Need cheering up during lockdown? Try these feel-good movies.
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1. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
It's set in Hollywood in the late 1920s, when sound came to motion pictures. Matinee idol Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly, who also directed and choreographed with Stanley Donen) struggles to adjust. His frequent co-star, diva Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen), has it worse as her voice is screechy. When Don falls in love with would-be actress Kathy Seldon (Debbie Reynolds), things get complicated. The score is full of memorable songs by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed, the dancing is brilliant, and Donald O'Connor provides excellent support.
(Google Play, Apple TV, Ritz at Home)
2. Some Like It Hot (1959)
Co-writer and director Billy Wilder's comedy classic is set in 1929 during Prohibition. When two Chicago musicians - Jerry (Jack Lemmon) and Joe (Tony Curtis) witness a gangland massacre, they disguise themselves as women and join an all-female band travelling to Florida. But that's far from the end of their problems: keeping up the masquerade is a challenge when they meet Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe), the band's singer. There are plenty of laughs - some of them surprisingly risque for the time - and excellent performances from Lemmon, Curtis (who gets to do a Cary Grant impersonation), Joe E. Brown (as a randy millionaire) and Monroe.
(Stan, Apple TV, Google Play)
3. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)
Based on an Esquire magazine article, this lovely if semifictionalised story has a cynical journalist (Matthew Rhys) assigned to write a profile of American children's TV host Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks), a man who inspired a lot of people. If you like this movie, try the documentary about the real Mr Rogers, Won't You Be My Neighbor? (Apple TV, Google Play) - and if you have young kids or are interested in finding out more, there's plenty of Mr Rogers material on YouTube, including episodes of his TV show.
(Prime Video, Google Play, Apple TV)
4. The Big Steal (1990)
Before Ben Mendelsohn gained international screen fame as a bad guy, he starred in this charming Aussie comedy as Danny, a young man who wants to buy a 1973 Jaguary to impress the girl of his dreams, Joanna (Claudia Karvan). But can he trust used-car salesman Gordon Farkas (Steve Bisley)? This Nadia Tass-David Parker collaboration is a fun ride.
(Google Play, Ritz at Home, Apple TV)
5. Harvey (1950)
James Stewart plays Elwood P. Dowd, a middle-aged man who tells everyone his best friend is an invisible rabbit - nearly two metres tall - named Harvey. This whimsical, gentle comedy about eccentricity and non-conformity is a lot of fun.
(Google Play. Apple TV)