20 Classic Movies That Won’t Last Unless You’re Nostalgic About Them
There are films that I have avoided watching for most of my adult life for fear that my fond memories might be tainted. It’s nice when films last long after the first viewing, but I try to exercise caution, especially when recommending them to friends: many films have earned a reputation as classics that can be re-watched, but it’s hard to tell whether they’ve stood the test of time through the lens of our nostalgia. And new viewers viewing an old film from a modern perspective can often make it harder to enjoy than we think.
You’ve probably experienced this before: watching a popular movie long after it premiered and wondering what all the fuss was about. It may be hard for longtime fans to accept, but without nostalgia, some classic films simply won’t hold up if you weren’t there when the magic happened. However, most of the films on this list are special for their originality for their time, and many of them are understandably beloved. Just don’t expect a newbie to share your enthusiasm.
Star Wars (1977)
The Star Wars franchise has been around long enough to inspire nostalgia among generations. By now, the prequel trilogy that began with The Phantom Menace can provide a sense of nostalgia separate from the original series, and even 2015’s The Force Awakens is old enough to evoke wistful memories for some younger viewers. But for many fans of the Star Wars franchise, the original Star Wars is the best movie and the moment that started it all. To rewatch or recommend George and Marcia Lucas’s original space drama, remember that while it’s a genuinely good film that deserves its place in pop culture history, it also doesn’t carry with it decades of cultural history, toy marketing, obsessive fandom, and continuity when You watched it for the first time. But it can also be nice to enter this universe without having every scene and character explained back and forth in prequels, sequels, requels, and side quests.
Where to watch: Disney+, digital rental.
Steel Magnolias (1989)
The word “iconic” is overused, but look at the cast of Steel Magnolias : Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis and Julia Roberts all star in this adaptation of Robert Harling’s play. Ultimately, it’s a tragic story, but as character Dolly Truvy says, “Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion,” and in that regard, it’s hard to top Steel Magnolias . If the film weren’t so funny and quotable, it could easily have become a tearjerker that would fall apart under the weight of all the fluff. Instead, his witty dialogue and focused performances give it an airiness to balance the weight of its themes.
Where to watch: Tubi, digital rental.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
Breakfast at Tiffany’s is rightfully remembered as one of Audrey Hepburn’s best films: it takes Truman Capote’s wildly contradictory character and pulls the disparate threads together into something cohesive. She is as cunning as she is childish, as delusional as she is insecure – and yet Hepburn makes her work. But there is still a lot that fails. In the novella, George Peppard’s Paul (unnamed in the book) is gay, and turning him into an object of romantic interest leads to the awkward “she just needed the love of a good man all along” ending. Not to mention, Mickey Rooney’s portrayal of Mr. Yunioshi hasn’t aged well, to say the least.
Where to watch: Paramount+, MGM+, Prime Video.
Set It Up (1996)
Just a year after his feature debut in Friday, F. Gary Gray (who would go on to direct films like The Italian Job , Straight Outta Compton, and The Fate of the Furious ) has taken on a pretty incredible cast led by Jada Pinkett. Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox and Kimberly Elise star as four women who decide to rob a bank. Each of the women has specific and believable motives for needing nothing more than money, but Set It Off may not be the same outside of the 1990s, when it was so important to bring the team together to tackle themes of economic anxiety, homophobia, misogyny and racism . .
Where to watch: Paramount+, digital rental.
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
A bit of the colorful magic and pure cinematic joy that has entertained audiences for over 80 years, The Wizard of Oz follows Dorothy Judy Garland to the Oz of the title, where she learns not only that there is no place like home, but also that she and her group of fellow travelers had everything they needed all the time. As a great work from the golden age of American cinema, it’s hard to top.
However, if there’s one element limiting his nostalgia, it’s Judy Garland’s treatment on set – something that audiences have only recently begun to discuss. There is debate about the extent of the abuse she suffered, but she was reportedly given amphetamines to give her energy during the day and sleeping pills to counteract them. This would clearly be frowned upon today, especially if used to make a 16-year-old more productive. It’s hard not to draw a straight line between those days and the ongoing substance problems that led to her early death. Of course, none of this should ruin the film, but it may still affect your enjoyment of it.
Where to stream: Max, digital rental
Back to the Future (1985)
Back to the Future cleverly undermines the very idea of nostalgia by arguing that we enjoy misremembering the past for our own ends. When Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is sent back in time using a time machine owned by his buddy Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), almost the first thing he discovers is that his perpetually terrified mother was as horny as anyone another teenager, and maybe even a little more. A smart script, fun acting and a great soundtrack by Alan Silvestri combine to create a true nostalgic anti-nostalgia experience. There’s a bit of a bummer about Marty inventing rock ‘n’ roll, but otherwise the idea of finding out what your parents were like when they were your age remains both enticing and effective.
Where to watch: Netflix, digital rental.
Grease (1978)
I had never seen Grease until a friend took me to see the re-release when I was having a particularly bad week… and I loved it. That doesn’t mean it’s a great movie, but nostalgic feelings can arise in a variety of circumstances. We often like the movies we watched as kids, but sometimes we like something because we had a bad day, a good day, or a particularly good date. Of course, Brion has misogynistic elements that don’t hold water (did Sandy really have to completely change her look for Danny?), but it also features some great performances from Stockard Channing, Didi Conn and Olivia Newton-John. neither character is a weakling (at least until those final moments). The songs are catchy even if you hate having them stuck in your head, so I’d give this song a mixed review as to whether it lives up to its reputation. But I won’t envy anyone’s fun.
Where to watch: Paramount+, digital rental.
Hook (1991)
Upon its initial release, Hook received some pretty terrible reviews, certainly some of the worst of Steven Spielberg’s career. And these reviews are not wrong. Still, the film did well at the box office, and I suspect it went down especially well with baby boomers who saw themselves in Robin Williams’ middle-aged Peter Pan, and the kids of 1991, who weren’t bothered by sentimentality and, unlike previous generations, there hasn’t really been a Peter Pan to call our own. Although it’s probably not the best movie today, and even Spielberg isn’t a fan , so it doesn’t deserve any critical praise. I’ll keep the fond memories and probably won’t watch it again as an adult.
Where to watch: digital rental
Ghostbusters (1984)
Like Back to the Future and Beverly Hills Cop , filmmakers in the 1980s seemed to have a knack for creating the kind of action comedy films we’ve lost, where studios simply let funny people be funny without complicating the rest of the film. Ghostbusters works well on this level, although it becomes considerably less charming as it approaches its special effects-heavy finale. The “romance” between Bill Murray and Sigourney Weaver’s characters doesn’t always feel consensual, while Ernie Hudson’s character, although ostensibly a full-fledged member of the team, is treated secondarily and given such low billing that he doesn’t even appear on poster. In the 1980s, things worked differently than they would for someone new to the franchise.
Where to watch: AMC+, digital rental.
A Christmas Story (1983)
A Christmas Carol wasn’t a complete failure, but it wasn’t particularly successful when it was released back in 1983. Subsequent TV shows made it a hit, and that was before the rights were acquired by Turner Broadcasting mid-last year. 1990s and TNT began an annual 24-hour broadcast. As recently as 2019 , 13 of the top 25 programs aired on Christmas Day were A Christmas Story , and I’m pretty sure it’s a good movie (maybe even a great one). But it’s so deeply ingrained in Christmas culture at this point that I’m not sure how someone who grew up with it would be able to determine whether it’s truly enjoyable to others or not.
Where to watch: digital rental
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
It’s a Wonderful Life is another holiday classic made beloved (or tedious) by endless TV reruns. While Frank Capra and company certainly weren’t incapable of relying on sentiment, the happy ending here is hard-earned: after all, how many other Christmas movies have the main character attempting suicide? As well as being a film with impressive direction and acting, it’s also a straight-up journey to hell for George Bailey (James Stewart) before things perhaps get better in the final scene. I think its nostalgia is deserved, but also that it needs to be re-evaluated as a piece of cinematic art.
Where to watch: Prime Video
The Color Purple (1985)
Apologies for the very good 2023 musical adaptation, but Steven Spielberg’s version of Alice Walker’s novel remains the gold standard for most fans. Reviews at the time were mixed to positive, with almost unanimous praise for Whoopi Goldberg, as well as supporting performers Margaret Avery and Oprah Winfrey. However, the real criticism came from the voices of the black community: almost all of the men in the film are either weak or violent, which might have drawn less comment if director Spielberg and screenwriter Menno Meyes weren’t white. After all, who are they to take on the history of black women in the rural South in the early 20th century? It remains a fair question, but decades of television broadcasts have softened opinions of the film.
Where to watch: digital rental
Stay with Me (1986)
It is generally accepted that, at least of all non-horror films, The Shawshank Redemption is the best Stephen King adaptation. But personally, I think it’s Stand By Me , a clever visit to a small town in the late 1950s and a ragtag group of friends who go looking for a rumored corpse. Its sweetness is balanced by an underlying melancholy, but it’s also impressively weird with a puke-o-rama fantasy sequence and testicular-hungry leeches. The film also has a good ear for the stupid things kids talk about and how those conversations can unintentionally become profound.
Where to watch: MGM+, digital rental.
Beauty Salon (2005)
Beauty Salon is a spin-off of Hair Salon , and both can be considered modern comedy classics. The jokes are random, which is typical for comedies with a lot of dialogue and not much plot. But Queen Latifah is a beloved leading lady, and the supporting cast is full: Alfre Woodard, Kevin Bacon, Della Reese, Djimon Hounsou, Alicia Silverstone, Octavia Spencer… it goes on and on. Cinematic comfort food doesn’t require perfection ( Beauty Salon received pretty bad reviews even at the time, and it did so-so at the box office), but it probably doesn’t look good without the nostalgia that often comes with any age. you were in 2005.
Where to watch: Tubi, MGM+, digital rental.
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
This may not be a fair criticism, but it’s worth considering the main limitation of To Kill a Mockingbird : it tells the story of anti-Black racism from the point of view of white observers. However, the film is a superb, fine adaptation that pays tribute to Harper Lee’s keen eye and ear, with Gregory Peck delivering a flawless performance as Atticus Finch alongside Mary Badham’s Scout and Brock Peters giving a dignified performance of terror as Tom Robinson.
Where to watch: Tubi, digital rental.
The Goonies (1985)
Nostalgia for Guni has subsided, and for good reason. People who watched it as children tend to hold it close to their hearts, and understandably so: it’s a fast-paced film starring real kids who find themselves in increasingly cartoonish predicaments while hunting for pirate treasure. I suspect that even at the time of its release it was a harder sell to anyone over the target age of 13 or so. But it can be difficult for modern parents to introduce children to this: the delightful Ke Hui Quan plays “Dat”, an Asian kid who is good at math but comically bad at English; Jeff Cohen’s “Chunk” is a fat kid who never stops talking about food; the cleaning lady Rosalita is the butt of jokes because of her poor English; The Italian-American Fratelli family are gangster stereotypes, except for Sloth, the ugly kid with a heart of gold. And that’s not all. “The Goonies” will never be “cancelled,” but there are reasons why its modern appeal is limited.
Where to watch: Tubi, digital rental.
Casablanca (1942)
As a product of the golden age Hollywood studio system, you can’t do much better than Casablanca . It’s polished but never feels sterile, thanks in large part to the impressive chemistry between the three leads: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid. There’s a reason why it’s one of the few classic films that just about anyone can name and is worth watching (or re-watching) even if it won’t be the same in the 2020s as it was in the 1940s.
Where to stream: Max, digital rental
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is a classic game for skipping school or work. It may not hold water, but at least it avoids most of the problematic aspects of many other comedies of the 1980s, as well as other John Hughes films (e.g. ” Pretty in Pink ” and “Long Duk Dong ” from “Sixteen Candles “) If this isn’t objectively Hughes’s best teen film (though I think it is), then it is the best of the modern era. Just don’t expect the same thrills without the requisite nostalgia.
Where to watch: Paramount+, digital rental.
West Side Story (1961)
West Side Story is a collaboration between Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, who painstakingly choreographed some of the most impressively choreographed and athletic dance sequences in American cinema. But the musical sequences overshadow much of the rest of the film: Rita Moreno and George Chakiris won Oscars, but other performances are less convincing: Natalie Wood in the title role is quite terrible, and her performance is consumed by a comically fake Puerto Rican accent. and Richard Beymer as Tony can’t stop the film’s central love story from being its least compelling aspect. It might be sacrilege to claim that Spielberg’s 2021 version is better, but newcomers will likely find it better than the original.
Where to stream: Max, digital rental
Sister Act (1992)
As with something like, say, Mrs. Doughfire , Sister Act required a difficult balance. It’s a high-concept comedy with a silly premise (a gangster’s girlfriend disguises herself as a nun who ends up leading a choir) that somehow doesn’t feel silly. Goldberg’s charming, committed performance alongside veterans Maggie Smith, Kathy Najimy, Wendy McKenna, Mary Weeks and Harvey Keitel is damn good, but a new viewer might understandably find the whole thing overly silly.
Where to watch: Disney+, digital rental.