10 Movies That Still Capture the Essence of Summer

Sophie's Choice (1982)

For the film that sent the world's appreciation of Meryl Streep into overdrive, little is celebrated about its other great actors, including Peter MacNicol as the naive protagonist Stingo. When the budding writer meets Sophie (Meryl Streep) and her hotheaded beau (Kevin Kline), we watch their friendship bloom in the thick of a lovely Brooklyn summer in 1947. Since the movie is an examination of Stingo's memory, the season of discovery, friendship, and tragedy is ensconced in nostalgia, making for a classic, yet unusually devastating summer film. Streep would later star in another underrated summer movie, The Bridges of Madison County.

Stand by Me (1986)

Even after embracing a number of coming-of-age cliches (emotional breakthroughs, narration, confrontational fights), Stand By Me remains an irreplaceable treasure 25 years later. The journey four 12-year-olds (Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O'Connell) take through rural Oregon to track down a dead body on Labor Day weekend is somehow the perfect platform to exhibit the loss of innocence and the beginning of adulthood. Stand By Me also understands that although kids spend most of their time bored and responsibility-free, they're as emotional and sincere as any grownup.

Dirty Dancing (1987)

Screwing up your family's highfalutin summer plans by getting down with a sexy dance instructor is beyond watchable; it ranks among the most cathartic storylines ever to exist. Patrick Swayze helps straighten Jennifer Grey's backbone in this kinda-strange mix of family drama, bildungsroman self-actualization, and -- ah, yes -- abortion trauma. "I've Had the Time of My Life" may remain the definitive summer anthem.

Do the Right Thing (1989)

Putting aside the unforgettable storefront scene and the two philosophies from Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X that tie up the film, Do the Right Thing is a movie whose sweaty summer glaze is palpable. Have you been able to think of ice cubes and Rosie Perez the same way since?

Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation (1992)

Yes, it's probably not the finest animated summer romp (clocking in at only 73 minutes), but there's no denying that its cast of loonier toons exhibits at least three hilarious versions of classic summer vacays. Plucky and Hamton's car ride to HappyWorldLand is a page out of National Lampoon's book; Fifi le Fume's stalking of movie star Johnny Pew is adorable and probably typical of Burbank teenagers; Buster and Babs's water pistol fight across Acme Acres (and then the southern United States) is amazing. Like Steven Spielberg's followup animated series Animaniacs, what sets Tiny Toons apart from most cartoons is the incredible voice talent. Tress MacNeille (Babs) is a national treasure!

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