There are plenty of different movies to fit whatever mood you’re in. Sometimes, we all need a pick me up, which is the perfect time to watch a film that will brighten your day.
Of course, there are a lot of modern feel-good movies to choose from, but don’t sleep on the classics. In a new ranking, a 74-year-old romcom was named the most “uplifting” movie of all time.
1952’s Singin’ in the Rain endures to this day
Directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, Singin’ in the Rain stars Kelly and Jean Hagen as silent film stars Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont, who are dealing with the shift to speaking roles in Hollywood.
Collider’s Jeremy Urquhart put the film at No. 1 on his list of the most uplifting movies ever made.
“One of the most approachable and broadly enjoyable of all the classic Hollywood musicals, Singin’ in the Rain is easy to recommend to just about anyone, even those individuals who might think they don’t like musicals,” Urquhart wrote. “This is one that could well convert you, or help you see the light, so to speak, and it’s an undoubtedly feel-good movie, even though it’s also about a group of characters who do inevitably have quite a lot to overcome.”
Additionally, the movie is known for Kelly’s iconic performance of “Singin’ in the Rain,” during which the iconic actor/dancer/director literally dances through a driving rainstorm while singing.
Singin’ in the Rain has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes
Yup, a perfect score, based on 75 critical reviews, a not insignificant number of opinions.
Additionally, Singin’ in the Rain was one of the first movies selected for the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” It is widely-regarded as one of the greatest musical films ever, and in 2022, Sight & Sound ranked it No. 10 on its list of the top 100 films ever made, a 10-spot bump from its 2012 ranking.
“The film’s ascent almost feels like a given, due to the effervescence that may be its defining characteristic and the scarcity of that quality in our trying times,” Sight & Sound wrote.
