Fall is my absolute favorite season, but living in Florida can be kind of a bummer for an autumn-lover like me. There’s no changing of the leaves from green to orange here and I’ll be lucky if I can put on a sweater earlier than December. However, just because I live in a state where it’s 90 degrees throughout the fall season doesn’t mean I can’t get into the spirit of my favorite time of year. All I have to do is turn the air conditioning down to a crisp 68 degrees, light up a pumpkin spice candle or two, and I’m instantly transported from hot and humid Florida to the cozy Northeast.
I have a list of go-to movies that instantly transport me to the fall season. So if you’re looking to get your autumn on even if it’s tank top weather outside, I highly recommend turning on one of these classics and getting into the seasonal spirit.
- You’ve Got Mail: “Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address,” enthuses Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) the scion of a bookstore empire in his anonymous emails to his virtual penpal and real life rival Kathleen Kelly in this Nora Ephron charmer. Technically this movie covers all the seasons from fall through Christmastime and into the spring, but something about Meg Ryan in a turtleneck sweater just screams Tis the Fall Season to me. Not to mention, the 90’s nostalgia is a feel-good moment year-round.
- Hocus Pocus: Fall means Halloween and if you don’t watch Hocus Pocus at least 3x throughout the month of October, you’re not living life right. Some might say that Carrie Bradshaw is Sarah Jessica Parker’s most iconic role, but to me Samantha Sanderson is SJP at her peak (and let’s be real, we all know that Carrie was the most annoying of the SATC crew #JusticeforAiden).
- When Harry Met Sally: Meg Ryan is simply the queen of the fall season for me. I know there’s a whole love story that makes this movie famous, but her autumn looks are what does it for me. If you ever see me at the Fish office rocking an outfit that makes no sense for Florida weather, I probably watched this movie the night before and was compelled to break out a Meg Ryan-inspired ensemble.
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Of all the Harry Potter movies, this one feels the most autumn-inspired to me and appropriate for the season. The narrative essentially kicks off as a back to school story, and even students of a school of magic still start in the fall.
- Halloweentown: If you don’t have Disney+, fall is the time to subscribe for this and Hocus Pocus alone. A top-notch classic.
