buoyant backdrop

Movies with buoyant vibe

Letters to Juliet

1. Letters to Juliet

Comedy Drama Romance Romantic Comedy Relationship Drama
6.5
20101h 45min

Overview

A driven American on a pre-honeymoon in Italy stumbles from her self-absorbed fiancé’s foodie world into a centuries-old tradition of answering love letters, then ignites chaos across the countryside as she drags a skeptical grandson and his romantic grandmother on a wild hunt for a long-lost lover.

Themes

Intergenerational memory, Choice and consequence, Family legacy and reunion, Letters as catalyst, Longing across borders, Romance versus expectation

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang

2. Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang

Comedy Fantasy Family Supernatural Fantasy Parent-Child Family
6.1
20101h 49min

Overview

Nanny McPhee appears at the door of a harried young mother who is trying to run the family farm while her husband is away at war. But once she’s arrived, Nanny discovers that the children are fighting a war of their own against two spoiled city cousins who have just moved in. Relying on everything from a flying motorcycle and a statue that comes to life to a tree-climbing piglet and a baby elephant, Nanny uses her magic to teach her mischievous charges five new lessons.

Themes

Economic pressure on a farm, Wartime family resilience, External interference and manipulation, Authority versus parental care, Magic as problem solving, Unexpected outsiders and adaptation

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya

3. The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya

Animation Comedy Science Fiction Mystery Drama
8.0
20102h 42min

Overview

A week before Christmas, Kyon wakes up in a world where the SOS Brigade doesn't exist. Mikuru and Yuki don't recognize him, and Haruhi and Itsuki seem to have vanished.

Themes

Supernatural influence, Sequel expectations, High school pressures, Alternate dimension anxiety, Christmas disruption, Collective identity tension

Available on

Crunchyroll
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Leap Year

4. Leap Year

Romance Comedy Romantic Comedy Awkward Comedy
6.4
20101h 40min

Overview

When yet another anniversary passes without a marriage proposal from her boyfriend, Anna decides to take action. Aware of a Celtic tradition that allows women to pop the question on Feb. 29, she plans to follow her lover to Dublin and ask him to marry her. Fate has other plans, however, and Anna winds up on the other side of the Emerald Isle with handsome, but surly, Declan -- an Irishman who may just lead Anna down the road to true love.

Themes

Trust and vulnerability, Traditional expectations vs desire, Commitment under pressure, Cross-cultural misunderstandings, Chance encounters shaping choices, Fate vs planning

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Invention of Lying

5. The Invention of Lying

Comedy Fantasy Romance Satire Romantic Comedy
6.4
20091h 40min

Overview

Set in a world where the concept of lying doesn't exist, a loser changes his lot when he invents lying and uses it to get ahead.

Themes

Social ascent through lies, Deception via lies, Ethics of lying, Loyalty amid lies, Fame through fabrication, Religion as social narrative

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Rebound

6. The Rebound

Romance Comedy Romantic Comedy High-Concept Comedy
6.3
20091h 35min

Overview

Upon discovering her husband's infidelity, Sandy leaves the suburbs and moves into the city. There, she befriends Aram, a guy whose wife only married him so she could get a green card. Sandy hires Aram to be her nanny, and it isn't long until Aram and Sandy find out they get along wonderfully and start to date. But is their relationship real or is it, in fact, just a rebound for both of them?

Themes

Age-gap romance, Caregiving as catalyst, Infidelity aftermath, Green-card motivation, Single motherhood resilience, Professional advancement and romance

Available on

Netflix
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure

7. Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure

Animation Family Adventure Fantasy Animated Fantasy Adventure
6.7
20091h 21min

Overview

A blue harvest moon will rise, allowing the fairies to use a precious moonstone to restore the Pixie Dust Tree, the source of all their magic. But when Tinker Bell accidentally puts all of Pixie Hollow in jeopardy, she must venture out across the sea on a secret quest to set things right.

Themes

Temper under blue moon pressure, Duty to protect moonstone, Collaboration under mirror constraints, Balloon bound quest, Learning through error and repair, Safeguarding pixie dust tree

Available on

Disney Plus
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Bring It On: Fight to the Finish

8. Bring It On: Fight to the Finish

Comedy Awkward Comedy
5.2
20091h 42min

Overview

When her mother falls for a wealthy man, Lina Cruz must move in with her new stepfather and transfer from an urban East Los Angeles public high school to an exclusive prep school in Malibu, where she struggles to fit in with her affluent new peers. After snooty cheerleading captain Avery blocks Lina from varsity, Lina recruits her best friends from her old school to help her whip the pathetic junior varsity cheerleading squad -- the Sea Lions -- into fighting shape.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Economic disparity, Teamwork under stress, Social adaptation, Competitive pressure, Outsider vs insider

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Princess Protection Program

9. Princess Protection Program

Family TV Movie Comedy Drama Family TV Movie
5.7
20091h 29min

Overview

When her nation is invaded, a young princess is taken into the Princess Protection Program. She is relocated to Louisiana, where she stays with a covert agent and his tomboyish daughter, and must learn how to behave like an ordinary teenager.

Themes

Deception and appearances, Mentorship and belonging, Role change under threat, Adaptation to new life, Protection of royalty, Secrecy and identity

Available on

Disney Plus
Amazon Video
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Up

10. Up

Animation Comedy Family Adventure Family Animation
8.3
20091h 36min

Overview

Carl Fredricksen spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life.

Themes

Mentorship under pressure, Grief and renewal, Duty to promise, Risk and ingenuity, Obsession vs restraint, Found family through journey

Available on

Disney Plus
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.