10 spring movies for defrosting into March

I always tend to associate spring with being youthful and carefree. This is why, during spring, I find myself turning back to old favorites that are (for the most part) uplifting and feel like the sun hitting your face on the first warm day of the year. These 10 movies perfectly fit that criteria.

‘My Neighbor Totoro’

This movie takes me back to my childhood in so many different ways. It is arguably in my top three Studio Ghibli movies. The music and animations are beautiful and create a perfect spring vibe. In this movie, two sisters move to the countryside to be closer to their mother, who is in the hospital. In this new rural environment, they learn that the trees are filled with magical forest spirits.

‘Anne of Green Gables’ (1985)

I grew up watching this movie on the VHS tapes my mom owned as a kid. Anne is an orphan sent to live with the Cuthbert family. Originally, the family wanted a boy, but she won them over with her big heart, imagination and spunky personality. The countryside setting is what really solidifies this movie in the spring genre for me. This movie has a run time of three hours and 20 minutes, but it’s worth it.

‘Leap Year’

“Leap Year” takes place in Ireland on, you guessed it, a leap year. Since it takes place in February, this movie feels like the transition out of the harshness of winter into the beginning of spring. The main character, Anna, plans to bring her boyfriend of four years to Ireland to propose on Feb. 29 because, according to Irish tradition, it is the one day a woman can propose to a man. However, instead of meeting with her boyfriend, she ends up on the other side of the island where she meets an Irish man who leads her life down a different path.

‘Matilda’

Most of us know and love “Matilda.” The movie follows a lonely and intelligent young girl who loves to read. Matilda goes to school, where she discovers she has telekinetic abilities and uses them to fight back against the bullying of the school headmaster and her family. Along the way, she befriends Miss Honey, her teacher.

‘Little Women’ (2019)

This is your classic coming-of-age film, directed by Greta Gerwig, featuring the famous hill scene between Jo and Laurie. While this movie does not take place entirely in spring, the imagery and colors in this film create a very spring-like feel. From my perspective, the way the four sisters come into their own in this movie reminds me of the growth we see in spring.

‘Enchanted’

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This underrated 2007 Disney movie is a comedy, romance, musical and fantasy all rolled into one. Princess Giselle is banished from her animated fantasy world to the shockingly real city of New York. She is astonished this world doesn’t always end in happily ever after; we watch her wonder if her storybook view of love can survive in the real world.

‘The Sound of Music’

This movie musical follows Maria, a nun, who becomes a governess to the seven children of a strict and widowed military father. She brings music, warmth and kindness into a household that lacked it for so many years. The music sticks with you and warms your heart, which is part of what makes it perfect for spring. Like the song “My Favorite Things,” where Julia Andrews sings “Raindrops of roses and whiskers on kittens.”

‘Bambi’

“Bambi” fits into the mostly uplifting category I mentioned in the beginning. We all know the scene I’m referring to. Besides that, this childhood classic is heart-warming and follows Bambi, a deer, who discovers and matures through life with his friends Thumper and Flower. The concept of talking forest animals will always be one that brings a lot of nostalgia for a wide audience.

‘Clueless’

“Clueless” might not be the first movie that comes to mind when thinking of spring movies, but the pastel fashion and warm setting of Beverly Hills make it the perfect movie for spring. Along with the visual elements, it is a lighthearted romantic comedy. Fun fact, “Clueless” was also inspired by Jane Austen’s novel “Emma.”

‘The Secret World of Arrietty’

Arrietty is a borrower, essentially a four-inch-tall person, who lives in the floorboards in the country home of the human boy, Sho. A friendship grows between the two of them, despite Arrietty and her family having to stay a secret from the rest of Sho’s family. The imagery of this movie reminds me of the Tinkerbell movies with repurposed, small human items.

A lot of this list consists of old favorites, but that’s what spring is for all of us: returning to a time of year filled with warmth and familiarity.

chaffele@miamioh.edu