7 Films As Therapy to Put You Back in Your Main Character Era
How to cinematically find yourself
When it comes to films, I am the definition of you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. I will rewatch my favorite movies over and over until I can recite them in my sleep.
I always come back to the same movies for two reasons:
I know how it ends. And when life seems chaotic and uncertain, cozying up under blankets to a movie knowing exactly how it’ll end can be the utmost comfort.
My favorite movies I usually see a glimpse of myself in, and it makes me feel less alone.
Below is a guide to a list of films I believe every girl in their twenties should immerse themselves in at least once.
These films all feature strong women finding themselves and figuring it all out, just like we are.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
Watch if you are finding yourself or struggling with avoidance, scared to commit to a moment in time.
Audrey Hepburn is a classy, graceful, badass — and we’ll deep dive into her in a future post. In Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Hepburn takes on the role of the elusive Holly Golightly — a seemingly sophisticated, classy woman from afar, but an avoidant mess struggling to find her place. Holly is scared of the world — scared of intimacy, buying furniture and settling in one place, terrified to even commit to a name for her cat.
We find Holly as she is trying to reinvent herself, running from her past while simultaneously trying to portray something she is not. A manifestation queen or a cluelessly delusion woman trying to find her place?
There’s glamour, love, heartbreak, and of course, the comforting elegance of Tiffany’s — it’ll calm you down right away.
Uptown Girls (2003)
Watch if you were either: forced to grow up too fast or struggling to adjust your free-spirited soul to adulthood.
The dichotomy of Brittany Murphy’s free-spirited character, Molly Gunn, and the uptight child she’s nannying, Dakota Fanning’s Ray, plays at the dynamic of age versus spirit.
Ray is a child who learned too quickly that the only person she could rely on is herself, strictly scheduling responsibility into her every second of her day. She’s so uptight to the point of carrying around her own personal soap to public restrooms because… ew, germs.
Molly is a bohemian queen, living life to the beat of her own drum, with zero plan or responsibilities for the future. She overspends, goes by the seat of her pants, and finds herself falling for a rockstar, who even writes a song for her.
While Molly teaches Ray about letting loose and let people in, Ray teaches her about taking responsibility and accountability.
This movie never fails to make me cry as I see younger me as Ray, but relate to Molly’s clueless adulthood, trying to figure it all out. But neither Ray nor Molly are necessarily living the correct path. Once they help balance each other in a sort of yin and yang way, I realize that if I can fuse my ambitious, strict younger self while still embracing my older free spirited ways, I can heal my inner child. She wasn’t wrong for being ambitious — she just needed some more gentle watering.
Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)
Watch if you are trying to control your impulse spending and take control of your finances; figuring out what’s important in life.
Rebecca Bloomwood is, unfortunately, my spirit animal. She’s the definition of: fake it until you make it,
The girl who romanticizes shopping and manifesting her dream life by dressing the part. Which ultimately does work for her… until her debt catches up with her.
Cue the scene of her and Krysten Ritter’s character taking tequila shots as they’re screaming in the kitchen opening the bills cluttering the table.
Dreaming of working at a fashion magazine, Rebecca finds herself taking a job at a finance magazine to work her way up. Ironically, she’s absolutely killing it with her column, becoming the underdog MVP with her column. But how can a girl avoiding her debt give people genuine financial advice?
This movie is filled with fashion, love, irony, and chaotic drama trying to hide her double life. If you need a laugh, this movie will warm your heart. If you need financial advice, maybe subscribe to Barron’s.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Watch if you’re struggling to stay true to your authentic self/girlbossing and finding balance between career and life.
Anne Hathaway’s character, Andy Sachs, just graduated college and is ready to launch into her journalism career. Andy is studious, practical, and ambitious, finding her and her blue lumpy sweater applying for a job in a fashion magazine — one that any girl would kill to have, except for her.
Andy finds herself adapting from her clearance bin sweaters to Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent, becoming the very thing she hated. As she witnesses and conforms to workaholism, she finds herself not recognizing the girl in the mirror. Andy broadcasts the importance of holding onto your authentic self and not selling your soul for the potential promise of what could be.
While I have no intention of becoming Miranda Priestley, I may or may not have adapted her “That’s all” line when dealing with annoying coworkers. Miranda shows how you can have it all and nothing all at once.
If you want glamorous fashion montages throughout the NYC sidewalks and the perfect 2000s movie soundtrack, lose yourself in this film… but find yourself again in the end.
Clueless (1995)
Watch if you’re cluelessly, hopelessly lost in life, and need a good laugh.
Clueless is my go-to feel good film. The 90s fashion, the tartan prints, the 90s soundtrack, and all of the one-liner quips and 90s slang. This movie is like a warm hug of nostalgia, laughs, and heart.
Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) is a spoiled brat, who uses her daddy’s litigator career as inspiration to argue her way out of any trouble. When Tai Fraisier (Brittany Murphy) joins her school, she sees her as a helpless, lost little lamb, who she just wants to “help” — aka, make a clone of herself. As they say, the student becomes the master, and as Tai begins to rise and outrank Cher, she sees herself mirrored back to her and decides she needs one more makeover — this time for her soul.
It’s an exaggerated high school comedy, a dramatized snapshot of teens during the 90s, but at it’s heart, it’s a rom-com, coming of age story.
Also… Paul Rudd, need I say more?
Black Swan (2010)
Watch if you struggle with perfectionism, performance anicety, and the fear of being perceived.
Natalie Portman‘s Nina is a quiet, reserved, determined ballerina after the lead of the Swan Lake production. Cue Mila Kunis’ raunchier and confident, Lily, who enters the scene as her competition. The dichotomy of Nina and Lily shows the black and white swans, until Nina begins feeling the pressure of competition, entering into paranoid hallucinations. Losing herself trying to prove herself, she begins to embrace her dark side and embody the black swan.
This is one of those films you can’t really describe and have to just sit with and experience. Honestly, I’m not sure what else I can say without spoiling it either.
This film is more of a psychological thriller, touching on horror, but I could not recommend it more if you are someone who struggles with perfectionism, being perceived, and worrying about what everyone else might say.
Legally Blonde (2001)
Watch if you’re ready to prove people wrong, and find what you’re really made of.
Reese Witherspoon’s Elle Woods is, at the surface, an air-headed blonde — until she opens her mouth and classily shuts everyone up with her unexpected intelligence. She is the best example of don’t judge a person by the cover. With her unconventional admissions essay, Elle finds herself changing paths from fashion to Harvard Law.
While everyone is watching, waiting for her to fail, she remains determined and motivated, until she’s winning lawsuits and Valedictorian of her graduating class.
Elle ran to Harvard to chase a boy, all to find what she’s really made of and rejects him in the end.
Elle is a feminist icon, a true “girl’s girl.” Her graceful wit will have you rooting for the entire film.
And the lesson behind it all? Don’t underestimate the girl in pink.
There are a million more films I could talk about, but we’ll stop here before this post is a novel-long. Let me know below what your favorite films are and if there’s any I should check out.
Definitely want to make a post in the future about all the unhinged, low-budget films I love that are so bad, they’re good.
Remember girlies — don’t let anyone underestimate you, steal your sparkle, or run you ragged to the point you lose yourself. You’re in charge of your own lives, and if you ever forget that, watch one of these films and re-inspire your mindset.
You are my people, I love almost everything on this list and what I don't I haven't seen yet 🤣🌈💕
Breakfast at Tiffany’s and my beloved Audrey Hepburn 🩷