How
to solve all your problems using only a few carefully selected films and
perhaps a block of Cadbury Fruit & Nut chocolate.
Movies to watch when… You
feel as though all your creativity/inspiration/motivation/ability to do
anything remotely successful have all evaporated
Winner: Legally Blonde
Legally
Blonde is an excellent movie that will have you jumping off the couch and
running off to do important, productive stuff. Elle Woods, a lip-gloss wearing,
dog toting sorority girl smashes female stereotypes to teeny tiny pieces in
this film. Swapping from fashion major to student at Harvard Law School? Not a
problem. “What, like it’s hard?” she says, when her ex-boyfriend incredulously
asks, “You got into Harvard Law?”
She
goes on to prove the innocence of a convicted murderer, gets the real killer to
confess, and graduates with honours.
All while dressing incredibly and providing us with delights such as “The Bend
and Snap.” This, for those of you who don’t know, is a move with a 98% success
rate of getting a man’s attention.
Basically,
the message to be gained from this movie is that if Elle Woods can get into
Harvard using a video of herself floating around a pool in a sparkly bikini, you
can do anything.
Runner Up: We Bought a Zoo
Yep,
you guessed it. In this movie, writer Benjamin Mee buys a dilapidated zoo,
complete with lions and tigers and bears (oh my), and moves in with his family.
Against all odds they restore it and reopen it to the public. The fact that it’s based on a true story
makes it even better. Time to get inspired, guys.
Movies to watch when…You
are being a bit of a misery guts
Winner: Valentine’s Day
This
is my go to movie when I feel I am about to emotionally eat my way through a
tub of Sara Lee Ultra Chocolate ice-cream. It has everything. Taylor Swift’s
terrible yet endearing dance moves. A little boy who buys roses for his
teacher. An adorable old couple who have been together for years and years. And
Ashton Kutcher. How can you be upset when you’re watching a movie starring
Ashton Kutcher? That’s right. You can’t be.
Warning:
If your sadness stems from romantic troubles, it’s probably best to steer clear
of this movie or you may find yourself throwing chocolates at the screen, à la the previously mentioned Elle Woods. For more appropriate options, please see
below.
Runner Up: The Princess Diaries (1 or 2,
take your pick)
Simply because if Julie
Andrews and Anne Hathaway can’t cheer you up, I don’t know what can.
Movies to watch when… Things
are not going so well on the romantic front
Winner: 500 Days of Summer
This
is an excellent movie to watch if you’re going through a bit of a tough break
up. It’s a romantic comedy but it refreshingly does not involve a shirtless
Matthew McConaughey or a montage of a couple sharing popcorn at the movies and smooching
on the kiss cam at a baseball game.
Furthermore,
you will be able to easily empathise with leading man Tom (Joseph
Gordon-Levitt) when he gets his heart broken by his co-worker, Summer. You can
banish some of your anger and/or sadness by living vicariously through Tom as
he smashes dishes in his kitchen. Most importantly, you can find comfort in the
fact that even people as beautiful as Joseph Gordon – Levitt get dumped.
Runner Up: John Tucker Must Die
This
movie is terribly cheesy and made primarily for a bunch of 13 year old girls to
watch in their One Direction pyjamas at a sleepover. However, it is strangely
satisfying to watch a group of girls humiliate the devious, cheating John
Tucker by secretly giving him estrogen and tricking him into wearing ladies
underwear in public. Give it a shot.
