10 things - movies

I was looking for writing prompts to kick my brain into gear and I started out with "10 things that make you happy". And I was totally going to do that (and will in the future) but then I typed 10 Things and immediately thought of 10 Things I Hate About You and then I thought of Heath Ledger and then I went down a rabbit hole of looking at photos of Heath Ledger and being sad he's gone and on and on ad nauseum. God, he was a beautiful man.

SO.

I'm going with 10 movies that make me happy. Not necessarily my favorite 10 movies, although some favorites are on my list. 10 movies that make me smile, that I will watch when I'm down, that I will listen to when I need something to fill my brain. Happy thoughts, man.

1. Leap Year. Listen, I know the whole premise is crap. One day every four years a woman is "allowed" to ask a man to marry her, and she has to travel to Dublin to do it and and and. Amy Adams and Matthew Goode are so good and so fun. I love it. This is my number one feel-good, Netflix-wants-to-know-why-I-keep-watching movie.

2. Newsies This is one of my favorites, always and forever. I like to sing along while I clean, snuggle under a throw blanket and watch, force my children to love it too. They WILL love it too.

3. Empire Records I haven't been able to watch lately but I've been listening to the soundtrack and it fills me with so much nostalgia. Best.

4. Overboard I'm sure that I'm mostly obsessed with this because it was on TNT or TBS or one of many cable channels when I needed something to zone out on growing up. I didn't watch much television (boy, what else is new) but just as now, I watched the same things over and over and over when I needed it.

5. Camp Rock I haven't finished this list in my head yet, but it's entirely possible that the rest of the movies on this list will be cheesy 1990s/2000s teen Disney/ABC family movies. Because seriously, that is my wheelhouse. Find me a Jonas brother, please.

6. The Thing Called Love Dude. River Phoenix. Samantha Mathis. Durmot Mulrooney. How could you go wrong?

7. Dirty Dancing I feel like this is something that should always be on a 30-something's list. There will always be the one that then says "No, I always hated that movie" but can that person be trusted, really? Nobody puts Baby in the corner.

8. Chasing Liberty This actually is a stand-in for all of this trope - daughter of person of power trying to live a normal life and also falling in love with the person charged with keeping her safe. See also: The Prince and Me; What a Girl Wants (hell, really put all Amanda Bynes movies in this group. Why are none of them available on streaming?) (Also, all Julia Stiles movies here too. And Hillary Duff. Okay fine, any 2000s teen actress.)

9. Sabrina the Harrison Ford/Julia Ormond version. I love Audrey Hepburn, but Julia Ormond really brought something special and fresh to Sabrina Fair.

10. Daddy Long Legs I've always loved Leslie Caron and this movie was the height of my love for her. She was such an amazing actress and dancer (is? apparently she's still acting, and I've got some catching up to do)

Edited to Add: This list is not long enough to include others that I could watch all day long: Veronica Mars, Cinderella Story, Runaway Bride, You've Got Mail, The Wedding Date ... obviously, I have a type. I'm cool with that. It makes me happy.

What are your happy place movies?