Rainy days may seem to last forever when you are stuck in your house with nothing to do. During big storms, one of the most relaxing things is watching a movie. Some movies are even better on rainy days because of the atmosphere of the rainy day itself. From Oscar winning movies, to light-hearted films, watch these ten movies the next time Mother Nature hurls water on your doorstep.
The Departed: Even after multiple viewings, this Academy Award winning film still provides suspense and engaging scenes. The plot follows a cop (Leonardo DiCaprio) who enters the mob and a mobster who enters the police force (Matt Damon). Along with those two, the rest of the A-list cast includes Alec Baldwin, Mark Wahlberg, and Jack Nicholson.
My Girl: Head back to simpler times with the 1970s themed My Girl. Computers, Facebook and video games did not distract Vada as she spent her summer traveling around his small community and causing trouble with her best friend (Macaulay Culkin). The film features a lot of laughs and many dramatic moments as well.
Twister: Feel like you are a part of the storm by watching the big-budgeted Twister. Even today, the film’s effects are impressive as groups of storm chasers try to track and follow groups of twisters. The large ensemble cast provides a lot of memorable moments, but the real stars of the film are the massive tornadoes that sweep through.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: Gather the whole family around to add some color and magic to the rainy day muckiness. Willy Wonka still holds up today and you can even have a marathon with the original and Tim Burton’s remake entitled Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. If you’re in a big Rahl Dahl mood, add in Matilda and James and the Giant Peach.
Lovely Bones: Peter Jackson managed to mix horror, fantasy, drama and suspense into an engaging film starring Mark Wahlberg. When a little girl goes missing, distraught parents try to put the pieces together as their lives fall apart. The young girl herself is transported to “The Other World,” a space between Earth and heaven where she can view her family and go through the acceptance of being murdered.
Scream: Almost any horror movie is better in the rain and this especially applies to Scream. The opening scene alone adds so much horror with the added weather element and the movie does not stop there. The cast, including Neve Cambell and Courteney Cox, is top notch and there are plenty of laughs to go along with the screams.
Disturbia: While Disturbia does not apply as many scares as Scream, it is a modern, clever, and building suspense film starring Shia Labeouf. The first half starts off building the LaBouef’s character and the second half is full of intense scenes involving his creepy neighbor.
Jurassic Park: A huge storm invades Jurassic Park during some of the movie’s key moments and you can feel like you are on the dinosaur filled island while sitting through a storm. Jurassic Park is an iconic film that perfectly showcased the battle between dinosaurs and humans. The movie had a lot of elements to it and is one of Steven Spielberg’s best films.
Dear John: Just like other Nicholas Spark’s The Notebook, Dear John features an iconic kissing scene in the rain. The movie is a love story between a US solider and his new girlfriend, but the heart of this movie lies with the relationship between Channing Tatum’s character and his father. For many viewers, there will be more than just rain drops, there will be tear drops during this film.
Forrest Gump: Follow the extraordinary life of Forrest Gump, brilliantly played by Tom Hanks. The film’s long running time will help pass the rainy day and you can enjoy Forrest growing up as he learns to run, travels the world and starts his own shrimp company. The narration provides several laughs, as does Gary Sinsce’s Lieutenant Dan character.
