The Fall Girl Top 10 Movie List

The Fall Girl Top 10 Movie List 

     Today's post was inspired by a Facebook thread I was recently tagged in asking for Fall movie recommendations.  (Peggy and Megan, I'm so glad you asked!)

     I should preface this post by saying that if you're looking for scary Halloween movies, you might be a little disappointed.  The scariest movie on my list comes in at #10 and is a Disney cartoon short.  Thanks to an over-active imagination, an animated Headless Horseman is about all of the "horror" I can handle.

     Even though they're not technically "movies", I included three of my favorite short shows that I watch every Fall on the list too.  (I'm a rule breaker like that.)

     Now, pop a big bowl of popcorn (sprinkle it with pumpkin pie spice for a special treat) and settle in to peruse my Top 10 List of Fall Movies.

10.  Disney's Legend of Sleepy Hollow

This is the only "scary" show that made my list.  Every fall when I was a kid, I would sit glued to the TV with a racing heart, watching poor Ichabod ride through the forest with the Headless Horseman in hot pursuit.  I can't watch it to this day without feeling like a little kid.

9.  A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

When Peppermint Patty thrusts Charlie Brown into the role of unwilling Thanksgiving host, Snoopy comes to the rescue with popcorn and lots of lots of toast.  When Linus tells the story of the first Thanksgiving, you can't help but get a lump in your throat. 

8.  The Thanksgiving House

A sweet, romantic comedy about a Boston lawyer who inherits a house in Plymouth that just might be sitting on the site of the first Thanksgiving. Will she find love with the young archaeologist trying to preserve the site and restore her faith in family and Thanksgiving; or will her underhanded boyfriend trick her into selling her inheritance?

7. Growing The Big One

Shannon Doherty ("Brenda", from 90210 fame) plays a big city DJ who inherits her Grandpa's pumpkin farm in a small town in Washington.  To raise money to keep the farm from being turned into a parking lot, Emma is determined to grow a giant pumpkin and win the local pumpkin growing contest.  The only problem is that she knows next to nothing about growing pumpkins.  

6.  Remember The Titans

Set in the fall of 1971, Denzel Washington plays the earnest and memorable, "Coach Boone" in a story about racial equality, football and the triumph of the human spirit.  "People say that it can't work, black, white, here we make it work everyday. We still have our disagreements, of course, but before we reach for hate, always, always, we remember the Titans." 

 

5.  The Blind Side

Sandra Bullock is the ultimate Football Mama Bear in her Oscar winning performance as Leigh Ann Tuohy in this movie based on the true story of NFL great, Michael Oher.  Set in Tennessee in the Fall, "The Blind Side" will inspire you to look for potential and greatness in everyone. 

4. It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

It's just not Halloween until you hear the tale of the Great Pumpkin.  While the other kids trick-or-treat around the neighborhood, collecting candy (except for Charlie Brown, who inexplicable always gets a rock), Linus faithfully waits in the chilly pumpkin patch waiting for the Great Pumpkin.  Will this be the year that he actually shows up?

3. October Sky

Set in Coalwood, West Virginia, in October of 1957, Homer (Jake Gyllenhall) is a high school student destined to follow in his father's footsteps as a coal miner.  That all changes one night, when the Sputnik satellite streaks across the sky and inspires the teenager to learn about rockets.  Everyone scoffs at Homer's dreams, except his teacher, Miss Riley, who encourages him and with a book about rocket science.  Based on a true story, this movie shows the amazing things that can happen when you reach for the stars.

2. Rudy

Often referred to as the "Best Football Movie Of All Time", "Rudy" is based on a true story about the life of Rudy Ruetigger.  Rudy must overcome nearly insurmountable odds, including grades, money and a lack of talent, to achieve his dream of playing football for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.  Just a warning, make sure you've got a box of tissues handy before you watch this one.

1. You've Got Mail

"Don't you love New York in the fall?  It makes me wanna buy school supplies.  I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.  On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms."

Maybe I'm just the slightest bit biased since this happens to be my favorite movie of all time, but who can resist Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks in New York in the Fall?  Seriously!  Will Shop Girl ever find out the true identity of NY152?  Can the "Shop Around the Corner" be saved from the looming shadow of Fox books?  Time passes throughout the movie and eventually ends in the Spring, but this classic romantic comedy will forever remind me of Fall.

What do you think of my top 10 Fall movie list?  Did I nail it or leave out any of your favorites?  Let me know in the comment section below or on Facebook or Twitter.