9 Terrific Movies that Always Make Me Feel Happier

If I’m in a blue mood, one of the best ways to distract myself, and give myself a quick shot of cheer, is to watch a laugh-inducing movie.

I posted about 7 great movies about the nature of happiness and love. These are wonderful movies; they’re transcendent, but not in a laugh-out-loud way. It’s a Secret of Adulthood: Happiness doesn’t always make you feel happy. A mystery.

Here, though, are nine movies that always put a smile on my face:

1. Shrek — I’ve seen this movie countless times, and it gets funnier every time. “That’s a niiiiiiice boulder.”
2. Groundhog Day — very funny, and also very deep.
3. The Sound of Music — I think I’ve memorized every word of the dialogue and every note of every song.
4. Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory — funny, whimsical, just a little bit eerie, makes me nostalgic for my childhood in a nice way.
5. Tootsie — how I love this movie. So many funny lines.
6. Annie Hall — again, I know every line.
7. This Is Spinal Tap — I love all Christopher Guest movies, but this is my favorite.
8. Monsters, Inc. — so hilarious, so clever; my favorite part is the “blooper reel” at the end.
9. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery — I confess, I can’t remember much about the movie, but I’m including it on the list because I love the opening sequence so much.Watch it here if you need a quick pick-me-up.

In the podcast, in episode 61, Elizabeth and I talk about familiarity vs. novelty. I love familiarity, and have re-watched these movies many times. But not everyone loves to watch (or read) things over and over, I know.

What movies would you add? I’d love to add a bunch of suggestions to my to-watch list.

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Gretchen Rubin is the author of the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers, Better Than Before, The Happiness Project, and Happier at Home. She writes about happiness and habit-formation at gretchenrubin.com. Follow her here by clicking the yellow FOLLOW button, on Twitter, @gretchenrubin, on Facebook,  facebook.com/ GretchenRubin. Or listen to her popular podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin.

Photo: Ginny, flickr