Top Movies for Every Mood

On my alone days, I like to watch a movie. The thing is, I never know which film to watch. Sometimes I feel like havening a pick-me-up film or in love with watching a nice heartfelt sad film. I don't know why I want to watch sad films but sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants.

FOR WHEN YOU WANT A GOOD CRY:-

Marley & Me - This 2008 film starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston is probably a sad yet amazing film. This shows the beautiful journey of John and Jenny Grogan, a married couple living in South Florida after a move from Michigan. They decide to adopt a puppy and raise it as their own before making the big leap to having another baby. They choose a Labrador Retriever called Marley. This movie shows the struggle of having a wild puppy running around the house wrecking all the furniture when at the same time juggling their daughter and their professional careers.

Towards the end of the movie the dog becomes ill and ends up in the vet. With the dog being ill, John and Jenny have to look after him and spend as much time as possible before its too late. At the end of the movie, get your tissues ready. Marley becomes ill and dies. While sad music plays you can't help but feel a golf ball at the back of your throat before the waterworks overflow like a dam and break loose. I think with this film, I was sobbing for a good 10 minutes. Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson play a brilliant portrayal of these characters and make this beautiful story very real.

Toy Story 3 - Although this 2010 Disney classic is a feel good film with humour, laughter and moments that will make you love the characters but this film does make you cry. The franchise comprises of 3 films, all telling the amazing story of childhood toys of owner, Andy, and their magical time of coming alive when Andy isn't in the room. In this instalment of the franchise, we see Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the rest of the toys accidentally shipped of to a day care centre. Throughout their time in Day Care, they meet the "Big Toy" Lotso, who introduces them to the rest of the toys. Sooner or later the Day care toys gang up on Andy's toys and make their lives a misery.

They throw them into a garbage truck just as bin disposal was coming. The toys are taken to the garbage incinerator and experience near death. The other toys fall in trying to rescue woody and the others. All toys are now on their way to death. The toys join hands but within seconds of being burned alive, the alien toys cascade down a rope and save everyone. Except Lotso. Don't know about you but there are very few movie where I have just cried like I have with the toys nearly being destroyed and then immediately felt actual happy when the villain dies e.g. Lotso.

FOR WHEN YOU WANT TO HAVE A FEEL-GOOD MOMENT:-

Mamma Mia - This film is a trio of feel-good. From belting out Swedish pop sensation, Abba, to loving each character to some hilarious moments. This movie has it all. Telling the story of Sophie Sheridan (played by Amanda Seyfried), a bride-to-be, and her mother, Donna (played by the wonderful and talented Meryl Streep). Days before her wedding, Sophie sends an invitation to three adult men, one of whom, is her real dad. Such tension and curiosity straight through the gate. These three men are played by Colin Firth (portraying Harry Bright), Pierce Brosnan (portraying Sam Carmichael), and Stellan Skarsgård (portraying Bill Anderson).

From hit to hit of Swedish pop group Abba, this movie also reveals the drama filled lead up to the wedding and Donna's efforts to repair the hotel she owns. Sophie's bridesmaids, Ali and Lisa (played by Ashley Lilley and Rachel McDowall respectively), learn about Donna's past through Sophie reading her diary while singing "Honey, Honey". Donna's two best friends, Tanya Chesham-Leigh (played by Christine Baranski) and Rosie Mulligan (played by Julie Walters), turn up on the island who all learn that Sam Carmichael, Bill Anderson and Harry Bright are currently "hiding" in the goat house.

This film is such a feel good and it will have you singing along too. Maybe some dancing or shoulder movement happening too! If you don't sing along, You're an alien!!

School of Rock - One of my favourite film that will never get old to watch is School of Rock. This 2003 film starring Jack Black paints the picture of a rock star turned "substitute teacher". Dewey Finn is in a successful local rock band and about to be entered into the most prestigious rock competition in the city called Battle of the Bands. Before this, he is kicked out for his onstage antics and stage dives. He racks up debt to his landlord and flatmate (played by Sarah Silverman), and as a result pretends to be a teacher in order to pay this off. He accepts the job because he thinks it'll be a bit of "easy money". After hearing his students in music class, he gathers his instruments from his van and begins to create a rock band from his students. He turns them into rock stars and find themselves signing up for Battle of the Bands.

They get accepted to play Battle of the Bands but just a day before the competition, the headteacher, Principal Rosalie "Roz" Mullins (played by Joan Cusack), finds out that Dewey isn't actually a teacher and as a result, he's fired. Sulking at home two of the students he "teaches", comes to his flat and gets him out of bed to go to Battle of the Bands. The other kids are waiting outside on a school bus. At Battle of the Bands, all the kids get their rock-on and get the crowd buzzing with their original songs. The parents turn up looking for their children but instead, end up joining in with the audience and appreciating their kids potential and stardom.

If you want to have the ultimate feel good movie on your screen with a tub of popcorn in your hand, this film is for you.

MOVIES TO WATCH FOR WHEN YOU'RE FEELING FESTIVE:-

Elf - This absolute Christmas classic never gets old to watch. If you want to get into the Jolly-Santa vibe then this is the movie for you. I've watched this film every year for the past 10 years or so and I could watch for the next 10+ years too. Starring Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf, shows the journey of a baby who crawls into Santa's sack at an orphanage to his adult life trying to find his biological parents in New York City.

Buddy starts his journey from Lapland and walks the various thousands of miles of terrains and finally reaches the magical city of New York. He was recently told by none other than Papa Elf (played by Bob Newhart) of where to find his father. His mother tragically died, so his father is his last hope of having a family. He meets his dad, Walter Hobbs (played by James Caan), who has a wife, Emily Hobbs (played by Mary Steenburgen), and son, Michael Hobbs (played by Daniel Tay). I cannot count the times I was crying with laughter but it was definitely more than 100!

Rejected by his father, Buddy sees Santa's sleigh crash in Central Park and goes on the hunt for him. With a damaged engine, Buddy must help Santa repair it before the Central Park Park Ranger capture him and Christmas is ruined. After repairing it and trying to fly away, the engine falls off. Jovie (played by Zooey Deschanel), a store owner who Buddy falls in love with, begins to sing. "The only way to spread Christmas cheer, is singing loud for all to hear. With most of New York singing along, the sleigh takes off with Buddy onboard and Christmas is saved. As well as being a feel-good, this movie also falls under the comedy and one of the most famous and watched Christmas films in the world. Watched by millions every year, you'd be silly not to watch it.

Christmas with the Kranks - This 2004 festive feel-good starring Tim Allen, Jamie-Lee Curtis, Dan Aykroyd and Julie Gonzalo is a Christmas sensation. When daughter of Luther and Nora Krank, Blair, departs on a peace corps mission in Peru, Nora and Luther decide to forget putting up then street famous Christmas lights and Christmas and instead, use the money they usually spend and put it towards a cruise. The residents of the street they live on get word of this decision and do everything in their power to get the Kranks to change their mind. The street get the newspaper involved by doing a front page article about them as well as trying to force them to put up a tree.

A spanner in the works happens when their daughter, Blair, calls and says that he's on the plane back home with her Peruvian fiancé. When Blair asks if they're having their usual party, Nora says "Yes". The Kranks asks the street for their help in putting up the decorations in time. Luther asks the neighbours if they can borrow their tree for the night to show Blair as the neighbours will be on holiday for the next week.

Luther goes across the road after a very short, half-hearted speech, and tells Vic and Bev Scheel that they should go on the cruise instead because of Bev's cancer returning and only having a few more months to live. They reject initially as there won't be anyone to look after their beloved cat but Luter offers to look after the cat until their return. They accept his offer and Luther admits that skipping Christmas is a very bad idea.

I love all of these films and I hope that you can grow to love them too!

I hope these help with whatever mood you're feeling!

xoxo J Carter