Some of you may have noticed that I haven’t posted for a long while. This is due to the fact that I have the unfortunate ability to contract an amazing amount of infections that have me drowning in a sea of snotty tissues and chicken soup. While I happen to love the winter season, the cold weather and Christmas cheer also bring with it the guarantee that I will be sick for at least a month. But I have developed an appropriate way to deal with being unable to move from the couch – making a marathon of my favorite movies to watch while heavily medicated.
I’m sure every person has their own list of comforting things they do while they are under the weather. Because being sick is definitely a time to indulge the kid in all of us- the one who really wants mom to come make us soup and put Vicks on our chest. But being an adult means having to deal with illness all by yourself. Luckily it doesn’t take too much effort to operate a DVD player. But the movies I watch certainly reflect my childhood, made up of movies that I’ve seens hundreds of times before. So here it is, my list of films to watch while you’re suffering through sickness.
5 Best Movies to Watch When Sick:
#1: Any Disney Film!
[Insert Disney Movie Here]: Everyone has their favorite Disney movie. The one that you watched over and over again as a kid. The one that always makes you smile even when you’re 23 years old and have a sore throat. My personal favorite is Beauty and the Beast, a Disney classic with one of the best princesses. She reads a lot and dreams of bigger and better things, just like me. It also features some of the best songs. “Be Our Guest” never fails to make me smile. I stick to the classics because most of the sequels suck. Just pop in The Lion King, Aladdin, Sleeping Beauty, Robin Hood, or one of any other of Walt Disney’s finest. I promise you will start to feel a little better- for at least 90 minutes.
#2. The Lord of the Rings Series
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King : I have to admit, I’m a huge fan of the series. I’ve watched it more times than I can count. I am the proud owner of the Special Edition DVD Set, and it was worth every penny with the amount of times I have whiled away a sick day watching not only the movies but the commentary and all the special features. They are very long movies so they take up a nice chunk of your miserable day. Something about watching two little hobbits marching through the dark and fiery pits of Mordor makes you feel like your runny nose isn’t all that bad. And if you need a laugh go ahead and watch the actor’s talk about the experience of making the movies in the Cameras in Middle Earth documentary. It certainly seems like they had a good time, even while running away from Ringwraiths.
#3. The Indiana Jones Trilogy
The Indiana Jones Trilogy: Notice that I said trilogy- I do not count Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in the good movie category. In fact, I put it in the absolutely terrible movie category (However, if you want a laugh watch the South Park episode about it titled “The China Problem”). But Raiders of the Lost Arc, Temple of Doom, and The Last Crusade are some of the best movies ever. I’m a huge Harrison Ford fan, and not just because the man is hot. He’s also the perfect action hero in my opinion, equal parts ass-kicking man and book smart nerd with some great one-liners. Following him around as he hunts for ancient religious artifacts is a lot of fun. They are also the best movies to provide an escape from your mundane world of soup and sneezing.
#4. Love Actually
Love Actually: Winter is the time of year where everyone gets touchy-feely with Christmas love. And while I’m not that big of a fan of romantic comedies, this is movie is a step above some cheesy love story. Maybe it’s all the hot british accents and the amazing stars attatched to them. Maybe it’s the perfect balance of tender moments and hilarious stories that make it so great. I recommend this movie to anyone who needs a pick-me up. It’s definitely the perfect movie for either a night with the girls or a night bundled up in blankets.
#5. The Princess Bride
The Princess Bride: Who doesn’t love this movie? It’s perfect at any time, but when you can pretend that you’re Fred Savage sitting sick in bed while you’re Grandpa reads to you it is even better. Pirates? Check. Rhyming Giants? Check. A beautiful princess? Check. Swordfighting? Check. “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to Die”? Double Check. It’s a beautiful movie that is always one that I turn to when I’m fighing off an infection. A timeless classic with universal appeal. We all want Grandpa to come over tomorrow and read it again.
What movies do you guys turn to when you’re sick? Any new suggestions would be appreciated!
