Summer has superhero blockbusters, action movies and jumping the shark. Autumn movies in warm colors and main characters in cozy sweaters and woolen coats. Winter is the time for screenings under blankets with a warm drink in hand, as well as candy and Christmas productions about love. And spring? Spring has movies that make your heart feel warmer, full of fresh colors and the increasingly warm sun. Here is a list of productions that will make you forget about winter and take spring clothes out of the closet.
Tim Burton’s film is the first title that came to my mind when I thought about spring productions. More than 20 years have passed since the film’s release, and I still remember the scene in which young Ed Bloom (Ewan McGregor) stands in the middle of a field full of lush yellow flowers. It is still one of my favorite films by the American director. “Big Fish” is like a ray of sunshine among Burton’s darker, gothic productions.
The script was based on the novel by Daniel Wallace’a telling the story of Edward Bloom and his son William, who decides to return from college’u home to take care of his father, who is dying of cancer. Bloom senior is known for telling amazing stories in which truth and fantasy mix.
Studio Ghibli films always evoke a lot of emotion in me. Most of them leave me with a feeling of melancholy, but also with warmth in my heart. It’s difficult to choose just one film, so the choice fell on my first conscious experience with Miyazaki’s works. It was 2004 and my dad and I went to another city to see Howl’s Moving Castle. Since then, I look forward to every new Ghibli film.
The main character of the film, Sophie, is turned into an old woman by the demonic Witch. Desperate, she tries to regain her body and sets off on a magical journey full of dangers. In search of herself, Sophie finds herself in a strange Moving Castle belonging to the wizard Howl. There she meets the fire demon – Karushifâ, who presents her with a proposal. If Sophie frees him from Howl’s power, he will return her 18-year-old body in return.
Although I’m not a fan of Jane Austen’s work, I must admit that adaptations of her novels have a certain charm. While “Pride and Prejudice” and “Sense and Sensibility” are the first films that come to mind, “Emma” from 2020 has the most lightness in it. It’s the perfect movie to welcome spring. Beautiful, smart and rich, Emma Woodhouse is the queen of her sleepy town, and she has no competition because no one can match her. In this brilliant satire on class divisions, Emma must face the pain of growing up and the mistakes of love before she finds the love she has always wanted.
When creating this list, I knew that a classic musical had to be on it. Almost immediately, I thought of “Thanks to the Music”, especially the iconic scene from the very beginning when Maria runs over the green hills. Ultimately, I decided to make a film without the family running away at the end. Instead, it is worth reaching for another cinema classic – “The Wizard of Oz”.
The prototype of the film story was a children’s book – “The Wizard of Oz” – a novel by Lyman Frank Baum. The legendary Dorothy was played by Judy Garland, who went down in cinema history forever. The talk was not only about the young Garland. The film delighted with its scenography, colors and music. The song “Somewhere over the Rainbow” won an Oscar and is today one of the most popular and most frequently covered songs in the world.
The twice-Oscar-nominated director presents a touching story of the feeling that captured the hearts of two teenagers in the summer of 1965. The young people, fascinated by each other, ignore the strict prohibitions of their parents and guardians, make a secret pact and run away to experience the greatest adventure of their lives together. The cream of Hollywood’s acting starred in the roles of adults, standing in the way of the happiness of the very young Romeo and the fledgling Juliet.
“Conscious play with form, the style of the 1960s, the coming of age movie formula, the American myth of trappers, absurd props (like Suzy’s mother’s megaphone) and reduced, candy-colored buildings have their own irresistible charm. Everything seems to be taken from the world of children. fun, because ‘Moon lovers’ it is a return to the world of childhood, to places such as Moonrise Kingdom, where one experienced summer infatuations and disappointments” – wrote Martyna Olszowska in her review for Interia.
Another adaptation of a children’s novel. This time “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The book has been adapted into many films, both for television and cinema. In 1993, a version directed by Agnieszka Holland and starring Maggie Smith as Mrs. Medlock hit the big screens. “The Secret Garden” is a touching story that adults can also enjoy. 10-year-old Mary Lennox (Kate Maberly) lives with her mother and father in India.
When her parents die in an earthquake, the servants disappear and the house is sold. The girl is sent to England, to Misselthwaite Manor, owned by her uncle, Lord Craven (John Lynch). Soon, Mary discovers another secret of the manor: apart from her, there is another child living there, Master Colin (Heydon Prowse), her uncle’s seriously ill son. Mary contacts him, tells him about the garden and arouses her cousin’s curiosity.
The bittersweet comedy-drama is a story we already know, but it evokes emotions in the audience every time: “A man living in a remote area, a colorful family he takes care of, a serious problem he has to face and a journey across the United States that will change his way of looking at reality. Ben (Viggo Mortensen) is the father of six children, whom he raises away from the hustle and bustle of the city. They live differently than the average American family: they eat what they can hunt, they do not go to a normal school, they learn the art of survival, living in love and mutual respect. When the family situation changes, they must face civilization.
If “Amelia” doesn’t melt your hearts, nothing will. The French film was undoubtedly one of the most interesting film premieres of the early 21st century. A humorous production combining elements of romantic comedy and drama, in which the grotesque intertwines with surrealism and fairy-tale, enchanted audiences and critics from all over the world. In France alone, the title was watched by over 7 million viewers in its first weeks of screening.
“A brilliant, moving film. In every shot you can see the madness of imagination and poetry. You will remember it forever,” praised the film in its review of “Le Journal de Dimanche”. “Amelia” received five Oscar nominations, two BAFTA awards, a Critic’s Choice statuette, four Cesar Awards and four European Film Awards.
This is the most non-obvious item on the list. For me, the fate of the main character resembles a bit of spring rebirth, a path to finding myself. Julie is about to turn thirty and is full of life energy, but also full of life dilemmas. She is happy with Aksel, a talented and professionally successful cartoonist, but their views on their future together are slightly different. When Julie meets Eivind at a random party and spends the entire night with him, she begins to wonder if this younger, confident and a little crazy boy is not exactly what she needs in her life.
“The latest film by Joachim Trier is therefore a witty congratulations to the generation of thirty-year-olds. The director seems to be saying – be what you want and don’t let yourself be convinced that you have to change. He does not deny the way in which they find themselves. On the contrary, it allows them to do it on your own terms” wrote Katarzyna Ryba.