Comfort viewing: The Day asks readers what they’re watching these days.
THE DAY ASKS READERS WHAT FEEL-GOOD MOVIES AND TV SHOWS THEY ARE WATCHING THESE DAYS
For you, is it “Mary Poppins”? A Will Ferrell flick? Maybe “One Day at a Time” or “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” or everything on the Food Network?
As we’ve all been at home way more than we ever had before, we have been searching not just for movies and TV series to watch, but we have been seeking out our share of feel-good fare to escape the stress of life during a pandemic.
We asked readers of The Day to offer up what feel-good films and shows they have been viewing and would recommend. What follows are some of the responses.
My pick for a feel-good movie is “Always Be My Maybe” on Netflix. Starring Ali Wong and Randall Park, this is the hilarious story of childhood sweethearts who have a falling out and run into each other after 15 years. It includes an unexpected cameo by someone I won’t name because I don’t want to ruin it! Danielle Deeble
My favorite feel-good show is “Call the Midwife.” It’s based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, who was a nurse-midwife in 1950s London. It follows the lives of the expectant mothers, midwives and the nuns (also midwives) who live and work together in the poorest section of London. Every episode is a lesson in history that occasionally makes me angry, often sad, but always leaves my heart full of hope.
The show is in its 9th season and truly beautiful.
“Nine to Five”: Classic in every way — Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, and Dolly Parton — simply wonderful!
“Frasier”: Lively, comical banter with touching family moments.
“Midsummer Murders”: Watching the twisted plots and body counts in picturesque English country villages.
“Last Man Standing”: Solid plots with smooth blending of the cast and fresh humor. Their best season! Gail Watrous
For me, it has to be “Schitt’s Creek.” I really feel like it is an elixir for our times. Nothing bad ever happens! Everything works out and people learn, love and grow. It was just what I needed. Andrea Stevenson
The best feel-good show to watch is “Schitt’s Creek.” It’s the perfect escape into the warm, loving and hilarious life of the Rose family. You will want to watch the entire 6 season series over and over. Brenda Alexander
My “feel-good movie” is “Rosemary’s Baby” (the original) because no matter what we are all going through — at least none of us have birthed the spawn of Satan. :) Julie Colli
My feel-good movies during the coronavirus epidemic are the same as my feel-good movies during ‘normal’ times. They let me escape whatever is going on in my life for a couple of hours or so.
1. “The Lion in Winter” (1968). About King Henry II and his wife, Eleanor of Aquataine, played by Peter O’Toole and Katharine Hepburn. Takes place in the 12th century. It’s about court intrigue and family backstabbing, rivalries, double-crosses, plotting and conspiracies. Why is it a ‘feel-good’ movie for me? It reminds me of my family. Brings a happy tear to my eyes. And they all live to plot and double-cross again!
2. “The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946). About three returning WWII veterans, played by Frederic March, Dana Andrews and Harold Russell and their struggles to adjust to civilian life. I’ve seen in many times and there are still three or four scenes that make me cry. Who doesn’t feel good crying during a movie?
3. “The Lady Eve” (1941). One of the great screwball comedies, directed by Preston Sturges, with the incomparable Barbara Stanwyck and a downright funny Henry Fonda. Nice seeing Fonda not being so damn noble and heroic, but portraying a naive and harmless dope.
4. “Out of the Past” (1947). If “The Lady Eve” is one of the greatest screwball comedies, “Out of the Past” is one of the great film noirs, with Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer and Kirk Douglas. How can a movie with lines like the following not be part of a feel-good movie? Kathie (Greer): I don’t want to die. Jeff (Mitchum): Neither do I, but if I have to, I’m going to die last.
5. “Some Like it Hot” (1959). Funniest. Movie. Ever.
“Little House on the Prairie” is one of my favorite TV shows. It is on COZI TV at 5 p.m. The time is a perfect relaxed time. I like the program because it promotes old-fashioned acting positive to people and living simple.
So glad to recommend one of the funniest shows I’ve ever seen and been able to binge. I guess I’m late to the party, but have you gotten to check out “Bless This Mess”? I have had to rewind many episodes because I was laughing so hard I was afraid to miss something! Great cast and wonderful chemistry. Also, no laugh track is very important to me.
✴Whenever we need a lift, we watch the 2015 sports drama “McFarland, USA,” starring Kevin Costner as Coach Jim White. White, fired from his three previous teaching jobs, finds his last chance in one of the poorest towns in America, at McFarland High. Set in 1987 California, the movie (based on a true story) chronicles the White family and a group of Mexican-American kids and the interplay of their differing cultures. Coach White recognizes the stamina of crop-pickers in his gym class and builds a boy’s cross-country running team, hoping their success will elevate him out of McFarland to a better job in a nicer town. What the coach and his team eventually realize about themselves is worth watching. The musical score by Antonio Pinto will further draw you into the story. You will find yourself laughing, crying, and rooting for these kids all the way to the finish line!
My husband is 85 years old. I have to be careful of what we watch on TV, especially in the evenings. Too much violence gives him nightmares, he doesn’t sleep well, and with the COVID-19 confinement, he also becomes very anxious.
The very best feel good TV I have found is on Acorn TV. A subscription is required but it is only $5.99 a month. It is mostly British TV. The top series I recommend are:
Penelope Keith: Village of the Year, Hidden Villages, Coastal Villages, and Favourite Villages: There are 10,000 villages the areas of Scotland, Whales, Ireland in the entire of the British Isles. These shows give you a beautiful walking tour of villages and the way of life of the villagers, their livelihoods, history and best of all, how each village shares its village life. They are wonderfully enlightening shows of people living together and how they share their lives. Seeing people together in these settings gives you the much needed expectation of getting out and mingling with friends and family again. Not to mention the beauty of it all.
Coastal Railways With Julie Walters (Mrs. Beasley of Harry Potter): She takes you on train rides (including the train to Hogwarts). Many of these trains are lovingly restored by volunteers and only have 5-12 miles of track! They are the joy of the villages, very interesting and much loved.