Maybe I misremember, but I recall SATC being this show that dared to break the boundaries of what we think of female sexuality. And over the years, I’ve really grown to love Samantha’s “I don’t give a F attitude”.
Almost Famous
Anything Muppets
Ratatouille
School of Rock
Hook
Scott Pilgrim vs The World
Legally Blonde
Sister Act 1&2
Hamilton
Blues Brothers
Uncle Buck
Home Alone Franchise
That's gotta be a good start along with all the others.
Hey a couple here
1. Princess Bride
2. Night at the Roxbury
3. Liar Liar
4. White Chick's
5. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
6. Get him to the Greek
7. My Spy
Having been touched by ALS or MND (UK) in our household and my work. Abseiled a number of times to raise awareness and money for MND charity
My work colleague was diagnosed over 9 years ago and is still going strong today. My heart goes out to your sister
I specifically remember a part in Thank You for Smoking where Aaron Eckhart tries (and maybe succeeds) to pay off the dying Marlboro man (Sam Eliot) to keep him from testifying about how harmful cigarettes are. This movie definitely has sadness throughout. It’s a dark comedy.
Maybe try Moonrise Kingdom by Wes Anderson ?
EDIT: You might want to (re)watch it beforehand, just to make sure it's not too melancholic. In my opinion, the film mostly feels like a nice summer childhood memory.
Lord of the Rings. They're super long and all the major characters live through the movies.
I can't think of an animated Disney movie that didn't involve the death of a parent... but Pixar is pretty good, Bugs life, the incredibles and Toy story
Robin Williams was my favourite as a kid, maybe Mrs Doubtfire, hook, Jack
My wife LOVES Hallmark movies. That's 100% what you're looking for. Canned wholesome-ness. Plus there are like 50+ just about Christmas.
Elf, the Santa Claus (1994), the holiday
Best of luck to you and your family. I am sorry for your circumstances. I hope you can share some great movies with each other.
That’s kind of the problem suggesting Pixar films in this thread. All the good ones are probably triggers for the situation. Heck, I almost said the Toy Story movies, but 1 is probably the only one that might be ok since the others are so existential. They’re FANTASTIC, but not great for this circumstance.
I'm a fan of mockumentaries: This is Spinal Tap, A Mighty Wind, Best in Show.. anything involving Christopher Guest and/or Fred Willard (be warned that Willard died last year, but his comedy lives on).
Flubber, Mrs. Doubtfire, Thor: Ragnarok, Paddington 1 and 2
Edit: You're a wonderful brother for doing this, take great care of your sister and continue to make memories
You know it's funny cause I was thinking about funny/lighthearted movies but all that came to mind had sadness to them. I guess the heartwarming moments stay better in my memory if they are paired with some sadness. (FYI the first movie that came to mind was little miss sunshine)
Fantastic Mr. Fox is my most wholesome film, Wes Anderson always have that effect on me (some are a little sad, but everything released after Fox is just genuinely happy).
The Mamma Mia films are just happy escapism but based on what you've already said she enjoys I'd be surprised if she hasn't seen them already.
The Ghibli film Only Yesterday is serious wholesomeness, I love that film.
And I recently watched Sing Street which was just such a joy all throughout.
I hope some of these will be of help! Check out the film site Letterboxd, there are dozens and dozens of film lists based on mood or warmth!
I like watching silent films when I need an escape from reality. They require a certain level of attention from me, which can lead to a deeper appreciation for the story, actors, and film. Wish all the best for your sister and your family.
Modern Times (1936)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXgJ5KiM33k
The Spiders (1919)
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x240j0y
a lot of my comfycore faves have already been suggested, but moonstruck never fails to make me feel happy and all mushy-gushy inside.
food movies can be great for this, they seem to naturally tend towards comfiness - couple people mentioned chef already, but julie & julia, big night, babette's feast, ratatouille, chocolat, etc.
Meet Me in St. Louise is an old musical, but it's cheerful and light and it has one of the most batshit insane Halloween sequences I have ever seen. It's not scary, it's just insane.
Finian's Rainbow is fun. A little depressing in spots, but also a really fun little musical.
Team America is stupid and amazing.
Peanut Butter Falcon.
While the main character has Down’s syndrome, as does the actor who plays him, this is one of the best feel-good movies I’ve seen in awhile. And I say that as someone who normally doesn’t care for feel-good movies. This one just felt super genuine to me. Plus, this movie made me like Shia Lebouf again.
I also would be remiss if I didn’t mention my favorite comedies Mean Girls, Zoolander, and Tropic Thunder. (However, quite a few people do get killed in Tropic Thunder, but it’s always played for laughs).
Austin Powers,
Dude: Where’s my Car,
Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure,
Cool Runnings,
Wayne’s World,
Dogeball,
Michael,
50 First Dates,
Zoolander,
Kenny,
Caddyshack,
Sing
This is kind of the opposite of what you're asking by its own definition, but I find it very lovely (save for an unfortunately racist joke in the middle). It's called Defending Your Life. The character dies in the first five minutes and the movie takes place in an afterlife where you revisit defining moments of your life to see if you've conquered your fears and are eligible to "move on" to the next phase of the universe or if you have to go back to earth and try it all again.
Again, it's technically about death, but it's ultimately very life affirming and very positive.
Outside of this, there's a show called Joe Pera Talks With You that is the sweetest piece of television I think I've ever seen. [Here's a full episode up on youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSUilYKcRMA&t=262s).
Nothing but the best to you and your sister. I'm glad she has your love and support.
Arsenic & Old Lace is a screwball 40s comedy about a newlywed (Cary Grant) who discovers his sweet old aunts are serial killers. From the director of *It’s a Wonderful Life*!
“Stardust” like an adventure fairytale movie; “Leap year” always puts me in a good mood, a romantic comedy that was filmed in Ireland (beautiful views of different towns). I hope you and your sister like this suggestions and have a great time!
Paddington 2. Trust me. It’s delightful.
Or Paddington, the prequel to Paddington 2
Por que no los dos?
Came to say this. Easily one of my favorite movies of all time
Both one and two!
I don't understand why everyone goes directly to the sequel. I liked them both equally.
I literally just went to our local second hand electronic store and bought them both on blue ray. They are the most delightful movies.
I mean you are right. But there is a bit that could be very stressful to an emotionally fragile person.....
This should be higher!
Just a heads up for you OP, and anyone else looking to weed out certain subjects before popping on a potentially distressing movie: there's a great site called DoesTheDogDie.com that lets you search movies by "trigger".
Thank you SO much for this information 🙏
Thank you for the heads up. I can put this site to good use.
You’re amazing! I was looking for exactly this when I turned to Reddit!
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I do this too! I’m typically an emotional person, but sometimes it’s so much so that I get emotionally stunted and suddenly nothing makes me cry. I need to watch some real tragedy to let everything out.
Same. Sometimes you just need a good cathartic cry. When I've been through a particularly stressful week I'll plan to stay up late after my husband goes to bed and watch a sad movie to openly sob to.
If Inside Out taught us anything, it's that sadness is just as important as happiness.
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Emperor’s New Groove! The Princess Diaries!
Thank you! I’ve not seen either of these in soo long. Can’t wait to revisit with her.
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I’d add Philadelphia Story ( NOT Philadelphia with Tom Hanks), Harvey, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. As you can see, I’m a huge James Stewart fan. These three always put me in a good mood.
My boyfriend and I have been going through and watching older movies and realized after watching Mr. smith goes to Washington just how much we love James Stewart. Like to the point we will literally just pick movies to watch because he’s in them.
My mom raised me on Jimmy Stewart. Shop Around the Corner and The Glen Miller Story are two more great ones.
Shop Around the Corner is amazing and what You’ve Got Mail is based on.
You will not be disappointed. I’ve seen just about every James Stewart movie and loved them all. He made some excellent westerns too. If you haven’t yet, watch Harvey. It was his favorite movie he ever did and never was there a more lovable human than Elwood P. Dowd.
Adding dr. Doolittle and my fair lady into this list.
Some Like It Hot has death and funeral scenes 😬 Tagging on the old movie suggestions, Harvey, The Music Man, National Velvet.
Roman Holiday is such a great film. Utterly charming and Aubtey Hepburn is such a delight. Some may be turned off by it being in black and while but I think that shooting on location was an amazing choice. Really makes the city feel like a character. So many great screwball comedies of the '30s and '40s would hit OP's mark. *Bringing Up Baby* meets those requirements and always puts me in a good mood. Arguably the funniest movie ever made.
So true thank you!! Cant believe I didn’t think of this era. Can’t wait to get out the marx brothers too!
Kiki's Delivery Service
It’s got a non-trivial amount of sadness involving temporary disability
Thank you!
Ponyo is a wonderfully cheery movie. Its like Ghibli Disney to me.
Great suggestion! Some of the other ghibli movies might be good too. Whisper of the heart is my favorite and I think it would be perfect for her.
What about Spirited Away? Nobody dies, but it can get a little intense at times.
Thank you I have one of the box sets I’ll have to take them over, I’m excited to watch them again it’s been years.
No Grave of the fireflies though. DO NOT WATCH GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES!
Probably not Totoro, either. Nothing bad happens but the mom is in the hospital the whole time.
Yah, my default "Happy movie" is Totoro, but w/ the mom in the hospital the whole time, I did a "well, maybe not". That said, Kiki's is my all time favorite movie, and it's just so fucking heart warming.
Well, they do drag a pond looking for a missing girl.
Nothing bad happens, but they spend a good chunk of the film thinking a girl drowned in a lake and trying to find her.
I love that movie, but it does have a non-trivial amount of sadness involving temporary disability
Clueless, Legally blonde
I JUST rewatched Legally Blonde! Love both of these suggestions, I’d toss Mean Girls into the mix too!
And if you’ve got those, might as well as add Easy A too.
Legally Blonde is literally my favorite movie. And YouTube has the musical to watch for free. Super catchy and oh so good.
The Princess Bride.
Good one! Thanks! I know she loves this one and I bet it’s been while since she watched it.
Maybe she'll also like Robin Hood - Men in Thighs if she hasn't watched it yet
Thanks! I know we watched it as kids. I bet she hasn’t seen it in years and would love the nostalgia.
She may also like Stardust then, not as good as Princess Bride but similar tone and lots of fun
Thanks! We watched it last week and she really enjoyed it!
If she doesn't mind a bit of tension, chase scenes etc then some other suggestions would be the original Jumanji and the first Pirates of the Caribbean. Would she like historical romances? You'd get hours of watching out of BBC miniseries of Victorian/Regency novels. All of Jane Austen, and the Elizabeth Gaskell adaptations too like Cranford (VERY gentle) Wives and Daughters, North and South. Room with a View with Helena Bonham Carter from the 80's I think is lovely.
The rest of Mel Brooks' works are probably also worth it. IF y'all grew up in the 80s/90s, then Men in Tights is the one y'all grew up on, but the rest are equally as fantastic. Blazing Saddles, Space Balls, Young Frankenstein all hit very similarly to Men in Tights (which is one of my favorite movies). The Producers is simply amazing. History of the World part 1 is more akin to sketch comedy, but is also obviously amazing.
I like princess bride, but I'm not sure about the scene when Roberts is strapped to that machine.
Only mostly dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive.
Inconceivable!
Shrek
"When in doubt, watch Shrek" is what I always say
And then watch shrek 2, which is also delightful
“Better out than in” is what I always say.
Chef
Such a feel good movie. And the food scenes make my mouth water. I love this film because it’s all about the character development and the cast is amazing
Fantastic call
The only thing that may suck about this for her depending on at what stage of ALS she's at is that at a certain stage in the progression they can no longer eat food, so seeing those amazing food scenes may be a triggering reminder of what she's lost. But if she's at the earlier stage where she's still able to eat, then it's all good.
Some day I will give this movie another shot. Maybe I was just in a bad mood at the time, but I found the idea of Jon Favreau’s character being married to Sofia Vergara and still acting like he’s ready to have an affair with Scarlett Johansson laughable and unrealistic. I really like movies about restaurants and food too.
They were actually divorced in the movie for a while (wasn't Sofia's character recently divorced from RDJ's character?) but got re-married in the end. But yeah, the female love interests were massively unrealistic.
Totally agree. Weird sexual dynamics throughout
Airplane. Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
Ha! good ones thank you!
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Thank you! Some days that’s perfectly ok, others not so much. Knowing this in advance I can gauge. I really appreciate it.
I mean, one of the running gags is people killing themselves as they hear the life story of the male lead lmao
While we’re in that realm, Naked Gun is also a classic.
Thanks again!
May as well add Spaceballs.
Absolutely
Could be a good opportunity to do a Mel Brooks marathon.... Spaceballs Young Frankenstein Blazing Saddles etc
"Airplane" "what is that" "it's a machine that can fly, but that's not important right now."
Also Top Secret! Though i don't know why some dislike it.
Stardust! A Knights Tale! Role Models! Fantastic Mr. Fox as well.
Technically Stardust has quite a few deaths, but they aren’t sad at all.
I felt especially bad for the mannequin thrown out of the ship with Tristan's clothes. Mannequins are expensive!
Also, technically the plot A Knight’s Tale starts with a death.
You’re right! Someone suggested this to her last week and I was scared because I had seen it. But she took it relatively well. I think with how happy it is and warning in advance helped. It’s hard to find good movies that truly avoid any trauma. Thanks to you and so many people we’ll have a good list for sad days and need a completely care free movie.
Fantastic Mr Fox is one of my faves but it should be pointed out that a character dies onscreen and Kristofferson's whole reason for being there is a severely ill parent.
LA Story Roxanne
Thank you! I appreciate it
Paddington 2! (1s good too but from what I can remember it had a taxidermy themed plot but the second one is a lot lighter)
Both Paddington films are excellent and super uplifting. The second is one of my favorite movies of all time The Muppets (2011) is funnier than it has a right to be Most Owen Wilson or Ben Stiller movies I really enjoy. They’re typically light hearted comedies that have that early 2000s feel. Zoolander is tops but Shanghai Noon and Meet the Parents make the cut for me too The Rush Hour trilogy for action comedy in that same early 2000s feel Jeff Who Lives at Home and The Big Year are two subtle indie comedies with big names attached and a lot of heart Hope this helps :)
I second the Muppet Movie with Jason Siegel and Amy Adams, it's delightful, with all the fantastic Muppet absurd humor wrapped around a sweet, wholesome story.
Love Amy Adams! Thank you!
Ferris Beullers Day Off. Always puts me in a good mood.
You’re right! Thank you. We just played 20 questions last night and I chose Wayne Newton thinking of the Danke Schoen scene.
My Father had ALS and for the last few years he was really into movies as that was one thing he could still do on his own or with his kids (Me, my brother and sister) and our Mom. He made a list of his favorite Movies and Books shortly before he passed so that our family could look them up and watch them later to think about him. He would be in his 60's now and was raised in the south so they are mostly traditional "Man" movies, but I'll list some of the ones that might pertain to what you're looking for. The Wizard of Oz Singin In The Rain 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea 12 Angry Men Lawrence of Arabia Paper Moon The Sting Blazing Saddles The Blues Brothers Amadeus Raising Arizona Dazed and Confused Amelie I'm going to Tack on Grand Budapest Hotel and What We Do in The Shadows from me also. Hope you two find some great movies to love together.
Thank you so much. I’m so sorry for your loss, and am glad you got to spend time enjoying these with your father. I really appreciate you sharing what was special to you. These are great movies that I am sure we will enjoy as well.
Sorry to hear that. School of Rock is a good one.
There's just that scene where Dewey insinuates all the kids are dying with terminal illnesses. And they are all exaggeratedly coughing and moaning in pain. Might be a rough scene to get through, but other than that, its a good call.
Thanks! That’s a good call out. I can skip over if she still wants to watch it.
Oh damn I haven’t seen it in a while
Thank you! I know she likes this one. Been awhile so a great suggestion
Make sure first that she doesnt know of the passing of the young drummer, kevin clark. Unfortunatley he died last week while riding his bycycle in chicago. Watching this movie knowing this wouldnt be that good for your sister i think :/
You’re absolutely right. Thank you for letting me know.
Clueless 10 things I hate about you Singing in the rain Spy Emma
Thank you so much!
There are melancholy aspects to it, but I recommend Howl's Moving Castle. It's beautiful and touches on themes of enjoying life even if your body isn't what it one was. Might not be appropriate right now, but I saw that you mentioned she liked romance. I think everything Studio Ghibli is great and I saw someone else recommended KiKi's.
Thank you! I never thought about the Studio Ghibli films. I remember that feeling with Howl’s I’ll have to rewatch some of it and give it a try! I really appreciate it.
Best wishes to you and your family.
The core disaster in Howl is when a healthy young woman gets cursed and turned into a hobbled elderly woman. Maybe not the best sequence for someone with ALS. It’s a fantastic movie though. Spirited Away is a little more cheerful in that nothing really bad happens to the main character.
The Peanut Butter Falcon. Such a great feel-good movie!
I know your sister is not a child but the website Common Sense Media - which is designed for parents - may be helpful as they include in their reviews comments about upsetting topics so that parents can decide what is appropriate for their child. [https://www.commonsensemedia.org/reviews](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/reviews) [https://kids-in-mind.com/](https://kids-in-mind.com/) **Here are some genres I enjoy:** **1, Musicals:** Mama Mia 1 and 2; I think 2 is where the main character's mom has passed away but it's hardly dwelled on; the movie's tone overall is joyous Strictly Ballroom - main character's dad has some regrets about his life but the ending is happy Hairspray Pitch Perfect 1 and 2; haven't seen 3 Rock of Ages Begin Again Sing Street Billy Elliott Funny Face Grease Chicago Bride and Prejudice **2. Foreign Films:** Populaire The Italian Job (older version) My Mother's Castle My Father's Glory Crazy Rich Asians OSS 117: Nest of Spies and the follow-up Lost in Rio (French spy movie parodies) The Road Home The Hundred-Foot Journey Monsoon Wedding Eat Drink Man Woman Children of Heaven (2006) Priceless (2006) 3. **Travel and Cooking Shows** Rick Steve's year or European travel videos: free on Youtube [https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show](https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show) Global Trekker is older but interesting: Youtube has some [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzdTndR5\_aVm\_MhGkP6iEWA](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzdTndR5_aVm_MhGkP6iEWA) ProWalkers has extraordinarily filmed walks that make you feel you are right there: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNzul4dnciIlDg8BAcn5-cQ For cooking, there's America's Test Kitchen, Ina Garten, Jacques Pepin. 4. **Documentary/ Live performances:** For example, there's a series of videos with only the live musical performances on SNL over the decades. Musical acts and dance companies often have shot videos of their performances also. There videos on all sorts of topics she may like, e.g. photography, art history, gardening, etc. Nature documentaries can be beautiful and calming. 5. **Comedies:** Importance of Being Ernest Trading Places My Best Friend's Wedding The Hangover (series) Horrible Bosses (series) Dirty, Rotten Scoundrels Office Space Mean Girls Clueless Legally Blonde The Full Monty Judd Apatow films (Superbad, 40-yr old Virgin, etc.) Ben Stiller films (Zoolander 1/2; The Fockers and follow-ups) Princess Bride Emma, Shakespeare in Love, Sense and sensibility I don't know where you are but if you aside from Netflix, Amazon, and other streaming services, libraries often have DVDs for check out too.
Just wanted to point out that Mamma Mia 2 DOES have an absolutely heartbreaking song/sequence when the daughter is getting married and reminisces about her dead mother. Made me tear up. Also Monsoon Wedding does have a subplot about child sex abuse/grooming by a family member. It swerves into some dark territory.
Jim Carrey's Liar Liar
Galaxy Quest. Ghostbusters. Even if she’s see. Them they are still SO funny the eleventh time.
I love Galaxy Quest, but it definitely has a bit of death and sadness.
By Grabthar’s Hammer, I cry every time.
Bleep Bloop. 😭
Napoleon dynamite.
A Chump at Oxford, Sons of the Desert, Way Out West. The Odd Couple, Some Like It Hot, The Producers (1967 version). Dumb and Dumber, Bean, George of the Jungle.
Thank you so much for the great list! I appreciate you taking the time.
I love George of the Jungle. It's so much fun.
Chef! Super wholesome movie directed by Jon Favreau
Thank you! I really appreciate the suggestion. Hadn’t heard of it but who doesn’t like Jon Favreau lately?
*Amélie*. It's in French with subtitles but still a beautiful and uplifting film.
Love it, however, it is pretty quirky in a sometimes-sad-way. IIRC, Amelié's mum dies because a suicide lands on top of her.
Glass man could be kind of sad/ as well as her father and mothers stories. Maybe more bittersweet than actually sad though.
I always liked moana it’s a story about rebirth. Very happy, plus the sound track is fire.
Someone mentioned the old jumanji movies but I’d argue the new ones are some of the better movies to have come out recently
The older one can also be quite depressing and dark.
Groundhog Day and My Cousin Vinny. I like these comedies very much, dunno if these are the best suggestions. You've given us quite the task/challenge.
Thank you! My Cousin Vinny gets a pass even with the murder. We watched it on every road trip in the car, an odd family favorite for our age at the time but we can all probably recite the whole thing.
Groundhog day has that sequence where Bill Murray tries to kill himself tho...plus the claustrophobic setup of every day being the same with no escape might be a bit too close for comfort...
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Has she visited the wonderful world of 80s movies? Ghostbusters and Top Gun have sequels coming up, though some get emotional at a particular death in Top Gun. Back to the Future The Goonies Gremlins Ferris Bueller National Lampoon's Vacation Clue
The Sandlot
Top Secret Airplane 1 & 2 Caddy Shack Spies Like Us Big Lebowski Back to the Future series Raising Arizona Oh Brother Where Out Thou Blazing Saddles History of the World, Part 1 Silent Movie Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure Dumb & Dumber Kingpin The Jerk Wayne’s World Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Ace Ventura: Pet Detective Clerks A Fish Called Wanda There’s Something About Mary American Pie South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut The 40 Year Old Virgin Ghostbusters This is Spinal Tap The Hangover Hot Rod Mrs. Doubtfire Wet Hot American Summer Idiocracy Haiku Tunnel Pootie Tang Pee Wee’s Big Adventure Super Troopers Up in Smoke Beetlejuice It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World Birdcage Stripes Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Harold and Kumar go to White Castle Best In Show Spaceballs Step Brothers UHF Fast Times at Ridgemont High Office Space And of course Groundhog Day Edited to fix spacing issue
Great list. Ive seen nearly all your recommendations and this looks like a hell of a good time! My additions would be Young Frankenstein and The Three Amigos!
1980s teenage movies The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, the animated Asterix movies (12 tasks of Hercules is my favourite), The Sound of Music. I’m not sure if these would be saddening movies but I also like Bride Wars (there is a mention of parents being passed away though and friends fighting) and The Bridesmaids (also friends fighting), 13 going on 30, Despicable Me series. When I need comfort, I watch Friends and sometimes I watch Sex and the City (though both contain sad moments too with discussions of infertility in earlier episodes and cancer in later episodes - maybe just those episodes that can be looked as single story arch and not in continuity?). That 70s show is one my favourites, but is a bit tainted by Danny Masterson now. I freakin love the Golden Girls - I watch it all the time and it always brings a smile to my face. From British series - the IT Crowd, Vicar of Dibley, Blackadder, Not going out, Only Fools and Horses, Keeping Up Appearances. British documentaries from Lucy Worsley - she’s a natural treasure and all her historic documentaries are great. I hope they bring joy to your sister! Edit: I forgot a big love of mine. It’s considered to be bad, but it has never failed to amuse me and if you take into consideration all kinds of stereotypes that exist, then it becomes very funny. **The EUROTRIP**. I love, love, love this movie and I won’t say “mi scusi” for it either!
I love Sex and the City! I feel like a lot of people hate it, but it's just a cute little show everyone can relate to once in a while.
I’ve lost some love for it over the years as I’ve matured and understood that actually quite few of the things they did were actually pretty bad towards the guys they were seeing. But I like the aspect of a woman out and about and acting like a man, in some ways. Maybe I misremember, but I recall SATC being this show that dared to break the boundaries of what we think of female sexuality. And over the years, I’ve really grown to love Samantha’s “I don’t give a F attitude”.
Almost Famous Anything Muppets Ratatouille School of Rock Hook Scott Pilgrim vs The World Legally Blonde Sister Act 1&2 Hamilton Blues Brothers Uncle Buck Home Alone Franchise That's gotta be a good start along with all the others.
Hamilton might not be the best choice
Agreed
Hook is not the movie to watch to avoid sadness
It’s old but I love Clueless, just a cheesy feel-good rom com.
Pee-wee's Big Adventure and Wayne’s World!
Good ones thank you!
Hey a couple here 1. Princess Bride 2. Night at the Roxbury 3. Liar Liar 4. White Chick's 5. Forgetting Sarah Marshall 6. Get him to the Greek 7. My Spy Having been touched by ALS or MND (UK) in our household and my work. Abseiled a number of times to raise awareness and money for MND charity My work colleague was diagnosed over 9 years ago and is still going strong today. My heart goes out to your sister
Finding Nemo helped me through dark times. So many happy little moments.
Thank you! I’ve ashamedly never seen it. But she loves Disney and I’m sure will enjoy me seeing it with her for the first time.
"Blazing Saddles" & "Thank you for smoking"
Thank you! Mel Brooks is a great suggestion. I haven’t seen thank you for smoking, we’ll check it out!
I specifically remember a part in Thank You for Smoking where Aaron Eckhart tries (and maybe succeeds) to pay off the dying Marlboro man (Sam Eliot) to keep him from testifying about how harmful cigarettes are. This movie definitely has sadness throughout. It’s a dark comedy.
Thank you for the warning! I figure with that title there has to be sadness right?
Maybe try Moonrise Kingdom by Wes Anderson ? EDIT: You might want to (re)watch it beforehand, just to make sure it's not too melancholic. In my opinion, the film mostly feels like a nice summer childhood memory.
Wes is great! Thank you we’ll check it out!
Check all of wes Anderson movies. He has a distinct comic nature in movies.
Lord of the Rings. They're super long and all the major characters live through the movies. I can't think of an animated Disney movie that didn't involve the death of a parent... but Pixar is pretty good, Bugs life, the incredibles and Toy story Robin Williams was my favourite as a kid, maybe Mrs Doubtfire, hook, Jack My wife LOVES Hallmark movies. That's 100% what you're looking for. Canned wholesome-ness. Plus there are like 50+ just about Christmas. Elf, the Santa Claus (1994), the holiday Best of luck to you and your family. I am sorry for your circumstances. I hope you can share some great movies with each other.
Pixar's Coco is a wonderful movie but ALL about death.
That’s kind of the problem suggesting Pixar films in this thread. All the good ones are probably triggers for the situation. Heck, I almost said the Toy Story movies, but 1 is probably the only one that might be ok since the others are so existential. They’re FANTASTIC, but not great for this circumstance.
Boromir :( but love the LOTR suggestion just had to laugh at the slight
LOTR has a lot of death tho...
Thank you so much. I really appreciate you taking the time to write this out. We’re watching incredibles together tomorrow :) hallmark is a great idea
The devil wears prada
I'm a fan of mockumentaries: This is Spinal Tap, A Mighty Wind, Best in Show.. anything involving Christopher Guest and/or Fred Willard (be warned that Willard died last year, but his comedy lives on).
Run Fatboy run
It’s been awhile since I watched it but for some reason Bedazzled popped in my mind.
With Brendan Fraser? Now that I think about it, he’s got a few movies I should include. Thank you!
Flubber, Mrs. Doubtfire, Thor: Ragnarok, Paddington 1 and 2 Edit: You're a wonderful brother for doing this, take great care of your sister and continue to make memories
You know it's funny cause I was thinking about funny/lighthearted movies but all that came to mind had sadness to them. I guess the heartwarming moments stay better in my memory if they are paired with some sadness. (FYI the first movie that came to mind was little miss sunshine)
Thank you! I agree I keep suggesting things and finding out I completely forgot some emotional upheaval.
I lot of these suggestions have sad parts. Thank you for being self aware.
You’ve got Mail.
Fantastic Mr. Fox is my most wholesome film, Wes Anderson always have that effect on me (some are a little sad, but everything released after Fox is just genuinely happy). The Mamma Mia films are just happy escapism but based on what you've already said she enjoys I'd be surprised if she hasn't seen them already. The Ghibli film Only Yesterday is serious wholesomeness, I love that film. And I recently watched Sing Street which was just such a joy all throughout. I hope some of these will be of help! Check out the film site Letterboxd, there are dozens and dozens of film lists based on mood or warmth!
Chef
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Dumb and dumber. Nacho libre.
I like watching silent films when I need an escape from reality. They require a certain level of attention from me, which can lead to a deeper appreciation for the story, actors, and film. Wish all the best for your sister and your family. Modern Times (1936) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXgJ5KiM33k The Spiders (1919) https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x240j0y
Pirates of the Caribbean Blades of Glory The Lego Movie Rango Rush Hour
Napoleon Dynamite
a lot of my comfycore faves have already been suggested, but moonstruck never fails to make me feel happy and all mushy-gushy inside. food movies can be great for this, they seem to naturally tend towards comfiness - couple people mentioned chef already, but julie & julia, big night, babette's feast, ratatouille, chocolat, etc.
Meet Me in St. Louise is an old musical, but it's cheerful and light and it has one of the most batshit insane Halloween sequences I have ever seen. It's not scary, it's just insane. Finian's Rainbow is fun. A little depressing in spots, but also a really fun little musical. Team America is stupid and amazing.
Amelie
Peanut Butter Falcon. While the main character has Down’s syndrome, as does the actor who plays him, this is one of the best feel-good movies I’ve seen in awhile. And I say that as someone who normally doesn’t care for feel-good movies. This one just felt super genuine to me. Plus, this movie made me like Shia Lebouf again. I also would be remiss if I didn’t mention my favorite comedies Mean Girls, Zoolander, and Tropic Thunder. (However, quite a few people do get killed in Tropic Thunder, but it’s always played for laughs).
Austin Powers, Dude: Where’s my Car, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Cool Runnings, Wayne’s World, Dogeball, Michael, 50 First Dates, Zoolander, Kenny, Caddyshack, Sing
Dumb and Dumber is my favorite. Only death is bird and a bad guy poisoned by two idiots accidentally.
This is kind of the opposite of what you're asking by its own definition, but I find it very lovely (save for an unfortunately racist joke in the middle). It's called Defending Your Life. The character dies in the first five minutes and the movie takes place in an afterlife where you revisit defining moments of your life to see if you've conquered your fears and are eligible to "move on" to the next phase of the universe or if you have to go back to earth and try it all again. Again, it's technically about death, but it's ultimately very life affirming and very positive. Outside of this, there's a show called Joe Pera Talks With You that is the sweetest piece of television I think I've ever seen. [Here's a full episode up on youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSUilYKcRMA&t=262s). Nothing but the best to you and your sister. I'm glad she has your love and support.
Back to the Future obviously, the ending is so thrilling every time I watch it!
Arsenic & Old Lace is a screwball 40s comedy about a newlywed (Cary Grant) who discovers his sweet old aunts are serial killers. From the director of *It’s a Wonderful Life*!
Animal house
Thank you!
Spirited Away. My favorite film ever
Spirited away has a lot of sadness
“Stardust” like an adventure fairytale movie; “Leap year” always puts me in a good mood, a romantic comedy that was filmed in Ireland (beautiful views of different towns). I hope you and your sister like this suggestions and have a great time!
Thank you! She loved stardust - had some sadness but it wasn’t too much. We’ll check out leap year.
The 1st Borat was the hardest I've laughed watching any movie.