15 Cozy Movies to Watch This Fall

1. Stepmom – ca. 1998 – PG-13

Three years after divorcing Jackie (Susan Sarandon), the mother of his children, Luke Harrison (Ed Harris), decides to take the next step with his significantly younger girlfriend, fashion photographer Isabel Kelly (Julia Roberts). But, when the flaky Kelly meets Harrison's children for the first time, their fierce allegiance to their mother is obvious. Try as she might, Kelly fails to endear herself to her young charges -- and to Jackie -- until a looming family crisis changes everything.

Taken from Rotten Tomatoes.

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/OKrasyuk

2. The Lake House – ca. 2006 - PG

A lonely doctor (Sandra Bullock), who once lived in a beautiful lakeside home, falls in love via letters with its latest resident, a frustrated architect (Keanu Reeves). When they discover that they are living two years apart, the pair must unravel the mystery behind their incredible romance.

Taken from Rotten Tomatoes.

3. You've Got Mail - ca. 1998 - PG

Struggling boutique bookseller Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) hates Joe Fox (Tom Hanks), the owner of a corporate Foxbooks chain store that just moved in across the street. When they meet online, however, they begin an intense and anonymous Internet romance, oblivious of each other's true identity. Eventually, Joe learns that the enchanting woman he's involved with is actually his business rival. He must now struggle to reconcile his real-life dislike for her with the cyber love he's come to feel.

Taken from Rotten Tomatoes.

4. Little Women – ca. 1994 – PG

In this 1994 adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic, the March sisters confront growing pains, financial shortages, family tragedies, and romantic rivalries in mid-19th-century Massachusetts. Jo (Winona Ryder) struggles for independence and sometimes clashes with her beloved mother and her sisters Meg, Amy, and Beth. She also contends with their cranky Aunt March, their impulsive neighbor Laurie (Christian Bale), and kindly linguistics professor Friedrich Bhaer (Gabriel Byrne).

Taken from Rotten Tomatoes.

Photo credit: ©Sony; used with permission.

5. Anne of Green Gables/Avonlea – ca. 1985

Matthew Cuthbert and his crotchety sister Marilla contact a local orphanage to request a young boy who might serve as a farmhand on their Prince Edward Island estate called Green Gables, but instead, their future is changed forever as a red-headed young girl with an imagination enters their lives.

Taken from Rotten Tomatoes.

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Anastasiia Yanishevska

6. October Sky – ca. 1999 - PG

John Hickam (Chris Cooper) is a West Virginia coal miner who loves his job and expects his sons, Jim (Scott Miles) and Homer (Jake Gyllenhaal), to follow in his footsteps. But Jim gets a football scholarship, and Homer becomes interested in rocket science after seeing Sputnik 1 crossing the sky. John disapproves of his son's new mania, but Homer begins building rockets with the help of friends and a sympathetic teacher (Laura Dern). Rocketry, he hopes, will prove his ticket to a better life.

7. Dead Poets Society – ca. 1989 – PG

A new English teacher, John Keating (Robin Williams), is introduced to an all-boys preparatory school known for its ancient traditions and high standards. He uses unorthodox methods to reach out to his students, who face enormous pressures from their parents and the school. With Keating's help, students Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard), Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke), and others learn to break out of their shells, pursue their dreams and seize the day. 

*Note: This movie includes a depiction of suicide; have viewer discretion.

Taken from Rotten Tomatoes.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Peter Kramer/Staff

8. A Walk in the Clouds – ca. 1995 – PG-13

When soldier Paul Sutton (Keanu Reeves) is on his way home after World War II, he realizes he barely knows his young wife, Betty (Debra Messing). With the couple's relationship strained and Paul haunted by memories of the war, he is happy to have a diversion in the form of beautiful traveler Victoria Aragon (Aitana Sánchez-Gijón). Circumstances force Paul to pose as Victoria's new husband for her close-knit Mexican-American family, a situation that brings tension and unexpected results.

Taken from Rotten Tomatoes.

Photo credit: © Pixabay/Eberhard Grossgasteiger

9. Wizard of Oz – ca. 1939 – G

When a tornado rips through Kansas, Dorothy (Judy Garland) and her dog, Toto, are whisked away in their house to the magical land of Oz. They follow the Yellow Brick Road toward the Emerald City to meet the Wizard, and en route, they meet a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) that needs a brain, a Tin Man (Jack Haley) missing a heart, and a Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) who wants courage. The Wizard asks the group to bring him the broom of the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) to earn his help.

Taken from Rotten Tomatoes.

10. Robin Hood Prince of Thieves – ca. 1991 – PG-13

Nobleman crusader Robin of Locksley (Kevin Costner) breaks out of a Jerusalem prison with the help of Moorish fellow prisoner Azeem (Morgan Freeman) and travels back home to England. But upon arrival, he discovers his dead father in the ruins of his family estate, killed by the vicious sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman). Robin and Azeem join forces with outlaws Little John (Nick Brimble) and Will Scarlett (Christian Slater) to save the kingdom from the sheriff's villainy. 

Taken from Rotten Tomatoes.

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/OKrasyuk

11. Ever After: A Cinderella Story – ca. 1998 – PG-13

This updated adaptation of the classic fairytale tells the story of Danielle (Drew Barrymore), a vibrant young woman forced into servitude after her father's death. Danielle's stepmother, Rodmilla (Anjelica Huston), is a heartless woman who forces Danielle to do the cooking and cleaning while she tries to marry off her own two daughters. But Danielle's life takes a wonderful turn when she meets the charming Prince Henry (Dougray Scott).

Taken from Rotten Tomatoes.

Photo credit: © Getty Images/fergregory

12. While You Were Sleeping – ca. 1995 – PG

Lonely transit worker Lucy Eleanor Moderatz (Sandra Bullock) pulls her longtime crush, Peter (Peter Gallagher), from the path of an oncoming train. At the hospital, doctors report that he's in a coma, and a misplaced comment from Lucy causes Peter's family to assume that she is his fiancée. When Lucy doesn't correct them, they take her into their home and confidence. Things get even more complicated when she finds herself falling for Peter's sheepish brother, Jack (Bill Pullman).

Taken from Rotten Tomatoes.

13. Jane Eyre – ca. 2011 – PG-13

As an orphaned child, Jane Eyre (Mia Wasikowska) is first cruelly abused by her aunt, then cast out and sent to a charity school. Though she meets with further abuse, she receives an education and eventually takes a job as a governess at the estate of Edward Rochester (Michael Fassbender). Jane and Rochester begin to bond, but his dark moods trouble her. When Jane uncovers the terrible secret Rochester has been hiding, she flees and finds temporary refuge at the home of St. John Rivers.

Taken from Rotten Tomatoes.

14. The Princess Bride – ca. 1987 – PG

This is a fairy tale adventure about a beautiful young woman and her one true love. He must find her after a long separation and save her. They must battle the evils of the mythical kingdom of Florin to be reunited with each other. Based on the William Goldman novel The Princess Bride, which earned its own loyal audience.

Taken from Rotten Tomatoes.

15. The Man From Snowy River – ca. 1982 – PG

After the death of his father, proud young Jim Craig (Tom Burlinson) sets out to become his own man. Taking a job with horse rancher Harrison (Kirk Douglas), Craig is treated poorly by the more experienced cowboys but wins the heart of the rancher's daughter, Jessica (Sigrid Thornton), when he helps her break a high-strung colt and later saves her life. When he's unfairly blamed for the loss of an expensive horse, Craig fights to restore his honor and prove that he's worthy of Jessica's hand.

Taken from Rotten Tomatoes.

With a scattering of genres like this, you're bound to find one classic movie that will make your Autumn movie night cozy. And if a consensus can't be found, then watch more than one! Because with chilly nights come great snuggles! So pop the popcorn, pour the soda, grab the blankets, and change into comfy clothes! This fall, make movie night one to remember!