Today’s post is like a box of chocolates, but I’ll tell you what you’re gonna get: Ten TV and movie scenes that could bring you joy — sometimes with a few tears.
I’m excluding scenes shown in this column on life lessons, plus favorites I’ve already shared from “Ted Lasso,” “Almost Famous,” “Cinema Paradiso,” “Crazy Rich Asians,” “tick, tick … BOOM!,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and a bunch of others. The good news: Every hyperlink leads to another great scene, and I promise to talk less than Forrest Gump. Probably.
Buttercreams
Helping someone grow is one of life’s great joys, especially if you have a front row seat. Even non-parents have opportunities, from teachers to siblings, mentors to friends, Las Vegas entertainers to nuns.
Musical joy is everywhere, from “In the Heights” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” to “Aladdin” and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” to “The Sound of Music” and “The Wizard of Oz.”
We all search for harmony, in music and relationships. Sometimes the best part of a breakthrough is sharing it.
You can be inspired by anyone, from Sylvester Stallone to Katharine Hepburn to Al Bundy, or by scenes from “Big,” “Hidden Figures” and “Schitt’s Creek.” But let’s take our cue from the title character in “Amélie,” because we all rely on the kindness of strangers.
Mostly nuts
“A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pants.” I stole that from here, of course, because comedy is hard. It gives us all kinds of awkwardness to laugh at and laugh with, whether you prefer Vitameatavegamin or what Sally is having, an old classic from “WKRP in Cincinnati” or a newer one from “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” the bumbling cringiness of Tim Conway or the meet-weird of “Young Frankenstein.”
I hope these two scenes make you smile, too. The first is perfect; the second, perfectly evil.
Slightly spoiled
These great scenes from “The Bucket List,” “Encanto” and “Jerry Maguire” are way better if you’ve seen the whole movie. If you haven’t, they might spoil it. And these scenes from “Coco,” “You’ve Got Mail” and “It’s a Wonderful Life” will definitely spoil you. And make you cry, yet again, if you’ve already seen them.
So let’s go with two that show you some magic but don’t reveal the entire trick: Jamal getting back in touch with Latika in “Slumdog Millionaire,” and a lovable alien trying to get by the police with a little help from his friends in “E.T.”
Bittersweet
When life is at its worst, joy can be your lifeline. Maybe it’s the beauty of an aria in “Philadelphia,” a sitcom’s serious turn, a hero’s dying moments in “Titanic,”the way Harry Potter draws strength from his pain. Even the silliest rom-com will flirt with tragedy — and overcome it, of course.
This scene stirs a lot of emotions, but love is the star. It’s always the star.
Real-world events can taint our escapism. It’s hard to see “The Cosby Show” without thinking of all the hurt that Bill Cosby caused. I can’t watch this next scene from “Glee” without being reminded how fragile life is, seeing three actors who died way too young.
But it’s also beautiful because it’s their legacy, a celebration of friendship and life.
Few people have brought more beauty into the world than Vincent van Gogh, but he ended his troubled life before he could appreciate that. People love you more than you’ll ever know, just as you love them more than you’ve ever said.
This scene has the magic of time travel, but we don’t. So savor what you do have, and maybe cry with a time-traveling friend while you’re at it.
Murphy Slaw
Something old: Just a reminder that “experts” are often wrong, whether it’s about politics or sports or, in this case, technology. They have conventional wisdom by the truckload, but sometimes unconventional wisdom changes the world.
Something new: Here’s a fun New York Times story about a popular — and crazy — restaurant near Denver that fell on hard times. It’s being brought back to life by the creators of “South Park.”
Something borrowed: I asked several friends for scenes that brought them joy. Here are 10 that didn’t fit the main story’s theme but are well worth your time: The madcap opening of “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” (below); the party in “Auntie Mame”; a “Designing Women” rant; classic Mel Brooks in “The Producers”; a glorious medley from “Moulin Rouge”; the “to the pain” non-swordfight in “The Princess Bride”; a newspapering moment from “His Girl Friday”: one of the zany endings of “Clue”; and the familial love, challenging as it may be, at the end of “Big Night” and “Big Fish.”
Something blue: Today’s post links to about 70 clips, which should help when you have the blues. But there’s a better way. Ask a friend to share a favorite scene, then return the favor. Not only could it cheer you up, but it might make you closer. And that beats all the chocolates in the world.
What a treasure trove! I know that it is probably not appropriate anymore but one that will always get me laughing is the scene from "A Christmas Story" where they are eating Christmas dinner in the Chinese restaurant.
Thanks, Janet. I would bet all of us (me included) have scenes that resonate with us but might fall flat with others. Sometimes that can lead to good conversations, too.