If You Liked the TV Series Gilmore Girls, Then You Definitely Need to Watch the Next Film in the Series.
Gilmore Girls is pure joy to watch. We all dream of a life filled with brighter, wittier dialogue, spiced with deep pop culture references, and a warm, quaint place like Stars Hollow—and that’s why it’s one of those shows people binge-watch again and again. It’s like seeing old friends—it never gets old. But true fans know that keeping up with Gilmore Girls requires absorbing a lot of pop culture. If you’ve already watched the shows Gilmore Girls fans will love , it’s time to move on to the movies Rory and Lorelai would approve of for movie night.
Why Gilmore Girls Fans Should Watch Mermaids
Mermaids is set in the 1960s, but the similarities to Gilmore Girls are clear. Winona Ryder plays Charlotte, a 15-year-old whose mother, Rachel (Cher), has a habit of moving to a new town every time she breaks up with her boyfriend. Compounding Charlotte’s growing unease is the fact that Rachel, who gave birth to Charlotte when she was only 16, acts more like a friend than a mother. When Rachel moves with Charlotte and her younger sister, Kate (Christina Ricci), to the small town of Eastport, Massachusetts, everything begins to change.
If you loved the dynamic between Rory and Lorelai on Gilmore Girls , you’ll love Charlotte and Rachel. The show is a bit more dramatic, but the funny, sharp dialogue between the women and the deep love between them are very reminiscent of Gilmore Girls. Like Rory, Charlotte is gifted and intelligent, though a bit more prone to fantasy; despite being Jewish, she becomes obsessed with Catholicism, which causes her a lot of trouble when she falls in love with the caretaker of the local convent, Joe. And like Lorelai, Rachel is a strong woman who finds love in a small town without sacrificing her self-esteem and independence. Their comedic timing in this film is impeccable.
Eastport’s small-town East Coast atmosphere will also appeal to fans of the show. Eastport is depicted as a vibrant, close-knit place, where the locals are kind and a little quirky in the best possible way. When Rachel meets Lou (Bob Hoskins), a local shoe salesman, she resists falling in love, fearing the loss of her independence. But their blossoming relationship proves sweet and enjoyable, and the town is populated by memorable characters, much like Stars Hollow.
If you’re looking for witty dialogue, romance, and a town you’d love to live in like Gilmore Girls , watch Mermaids .
Watch Mermaids on Fubo or rent it on Prime Video .
More movies for Gilmore Girls fans
Mermaids is a fantastic film, but it’s just under two hours long, so you’ll need to add other movies to your list. Here are a few more that Gilmore Girls fans will love.
His Girl Friday (1940)
One of the many films directly referenced in Gilmore Girls , His Girl Friday was well ahead of its time and a perfect fit for the show. The story of a newspaper editor (Cary Grant) who uses a variety of questionable (and, from a modern perspective, somewhat suspect) tricks to win back the woman who is both his best reporter and his ex-wife (Rosalind Russell) is surprisingly gender-neutral for a film released in 1940. And the dialogue—averaging a staggering 240 words per minute —is so fast, so sharp, and so interwoven that you’ll need to watch it three times to catch every joke and reference. If you come back to Gilmore Girls for the witty dialogue, you’ll love this film.
Watch His Girl Friday on Fubo or Kanopy , or rent it on Prime Video .
Juno (2007)
Another film known for its sharp, dynamic dialogue, Juno is also perfect for Gilmore fans thanks to its lead character, Juno MacGuff (Elliott Page). Sixteen-year-old Juno unexpectedly finds herself pregnant and navigates the emotional and social consequences with a sharp tongue and a brilliant mind, much like you’d imagine Rory would handle a teenage pregnancy. Juno agrees to let a childless couple (played by Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner) adopt her baby, but as she grows closer to her husband, the film delves into a complex relationship that fans of the series will appreciate.
Rent Juno on Prime Video .
Booksmart (2019)
One of the defining characteristics of Gilmore Girls is its celebration of intelligence and knowledge . The Gilmores and the people around them are smart, and they enjoy being smart. The same can be said of Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) in Smart Girl: they skipped countless parties and social events to excel in school and get into prestigious universities, and their witty dialogue reflects their intelligence. When they learn that their party-loving, much lazier classmates also got into top universities, they experience what can only be described as a mild existential crisis, with hilarious consequences.
Rent Booksmart on Apple TV .
Before Sunset (2004)
The Gilmores often have an enviable dynamic: casual, tender, and full of challenges. Rory and Lorelai love to argue, to converse, to delve into their assumptions, and to have real conversations—the kind we all wish we could have on a regular basis. If you’ve ever wished some of those Gilmore Girls conversations lasted, say, hours, watch Before Sunset —it’s almost entirely about conversations. It’s a sequel to Before Sunrise (the trilogy—essentially one giant conversation—ends with Before Midnight ), but the second film is closer to the deep relationship between Rory and Lorelai that makes the series special. In this story, writer Jesse (Ethan Hawke) reconnects with Céline (Julie Delpy), spending another day together in Paris nine years after a 24-hour conversation changed their lives, connecting in a way few people can.
Watch Before Sunset on the Roku Channel or rent it on Prime Video .
Waitress (2007)
With its quaint small-town atmosphere, a loving family born in childhood, and an unplanned pregnancy, Waitress explores what life might have been like for Rory or Lorelai if they had made different choices or simply had bad luck. Jenna Hunterson (Keri Russell) is a small-town waitress stuck in an unhappy marriage; her plans to save money and escape are complicated when she unexpectedly finds herself pregnant. She begins an affair with her new obstetrician (Nathan Fillion, understandably) and discovers she has more friends—and better ones—than she ever imagined.
Watch Waitress on Prime Video .