By Angeliki Georgakopoulou,
As promised in our previous article, this season would not be complete without a pick of our favorite summertime movies. This list, counting down from the top five options, will leave you with a nostalgic taste of summer.
5. The Parent Trap (1998)
The Parent Trap, a 1998 American rom-com, is directed and co-written by Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer. Being a remake of the 1961 film of the same name and an adaptation of Erich Kästner’s 1949 German novel Lisa and Lottie, the film follows a divorced couple who choose separate paths shortly after their identical twin daughters’ birth. The twin girls, who unexpectedly meet at summer camp, come up with creative plans to reunite their family.
4. Grease (1978)
The classic film Grease is a 1978 American musical romantic comedy movie based on the 1971 musical of the same name by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The film depicts the lives of greaser Danny Zuko and Australian transfer student Sandy Olsson, who develop an attraction for each other during a summer romance. The love story of Danny and Sandy, interspersed with favorite songs and dance scenes, captures the cliché summer romance that is bound to appeal to all audiences.
3. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (2005)
This summer movie recommendation is perfect for those who enjoy a mix of romance and action. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants is a 2005 American comedy-drama film that follows four best friends who buy a mysterious pair of pants that fits each of them despite their differing sizes. The girls share the pants equally as they spend their first summer apart, embarking on new experiences.
2. Mamma Mia! (2008)
Mamma Mia! is the definitive summer classic film. The movie follows a young bride-to-be, who invites three men to her upcoming wedding, with the possibility that any of them could be her father. From ABBA songs to intricate choreographies, the audience is swept up in the Greek summer dream, where the anticipation of discovering Sophie’s father is coupled with the raw beauty of a mother-daughter relationship, as well as the intensity of island life.
1. Dirty Dancing (1987)
Arriving at our top pick for this list, Dirty Dancing, it is safe to say that this film has become a metonymy for the term “favorite summer movies”. Dirty Dancing is a 1987 American romantic drama dance film written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino. Starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, it tells the story of “Baby” Frances Houseman, a young woman who falls in love with dance instructor Johnny Castle at a vacation resort. Based on screenwriter Bergstein’s own childhood, the film perfectly synthesizes the concerns of a young “privileged” teenage girl regarding the world with the reality of summer romance and family expectations.
These summer movie recommendations are guaranteed to make this season a little more flavourful and of course, romantic. Make sure to check out as many of these movies as possible, whilst summertime is still around.
References
- The Parent Trap (1998 film), wikipedia.org, Available here
- Grease (film), wikipedia.org, Available here
- The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (film), wikipedia.org, Available here
- Mamma Mia! (film), wikipedia.org, Available here
- Dirty Dancing, wikipedia.org, Available here
