If summer is a state of mind, it can’t truly be cancelled. So despite the uncertainty surrounding the next few months, what better way to rekindle the mood and possibly a few memories of summers past than by sitting down to enjoy a classic summer movie? From camp counselors to amusement parks to kids (and parents) facing the prospect of those dreaded family vacations, it’s the next best thing to lugging the surf, sand and hot sun into your home.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Streaming On: Netflix
“Righteous dude” Ferris Bueller gives Matthew Broderick his signature role as a slick suburban slacker with everything: a wise, beautiful girlfriend, a loyal best friend, a penchant for cutting classes, and the near-superhuman ability to never suffer the consequences. With graduation nearing, Ferris takes one last day off to enjoy the city of Chicago in a “borrowed” Ferrari. The late director John Hughes is known for deeply-felt teen films like The Breakfast Club, but with this clever, fourth-wall-breaking comedy, he delivered his masterwork. FOR AGES: 12 and up
Stand By Me
Streaming On: Amazon Prime
Adapted from Stephen King’s short story The Body, Rob Reiner’s coming-of-age drama finds four friends confronting life, death and their own demons during the 1959 Labor Day weekend — after which they will be set on different paths as young men. To paraphrase the film’s narrator, “I never had friends like the ones I had at 12. Does anyone?” FOR AGES: 13 and up
Dirty Dancing
Streaming On: Amazon Prime
A drowsy resort in the Catskills becomes the unlikely stage for a sweaty, salsa-stepping romance between spoiled teenager Baby (Jennifer Grey) and roguish dance instructor Johnny (Patrick Swayze). The movie’s iconic moments continue to be referenced elsewhere — from the climatic “Lift” to Johnny’s declaration, “Nobody puts Baby in the corner.” FOR AGES: 12 and up
National Lampoon’s Vacation
Streaming On: Amazon Prime
Hapless family man Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) insists on driving his wife and kids from Chicago to Los Angeles only to have his well-intended attempt at “quality time” go horribly wrong at every turn. Directed by Harold Ramis (Ghostbusters), the humor is broad and crude, but for anyone who has ever endured a forced summer getaway with their family, it’s impossible not to relate — and laugh. FOR AGES: 13 and up
Wet Hot American Summer
Streaming On: Hulu
This raunch-a-thon about summer camp counselors in the 1980s bombed when it was released in 2001, but developed such a cult following that Netflix revived it as a series in 2015. Of course, it helps when your largely-unknown cast includes such now-A-listers as Paul Rudd, Bradley Cooper and Amy Poehler. As the title suggests, it aims to spoof the teen sex comedies of the era. FOR AGES: 16 and up
Dazed and Confused
Streaming On: Hulu
“Alright, alright, alright” — this 1993 Richard Linklater film is best remembered for Matthew McConaughey’s breakout turn as 20-something, high school hanger-on David Wooderson, who observes of high school girls, “I get older, they stay the same age.” Set during the last day of school in 1976, the film also counts a pre-fame Ben Affleck among its ensemble. FOR AGES: 16 and up
Adventureland
Streaming On: Hulu
When his parents tell him that he needs to get a summer job instead of traveling to Europe, James (Jesse Eisenberg) winds up working at a run-down amusement park where he meets — and bonds with — a co-worker named Emily (Kristen Stewart). Ryan Reynolds turns up in a supporting role as the park’s sleazy maintenance man. FOR AGES: 16 and up
Now and Then
Streaming On: Amazon Prime
Four childhood friends — played by Demi Moore, Rosie O’Donnell, Melanie Griffith and Rita Wilson — reunite to recall a pivotal summer in their lives. Although a critical flop in 1995, this sentimental, female-led, coming-of-age story has developed a loyal following in the decades since its release. FOR AGES: 12 and up