Clockwise from bottom left: Before Sunrise (Columbia Pictures), Jaws (Universal Pictures), Y Tu Mamá También (20th Century Fox), Body Heat (Warner Bros.)Graphic: The A.V. Club
Summer can bring about more than just a certain mood evoked by warmer weather. Perhaps more than other seasons, it can bring up specific memories. For some, summer feels like adolescence, mountain bikes, chalk on the driveway, and trying to stave off the boredom after you’ve been ordered outside for the day. For others, it’s all warm beaches and romance, the welcoming glow of the sun. And sometimes it’s the miserable, sweltering heat beating down on you, inescapable, at a time when you just can’t catch a break. Since the season can bring up so many different emotions, we decided to ask our staff: What movie feels like summer to you?
High School Musical 2 (2007)
What Time Is It (From “High School Musical 2")
Is High School Musical 2 the most artful choice I could have gone with for this question? No. But is it the most truthful? One hundred percent. In high school, my friends and I used to terrorize whatever teacher had the misfortune of being the last class of the year by chanting “summer… summer… SUMMER” as the clock ticked down the minutes until we could go home and immediately watch this movie. Even as an adult, I have some extremely fond memories of shivering in a still-damp bathing suit in someone’s living room, doing the entire “Bet On It” choreography (which we’ve all had memorized for years) as the movie plays in the background. And it’s not just those two songs that conjure sunscreen, melted popsicles, and the euphoric freedom of three homework-less months. For my money, Sharpay’s “Fabulous” is one of the greatest diva songs ever written. “Gotta Go My Own Way” was a legitimate heartbreaker at age 12, and I noticed the in “I Don’t Dance” even then. For me, summer is an excuse to indulge in some dumb fun and shameless nostalgia, and High School Musical 2 has both in spades. It’s also the best film in the trilogy, and I will fight you on that. [Emma Keates]
I’m about 30 years older than these kids, but Diary of A Wimpy Kid: Dog Days captures the anxiety I felt as a kid around not seeing my crush daily during the summer.
Dazed and Confused. That movies has always been a comfort watch for me. Great music, a relaxed atmosphere, well-done characters. The perfect start to summer.
When I was a kid, it was The Sandlot. I haven’t seen it in years, but I am honestly looking forward to watching it again with my kids when they are older to relive it a bit myself. My guess is they won’t connect with it the way I did, sadly. But to me, that movie was the summer – baseball, pools, town fair, sleepovers, hanging out with friends…
I don’t know if you’ll see this, but here goes. I rewatched it with my sons last summer, 7 and 10 at the time. They both liked it. The 10-year-old liked it so much that he decided to dress up as Benny the Jet Rodriguez for Halloween. That made me very happy.
This feels like a very basic answer, but, Meatballs. I just love that summer camp feeling, and it’s one of Bill Murray’s sweetest performances. Second place is The Way Way Back, which gives me the same vibe (and has Sam Rockwell in the Bill Murray role, which for me is a win).
Hard to pick one. In no order and for various reasons… No Country For Old MenBubble BoyThe first two Bayverse Transformers filmsTransformers:Bumblebee Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s DeadThe SandlotBlazing SaddlesFern GullyMad Max: Fury RoadAmelie
I thought about the first Bayverse Transformers movie myself, but figured since it happens during the school year it doesn’t count. But… you’re right. More than what is happening on the screen, that movie feels like a summer blockbuster and I can still picture myself coming out of the sweltering heat and sitting in a cool movie theater to watch it when it came out.
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Jaws, always and forever it’s Jaws.
AW, SHIT, THEY REDISCOVERED THE SLIDESHOW FUNCTION.
It’s not officially summer until we see Kevin Bacon’s hangdown.
Among other things, yes…. 🙂
One Crazy Summer.
Hey, Hoops, you ever notice how people die in alphabetical order?JESUS!NO, Hoops!
For comedy, MeatballsFor horror, Friday the 13th part 3
I’m about 30 years older than these kids, but Diary of A Wimpy Kid: Dog Days captures the anxiety I felt as a kid around not seeing my crush daily during the summer.
Dazed and Confused. That movies has always been a comfort watch for me. Great music, a relaxed atmosphere, well-done characters. The perfect start to summer.
Exactly the one I came to the comments to pick. You’ve won the battle, Chronophasia, but you haven’t won the war…
When I was a kid, it was The Sandlot. I haven’t seen it in years, but I am honestly looking forward to watching it again with my kids when they are older to relive it a bit myself. My guess is they won’t connect with it the way I did, sadly. But to me, that movie was the summer – baseball, pools, town fair, sleepovers, hanging out with friends…
I watched it with my kids recently (5 and 8). They didn’t get all the jokes yet, but they enjoyed it.
That’s encouraging to hear.
I don’t know if you’ll see this, but here goes. I rewatched it with my sons last summer, 7 and 10 at the time. They both liked it. The 10-year-old liked it so much that he decided to dress up as Benny the Jet Rodriguez for Halloween. That made me very happy.
This feels like a very basic answer, but, Meatballs. I just love that summer camp feeling, and it’s one of Bill Murray’s sweetest performances. Second place is The Way Way Back, which gives me the same vibe (and has Sam Rockwell in the Bill Murray role, which for me is a win).
The Way, Way Back (2013) is all too relatable for the teenage me.
Wet Hot American Summer, duh
die hard with a vengeance.
Your list did not Do the Right Thing.
Why does he hate coves?
Pod of dolphins killed his mom, now he’s sworn to vengeance.
the best
Meatballs. I was a summer camp kid, and nothing captures summer camp like Meatballs. (No, not even WHAS, which I also love.)
Hard to pick one.
In no order and for various reasons…
No Country For Old MenBubble BoyThe first two Bayverse Transformers filmsTransformers:Bumblebee
Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s DeadThe SandlotBlazing SaddlesFern GullyMad Max: Fury RoadAmelie
I thought about the first Bayverse Transformers movie myself, but figured since it happens during the school year it doesn’t count. But… you’re right. More than what is happening on the screen, that movie feels like a summer blockbuster and I can still picture myself coming out of the sweltering heat and sitting in a cool movie theater to watch it when it came out.
Memphis Belle, because one childhood summer my sister and I watched that movie at least once every single day.
Jackie Brown. To me, that movie just oozes California summertime. When I’m freezing my ass off here in dank Ohio winters, it’s where I go in my mind.
That movie feels like winter to me because I saw it on Christmas night when it opened and it was cold!
Love Jackie Brown. I just watched Coffy, an amazing Pam Grier movie
Predator, Texas Chainsaw, Do the Right Thing, Coffy, Shaft, Falling Down, Anaconda, The Hot Spot