6 Feel-Good Movies to Stream This Weekend

Erin Brockovich
One woman fights corruption… and wins. It’s a story that never gets old, and neither does Steven Soderbergh’s galvanizing 2000 drama starring Julia Roberts, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of the real-life Brockovich, a single mother and environmental activist who stood up to a major energy corporation. “An exhilarating tale about a woman discovering her full potential and running with it,” Variety’s Todd McCarthy called it at the time. (Available on Showtime, YouTube, iTunes, Amazon Video, Vudu, and Google Play)

Clueless
Because, sometimes, ignorance is bliss. Take a break from Washington drama and hang out in Beverly Hills with Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) and her kiddie-pool-shallow friends in this 1995 reimagining of Jane Austen’s Emma. Come for the quintessential ’90s schoolgirl fashion and one-liners (“As if!”), and stay for a sighting of Paul Rudd, as Cher’s socially conscious stepbrother, in an Amnesty International T-shirt. (Available on YouTube, iTunes, Amazon Video, Vudu, and Google Play)

School of Rock
Before it became a Broadway musical, Richard Linklater’s 2003 comedy was the highest-grossing musical comedy of all time, and it’s easy to see why it struck a major chord with viewers. Jack Black was born to play Dewey Finn, a slacker-turned-substitute teacher who lives to rock — and soon taps into the musical talents of his fourth-graders, just in time to compete in the annual Battle of the Bands. Worth watching for Joan Cusack singing Stevie Nicks, alone. (Available on YouTube, iTunes, Amazon Video, Vudu, and Google Play)

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Matthew Broderick plays another lovable slacker in this 1986 teen comedy from the brain of John Hughes, who wrote and directed the story about “one man’s struggle to take it easy.” It’s hard not to smile watching Bueller and his friends play hooky, borrow a Ferrari, and take a joyride through Chicago. It’s an ode to the Windy City — and to living in the moment. Plus, sometimes we all need a day off. (Available on YouTube, iTunes, Amazon Video, Vudu, and Google Play)

Miracle
If you need to remember what good, old-fashioned American patriotism feels like, tune in to this inspiring 2004 sports drama that’s based on a true story. College coach Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell) assembles a ragtag bunch of hockey players into the 1980 U.S. men’s Olympic team and leads them to triumph over the legendary Soviet team. Good luck finding another Cold War story that will give you so many warm and fuzzies. (Available on YouTube, iTunes, Amazon Video, Vudu, and Google Play)

When Harry Met Sally…
Yeah, it’s obvious. But then again, that’s kind of the point of comfort movies: Like comfort food — they’re guaranteed to satisfy again and again. Just grab a blanket, and sink into this classic 1989 rom-com (from the pen of Nora Ephron), along with a hearty bowl of mac-and-cheese. Watch it with a friend or don’t — at this point, Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan as Harry and Sally feel like old pals anyway. (Available on iTunes, Amazon Video, YouTube, Google Play, and Vudu)