Craft For The Soul Listen/Watch/Read Pip-Life

At Least Twelve Things To Watch When You Are Feeling Slumpy

July 30, 2015

Sometimes, when you are feeling in a bit of a fug, the best thing to do is get under a blanket and watch something restorative. I talk about this quite a bit in my book. Aside from the whole ‘get out there and get moving’ thing I’ve got going on, I’m a very serious devotee of the blanket/hot tea/telly triangle of comfort.

You don’t always have to fight slump with movement. Sometimes slump really wants to be surrendered to and soaked up. Sometimes giving yourself that down time is the very best thing you can do.

We’re building a (blanket fort inspired) bridge outta Slumpland (and also proving that it doesn’t ALWAYS take a great production/cheery show to lift the spirits! Sometimes BAD/SAD is just what the doctor ordered.)

Let’s go!

1. Gilmore Girls

Of course. I know. You knew I would say Gilmore Girls. I did. Phew. The fast paced writing, the bad fashion, the unfathomable romantic tension, the impossible amount of junk food consumed. How can you feel slumpy when you are watching Rory and Lorelei snack their way out of one ruckus or another? You can’t. That’s why it’s my number one.

2. Desperately Seeking Susan

I was talking to my friend Ella about how much we love this movie the other day. Not only is Madonna completely beguiling, Rosanna Arquette is adorable, there’s ace fashion and locations and the music is incredible. I REALLY want to make a quilt with the design from the back of ‘that’ jacket on it. How great would that be? Feeling slumpy? Watch this!

3. Steel Magnolias

I know, I know. It’s sad. I get that. Sometimes a HUGE bawl is just what you need to de-slump yourself. Pair the crying with a lot of sass from Shirley Maclaine, Olympia Dukakis and Dolly Parton and you’ll be good to go. (Or at the very least, move tearily onto watching StepMom next.)

4. Anne of Green Gables

Anne is the smarter, messier haired Pollyanna and you can NOT watch this series without feeling at least a teensy bit better. It’s a reminder that great writing and a cheery outlook really can make a difference (and they’re much cheaper than retail therapy or therapy in general.)

5. The Breakfast Club

Argh. You know I love this film. There’s nothing like reflecting on how gosh darned difficult being a teenager is to give you some much needed perspective. Also there’s the music. And the clothes. And the lip-gloss trickery. An afternoon on the couch with this movie and your favourite salty snack are considered Class A in the Deslump game.

 6. Amelie

This whimsical film never ceases to transport me to another time and place. Perhaps its fairy tale qualities will divert your slump somewhere more baguette and treasure filled, too?

7. Moonrise Kingdom

Because everyone and everything you have ever loved is probably in this film. Really, if you can watch this Anderson classic and still feel slumpy you need two doses of Ghostbusters, one dose of Stripes and a very BIG glass of something fizzy.

8. The Goodbye Girl

Have you seen this film? It’s such a favourite of mine. I grew up with it and I love it SO MUCH. Granted the subject matter is not cheery, but the interiors, the script and the cast will draw you in and away from whatever ails you (at least for a little while.) And if you don’t think Lucy (Quinn Cummings) looks like a baby Lucy from The Design Files, well you need to go to Specsavers for sure.

9. Xanadu

This film is bad. Like it’s so bad. It’s the baddest film I’ve ever seen and yet…  MICHAEL BECK’s hair. Gene Kelly’s moves. Olivia Newton-John’s acting. The terrible script. It’s so bad. I highly recommend this as a deslumper because you can’t NOT laugh and groan your way through it. Funny how the films you thought were beautiful as a child look a little less special when you are a grown-up, right? (Also the cover art looks like the side of a 1982 panel van and… HELLO! SINGALONG TIME!)

10. Beverly Hills 90210 (the original)

Man. The only place you’ll see more Mom jeans is in deep-Brunswick, in Melbourne. 90210 broaches the serious issues of the day and embellishes it with the fashion of the day to produce the perfect pick-me-up. Donna. David. And-Raya*. Steve. Brandon. Brenda. DYLAN!!! Mr and Mrs Walsh. Also notable are the cars, the living rooms, The Peach Pit, the pool parties and the intense discussions beside school lockers.

11. This version of Jane Eyre

Because there’s nothing quite like a gothic classic on some windy moors to blow the cobwebs out of you – especially when there are emotionally crippled gents, large hounds and fireside chats involved. Plus you will thank your lucky starts that you are not a) in the bonkers-inducing red room or b) sequestered away in a distant, drafty tower. Also – Ruth Wilson is in it and she’s the best.

12. My Family And Other Animals

Transport yourself to Corfu where the tortoises eat strawberries, the donkeys bellow wildly and everyone has wine and bountiful meals on the terrace, even if they are only seven years-old. This is such a great adaptation of Gerald Durrell’s classic book. You simply must see it. It will make your day/life.

And that’s just for starters.  This is just the beginning. Please don’t start typing an outraged or chiding – I can’t believe you ‘forgot’ *insert film or series here* – because I didn’t forget anything. I just made a list of ten to get us started! I KNOW there are heaps more excellent contenders.

Why don’t you tell me what you’d include on this list in the comments or on the socials?!

Thanks so much for reading! Wishing you many deslumpy days!

pip signature

* I know. It’s Andrea.

33 Comments

  • Reply DSW promo May 11, 2017 at 11:25 AM

    You need to begin using the merchandise you have on a regular basis. If you are marketing quality products but also provide you with many examples of daily advantages and changes you have noticed over the long term, you will be able to tell. Moreover, you should be able to get the items with a affordable price.

  • Reply Michelle July 7, 2016 at 9:04 PM

    Great list.
    I have never seen Steel Magnolias and I need to.
    My go to is “Meet Joe Black” it slays me. Every time.

    Gilmore Girls will always be a favourite, since I named my daughter Lorelai after them.

    I’m really enjoying Suits on Netflix at present. Donna is amazing. Jessica Pearson’s butt is sensational and Gabriel Macht is dreamy and smart.

    I also love Fixer Upper – lovely houses, beautiful family. Cheers me up.

  • Reply Fina McCluntock May 12, 2016 at 11:08 PM

    Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe is a real slump film for me.

  • Reply lucy August 9, 2015 at 8:50 PM

    Superb list but don’t forget Valley Girls and Little Darlings 🙂

  • Reply Celeste August 7, 2015 at 10:27 PM

    If you don’t mind foreign films, definitely Jean de Florette and the sequel Manon of the Springs.

  • Reply Marianne August 4, 2015 at 6:58 PM

    Love the list, am reading your book at the mo – so inspiring. I would like to add the mini- series ‘Little Dorrit’ by Charles Dickens. I was addicted when I watched it and such a cool story too! Bridget Jones is always a go to – love the one liners in that film. I quite like “The Holiday’ with Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law and Jack Black – a happy ending for all! Happy De-slumping 🙂

  • Reply sharon August 3, 2015 at 7:30 PM

    Love your list pip…some of my other faves are: Terms of Endearment with Shirley McLaine, Pride and Prejudice, You’ve Got Mail, and Shirley Valentine.

  • Reply My Romance Addiction Blog August 3, 2015 at 11:39 AM

    I love this list of movies, especially Steel Magnolias. I can’t remember the last time I watched this movie, but I am going to make plans and watch it this week 😉 which reminds me – need to bug tissues 🙂
    Another fav is Beaches with Bette Midler….oh and I can’t forget this romantic take Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley.

  • Reply Kate August 3, 2015 at 10:51 AM

    I approve of your list wholeheartedly, but with one tiny nit-pick: Gerald Durrell grew up on Corfu, not Capri. 🙂

    • Reply Meet Me At Mikes August 3, 2015 at 10:55 AM

      Oh I DID know that – why did I write Capri?! What a goose I am! Obviously I am not 100% better yet!! Thanks for picking it up! x

  • Reply sheila August 1, 2015 at 4:44 AM

    Hi Pip,
    I live in the UK and have been unable to find a supplier here who has your Craft for the Soul book. Any ideas at all?
    My ‘go-to’ films in a slump are “you’ve got mail” and “While you were sleeping”. Thanks for all the recommendations.

    • Reply Meet Me At Mikes August 3, 2015 at 10:56 AM

      Apparently it will only be available on Amazon UK – in October/November, I think… So sorry about that. x

  • Reply Jen July 31, 2015 at 9:37 PM

    These are awesome -I like to couple crochet, def on the salted snacks and…. 1) West Wing (super smarts kick ass one liners that make you feel instantly smarter), 2) The most recent Pride & Prejudice (there’s almost a snog, but not, but tension!), 3)Chef (the food, the food alone, but also an ace soundtrack) and finally 4) Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders -Making the Team (they do the hard work so you don’t have to) xx

    • Reply My Romance Addiction Blog August 3, 2015 at 11:42 AM

      Love your list – googling Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders oh and snap on Pride and Prejudice 🙂 ????

  • Reply Cindy G. July 31, 2015 at 11:35 AM

    Amelie is number one on my list! I also love Cinema Paradiso and Les Choristes, even though they both make me cry at the end (every.single.time). My other go-to movies are (in no particular order): Cannery Row (which is hard to find), The Princess Bride, Bridget Jones Diary, Shawshank Redemption, and The Green Mile. I’d also watch The Sandlot if I had a copy.

  • Reply Carol July 31, 2015 at 8:47 AM

    Oh my! I think one of my ALL TIME favorites….”Second Hand Lions”.
    It’s funny. It’s heart-wrenching (briefly). It’s uplifting and absolutely charming!
    If you’re looking for all female heroes/heroines – this won’t do it…otherwise – THIS IS IT!

    Another (series, actually!) is “The Never Ending Story”. – Great mix of real and fantasy – and absolutely captivating!

  • Reply Helen July 30, 2015 at 11:19 PM

    I’d add Love Actually and Its a Wonderful Life…..and have you seen the film about the young Queen Victoria with Emily Blunt?? (I think it must be titled ‘The Young Victoria’ (sorry, films always arrive to me with Spanish language titles)…….it’s definitely a ‘slump get-outer-er’ type film….

  • Reply Carly Findlay July 30, 2015 at 10:53 PM

    My slumpy go tos are:
    – Darren Hayes live at the opera house.
    – Felicity. I wanted to be like her at uni. I looked longingly inside Dean and Deluca in NYC but never bought anything because Ben Covington wasn’t serving. I loved Ben.
    – Love My Way – because that is a big, cry inducing show.
    – Offspring – seasons 2 and 3 only, I wasnt a big fan of the first and last seasons. Nina makes me want to dress less slumpy.
    – Rush. Because once I kissed the screen when I saw Callan Mulvey come on. True.

    Feel better soon Pip. Thanks for the recs!

  • Reply Kristy July 30, 2015 at 10:10 PM

    Oh I love the breakfast club so much!! I always wanted to be ally sheedy. Ditto to steel magnolias and gilmore girls too. I personally can’t go past high fidelity for top movies. And a really weird thing is that when I feel sick or slumpy I love watching disaster movies – the over the top over produced only America can save the world kind of ones!! I think it’s something to do with thinking “well at least the earth isn’t crumbling into the ocean…” that makes me feel a bit better.

  • Reply Meghan July 30, 2015 at 9:53 PM

    Love this list!!!

  • Reply Nicole July 30, 2015 at 8:37 PM

    Wowza!! I thought I Was the only
    person who new about the Goodbye Girl…..
    You consistently rock my world GF ????

  • Reply Amber July 30, 2015 at 7:47 PM

    Aah Gilmore Girls, nothing is better than watching GG while knitting and drinking a lot of coffee. I watch GG at least twice a year, I can’t help it. 🙂

  • Reply Delphine Doreau July 30, 2015 at 5:49 PM

    OH MY. Your list includes 3 go my favorite cheer-up movies, and two of my favorite books ( 4&12)!! i thought I was the only one out of England knowing about Gerald Durell, this is fun!! I actually read My Family andOther animals every other year since 1979…If you like Amelie maybe you will want to see Zazie dans Le Metro , and I would recommend Mon Oncle from Tati? Both are vintage and fun Parisian movies. Oh! And did you like When Harry met Sally?I watched it again recently and quite liked it.

    About books …I think you might like Daddy long Legs. A bit old fashion but absolutely adorable. But I have a feeling you already know about it!

    I used to do the ironing watching Desperately seeking Susan. Can’t imagine something more gloomy than ironing.
    Thanks for the list : it made me smile!

    • Reply Meet Me At Mikes July 30, 2015 at 7:07 PM

      Delphine! We are twins! I have not seen Mon Oncle OR Zazie but I will – because I trust your recommendations! How great is Durrell? We love him so much at our house too – but maybe not quite as much as you! Every other year is AWESOME! I might have read Daddy Long Legs as a teenager – I am going to seek it out again and see! It really rings a bell. Thanks so much for reading and for commenting!! Love to you! x

  • Reply The Hipsterette July 30, 2015 at 5:46 PM

    I have to add: anything Jane Austen “Pride and Prejudice”, “Emma”, “Persuasion”, et al, the boxed set of “The House of Elliot”, “The Age of Innocence” , “The House of Mirth” and “The Buccaneers” by Edith Wharton – movie or tv series – because sometimes you want to take the easy way and just watch the images!

  • Reply Josephine July 30, 2015 at 5:04 PM

    A grand list! When I’m fantasising about spending some time couch side, I quite fancy back-to-back episodes of grand designs. Beautiful homes and Kevin McLeod? Yes please.

  • Reply Donna July 30, 2015 at 4:45 PM

    Hi there,
    So many good choices here.
    Xanadu – love it. Always have, always will – it’s right up there with Grease 2. Must also be movie info police and say that although Andy Gibb was originally cast as Sonny, he was replaced by actor Michael Beck who appears in the film. : )

    • Reply Meet Me At Mikes July 30, 2015 at 5:11 PM

      I love the Movie Police! Will fix!
      x

  • Reply Reannon @shewhorambles July 30, 2015 at 4:16 PM

    I think if you are in a slump the best way to go is trashy, the stuff that you don’t need to think too much about but will hook you in with it’s outrageousness. I know you know where I’m going with this- Keeping Up with the Kardashians. For those who have not already succumbed to their brand of craziness, go all the way back to season one & lose yourself. Another goodie is the early seasons of Jersey Shore- gold!

    Otherwise I’d agree with Gilmore Girls & add Friday Night Lights. Also The Sopranos & Californication.

  • Reply Jess Whoamamma July 30, 2015 at 3:58 PM

    Yes to them all! I also wanted ‘that’ jacket from DSS along with the black studded boots. ‘Amelie’is my absolute all-time fave. I cry everytime the chicken man reunites with his family. The only other lift-me-from-the-slumps gem I would add is ‘The Sound of Music’. Because I’m secretly in love with Captain Von Trapp. ????????????????????

    • Reply Jess Whoamamma July 30, 2015 at 4:00 PM

      I added love heart emojis at the end of my previous comment and they turned into question marks. Please do not doubt my love for Captain Von Trapp 😉 xxxx

  • Reply Michelle July 30, 2015 at 3:52 PM

    Such a great list! It will do me fine without any additions thank you!

    Isn’t that THE best version of Jane Eyre, the only versioned that captures the playful, funny Jane that is in the book. And did hear This American Life interview Molly Ringwald about her daughter Matilda watching the breakfast club for the first time…so cool.

  • Leave a Reply