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FALLING FOR FALL FILMS
A&E
Movies that embody fall D
uring this time of year, holiday spirit is a big topic of conversation. With all of the most-favored holidays of the year coming up, people are rushing to watch their favorite seasonal entertainment. However, these celebratory films’ themes can get quite repetitive. Whether you don’t celebrate traditional festivities, or you’re sick of the holiday cliches, it’s always a good idea to celebrate the coziest time of the year: fall. The same love and nostalgia you get while watching traditional holiday movies can be achieved with these fall movies as well. It’s time to honor this loving season with films that embody its most admirable attributes. While there are no movies that explicitly celebrate fall time, there are ones that perfectly enhance the beauty of the season. ‘90s movies seem to perfectly capture the fall aesthetic. With the fashion of the time period consisting of lots of layers and dark colors, most of these movies set in the last fourth of the year compliment the current season’s styles. With style icons of the ‘90s such as Jennifer Aniston in Friends, Winona Ryder in Reality Bites and Alicia Silverstone in Clueless, we see very common factors in each of their fashion. These consist of lots of muted lips, darks, plaids, and heavy sweaters or leather jackets. Each of these components are staple pieces in the chilly midwestern falls. These styles and settings of the movies perfectly capture the ambience of fall with its calming atmosphere and style inspirations. One of the movies that exquisitely falls into this category is The Silence of The Lambs. Although The Silence of The Lambs lacks the comforting feelings of fall, it’s perfect for this time of year with the movie being filmed in the midst of one of the many beautiful falls in Pennsylvania. Plus, with the lead being the adorable and stylish Clarice Starling, her essence fits the setting of the film incredibly well. Another movie that represents this time well is When Harry Met Sally. There is no other movie that matches this season so well. With an adorable love story being told in front of the pleasant scenery of fall in New York, it makes for a very cozy viewing experience. Plus, with t h e soundtrack mainly consisting of pleasurable jazz,
Story, Design and Graphics by Emma Tyler
it really ties the film together. Dark academia is another aesthetic that embodies the feeling of fall very well. For a movie to fall under the category of dark academia, a subgenre of film, it must consist of a few factors. These include a setting at a cozy and vintage high school or college, a color palette with lots of gloomy and dark colors, layered and preppy clothing, and the main characters being students. With most of the extravagant and vintage boarding school buildings being in the North, many of these movies take place in colorful and brisk falls which adds to the aesthetic of these films’ color palettes and style. Not only do these movies capture fall with their overall aura, but the time of the year as well. With these movies usually beginning at the start of the school year, they are the perfect thing to watch as we are in the middle of our first semester. As many high school students yearn to attend a pretentious private school in a cozy small town, with the right movie it can seem as if you are getting the full experience. Two movies that fit well into this category are Dead Poets Society and the Harry Potter series. With Dead Poets Society taking place in a beautiful old boarding school in the middle of Vermont from September to December, there is no other setting that captures the season better. Plus, with the plot surrounding literature and poetry, it’s a very cozy film to watch on a rainy fall day. I would never call the Harry Potter movie series fine films by any means. However, they are the perfect thing to watch if you really want to feel the dark academic vibes. The set design and colors of the movie really bring a warm feel to the film. Between the beginning of the school year, fashionable dark and classic uniforms, and the comforting feel of Hogwarts, you are sure to feel the cozy fall love as soon as you start it. Honorable mentions that are from more recent times include Knives Out, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Little Women. Although none of these particularly fall into the two categories listed, they are there for the comfort they give. Even though they all still follow the ideas behind fall-like set design, color palettes, and style, a true fall movie leaves the viewer with a sensation of ease and love. The beauty of fall is all that it represents within people. To many of us it may represent time spent getting closer to
friends and family in this season, and to many others it may just be the cleansing feeling they receive when seeing the leaves change colors or inhaling the crisp fall air. Whatever this time represents to you, it’s an amazing time to bond with those you love over cozy movie watchings of your favorite comfort films. At the end of the day, there’s nothing more fall than watching movies with people you consider your family. Just like the time of fall, watching movies with those you’re close with is a time for connecting and celebrating the beauty of the simplest things in life. With just the right movies, you can truly enhance this experience to relive these nostalgic and cozy memories of fall growing up. Fall brings out the best feelings for everyone, so live in the moment and celebrate. The beauty of this magical time of year is that it’s short; get the most out of this cozy time while you can.
The Lance
