What to Keep While Keeping On: Rewatching childhood movies


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a big deal in my family. We wholeheartedly prefer movies over TV shows. We do everything in our power to make our living room feel like a movie theater, including making popcorn. As a side note, if you have never put nutritional yeast on your popcorn, please do yourself a favor and try it. Nutritional yeast is a Matthews’ fan-favorite. 

Now that I have introduced you to one of the best flavor combinations, I’d like to focus on something I don’t think any of us do often enough: rewatching our favorite childhood films. Maybe your family wasn’t as big on movie nights as mine was when I was little, and that’s okay. I think that, regardless of how special watching movies was when you were a kid, everyone has a mental list of their favorite little kid movies. 

While I definitely have my favorite Disney movies, none of them ever made my top five. Three out of five of my favorite movies should not be shown to children whatsoever (no matter how much I love Brad Pitt in “Fight Club”). However, there are two movies that will never lose their spot on my all-time favorites list — a large reason being because they remind me of my childhood. 

In all honesty, I am absolutely sorry for anyone who has never seen “Kiki’s Delivery Service.” One does not need to be a Studio Ghibli super fan to enjoy the story of the teenage witch, Kiki. Not to mention that Kiki’s pet cat, Gigi, is able to make me laugh no matter how many times I’ve seen this movie. The animation is beautiful, and the plot line is beyond wholesome. I mean it when I say everyone can learn from Kiki’s bravery and Gigi’ humor.  

Another nostalgic movie on my list is “Singin’ in the Rain.” To everyone who says they love “La La Land,” I really hope you have seen “Singin’ in the Rain” because my love for costumes, settings and the whole musical extravaganza is thanks to this beautiful masterpiece. Like Gigi the cat, Donald O’Connor’s rendition of “Make ‘Em Laugh” makes me giggle every time I watch it. I remember being mesmerized by the music and dancing in this movie as a youngster, and every time I watch it, I get swept up in a Hollywood dream. 

Before I go any further, I know this article may sound like me bothering everyone to watch my favorite movies, so, I would like to acknowledge “Kiki’s Delivery Service” and “Singin’ in the Rain” may not be everyone’s cup of tea. If this is true for you, that is perfectly okay. I am most definitely not a fan of “Star Wars,” but I do my best to respect those who are, even though my movie opinions are very strong-willed. I think the best thing to do for others right now is respect their choices, no matter what they may be.  

While I might not be able to convince you to watch my pick of movies, what I can convince you to do is take a trip down memory lane. Open Disney Plus, stream something on Netflix or even rent a DVD of your favorite childhood movie, and enjoy the two hours of feeling like a kid again. I believe in revisiting the best parts of our past, and I can’t think of a more exciting way to do this than by watching a movie. 

More importantly, movies allow us to escape from reality for a slice of time, and I think all of us deserve a break from the madness of our current lives. Instead of watching dark or depressing content, think about what little-you would be over-the-top excited to watch. Turn off the lights, grab your go-to movie night snack and watch something that’s feel-good for once because, hey, the least you deserve is to feel good for the length of “Beauty and the Beast.”  

Besides, you never know what you might learn looking back on your favorite movies as a kid. Maybe you’ve grown out of “Finding Nemo” and realize what younger-you thought was so cool just isn’t anymore. Or, on the other hand, maybe you just really need to hear Fairy Godmother’s time-management advice from “Cinderella” as finals week approaches. Whatever happens after revisiting your favorite childhood movies, I have no doubt that you’ll be glad you brought back a keepsake from your past. 

I get a little emotional with my movie recommendations. Maybe you don’t care to watch any of my favorites. Although a little hurtful, I just hope you allow yourself to have moments of being childish, whatever film may be on your screen. And, if you have learned nothing from my 800-word rant about my favorite movies, you should know this: watch the movies that a younger you loved. And don’t forget to add nutritional yeast to your grocery list.