The 20 best films to stay in and watch on New Year’s Eve

When isn’t it a good time to watch Victor Fleming’s big-screen adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”? Never, and you bet your ruby-red slippers that means New Year’s Eve is no exception. If you’re sad about spending NYE at home, we bet your blues will be gone by the time the film starring Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, and Jack Haley changes over from black, white, and dreary to bright, colorful and cheery.

Things at the end of “Casablanca” might not have worked out the way the hopeless romantics in the audience wanted, but you could still call it a happy ending. It’s at least enough to keep us rewatching the Humphrey Bogart/Ingrid Bergman would-be love story that also stars Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, and Peter Lorre. Critics agreed, and “Casablanca” earned eight Academy Award nominations and won Best Picture, Best Director (Michael Curtiz), and Best Screenplay.

Back in 1952, doctors would prescribe cigarettes to improve patients’ physical health and would tell them to watch “Singin’ in the Rain” to improve their mental health. (OK, maybe not really.) After all, the musical rom-com includes the dancing and vocal talents of Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O’Connor as well as some of the most iconic musical scenes in film history. Viewing the movie puts almost everyone’s mind at ease, but it was actually incredibly difficult to make. Kelly had a 103-degree fever while filming the famous scene for the title song, and Reynolds danced for three full hours to shoot “Good Morning” — enough to make her feet bleed!

The crime caper “The Sting” teamed iconic actors Robert Redford and Paul Newman as a pair of grifters trying to pull a fast one on a mob boss played by Robert Shaw. Both actors bring their respective charms to their roles in a story armed with a sharp script and plenty of twists and turns along the way, right until the very end. “The Sting” was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won seven, including Best Picture, Best Director (George Roy Hill) and Best Original Screenplay.

How can you not root for the Bears, a rag-tag group of little league baseball misfits led by alcoholic manager Morris Buttermaker (Walter Matthau)? The team overcomes its multitude of comical shortcomings to give the rival Yankees a run for their money in the championship game, and although the Bears don’t win, it’s still a tremendous moral victory for the kids and their coach. And it’s an entertaining watch every time.

We’ll watch “Trading Places” all year long, but it’s especially enjoyable around Christmas and New Year’s, as parts of the movie take place during these holidays. If you haven’t seen “Trading Places,” it’s about two rich old men (Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche) making a bet that involves switching the lives of a rich guy (Dan Aykroyd) and a poor guy (Eddie Murphy) and observing the hilarious results. Paul Gleason, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Denholm Elliott appear in supporting roles. 

You probably have New Year’s Day off, so celebrate that fact and get some inspiration on New Year’s Eve by watching the classic 1986 comedy “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” The John Hughes film of course stars Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, and Mia Sara and is a celebration of living life to the fullest from the first scene to the last. Plus, Ferris offers up some great advice to take into 2020: “Life moves pretty fast; if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Think we’d leave “The Princess Bride” off this list? Inconceivable! Released in 1987, this Rob Reiner fairy tale is the story of Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright) and the wayward love of her life (Cary Elwes) as told by a grandfather (Peter Falk) to his grandson (Fred Savage). Billy Crystal, Mandy Patinkin, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, and André the Giant co-star in this classic adventure film, which made the American Film Institute’s lists for 100 Laughs, 100 Passions, 100 Movie Quotes (“Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.") and also cracked the top 10 in the AFI’s fantasy list.

Instead of going out on what is commercialized to be a romantic night, stay in and watch a romantic comedy like “When Harry Met Sally…” In the Rob Reiner film written by Nora Ephron, Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan established iconic roles as the titular characters who simply can’t just remain friends, and it’s at a New Year’s Eve party that they first realize their mutual attraction. Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby round out the major players in this classic comedy, which is most famous for its scene taking place in Manhattan’s Katz’s Delicatessen and the line, “I’ll have what she’s having.”

The NFL calendar will soon transition from the regular season to postseason. To get into the spirit, cue up the classic sports biopic “Rudy.” Starring Sean Astin as the titular figure, Rudy goes from overlooked and bullied to finally getting his chance to play in a game for Notre Dame. Of course, it wouldn’t be a feel-good movie if some heartstring-tugging, on-field magic didn’t follow, which is why the 1993 sports drama made our list.

Other than the one death right at the end, the heaviest part of “The Big Lebowski” is the whole kidnapping plotline, and — spoiler — that was a hoax! The rest of it is just a look into the world of the Dude (Jeff Bridges) and his life of bowling, White Russians, and rugs that really tie rooms together. Jeff Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore, Tara Reid, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Turturro, and Sam Elliot round out the cast of a movie so full of enjoyment that it is still screened in theaters to this day, it inspires parties and festivals and might be the Coen Brothers’ most popular film. If you don’t agree, well, you know, that's just like, your opinion, man.

Numerous people have told us their go-to, feel-good film is the 2002 indie comedy “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” Adapted from a one-woman play written by the film’s star, Nia Vardalos, the story of the lead-up to protagonist Toula Portokalos’ wedding was a sleeper hit that cost only $5 million to make but grossed nearly $369 million worldwide. Even the Academy fell in love with “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” honoring the rom-com with a Best Original Screenplay nomination.

“School of Rock” has a perfect recipe for a good time. It features an imposing soundtrack of classic tunes from Cream and Led Zeppelin to The Who, the antics of Jack Black, and a generally family-friendly rating of PG-13. In the feel-good comedy, Black impersonates his roommate to accept a substitute teaching job but instead trains the students to compete in a battle of the bands competition at a local rock club. Don’t worry: Although Black’s character would certainly be jailed for these actions in real life, everything turns out OK in this Richard Linklater-directed film.

For a movie that includes death, suicide, failure, and shattered dreams, “Little Miss Sunshine” still manages to put a smile on our faces every single time. Part of that is owed to the familiar faces of Steve Carell, Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Alan Arkin, Paul Dano, Bryan Cranston, and Abigail Breslin in one of her earliest roles. Although it has an indie drama feel (and subsequently won the Independent Spirit Award for Best feature, in addition to two Academy Awards), “Little Miss Sunshine” and its Oscar-winning script never take themselves too seriously — right down to the final musical number.

Why go out on a drunken adventure when you can spare the trouble (and the headache) by just watching one in a movie? Our pick would be “Superbad,” the 2007 Judd Apatow-produced coming-of-age comedy written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Of course, “Superbad” is best known for its three protagonists: Seth (Jonah Hill), Evan (Michael Cera), and Fogell, aka McLovin (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), three teenage seniors trying to snag girlfriends for the summer before college. “Superbad” is most popular among millennials, but it’s relatable for pretty much anyone who went through high school.

Also called “Pirate Radio” in 2009, “The Boat That Rocked” is a feel-good British film that managed to wrangle Philip Seymour Hoffman, Nick Frost, Bill Nighy, Chris O'Dowd, Rhys Ifans, Rhys Darby, January Jones and Emma Thompson as part of one ensemble cast. Set on a ship adrift in the Atlantic Ocean, “The Boat That Rocked” tells the tale of a fictional rock ’n’ roll radio station that operates off the coast of Britain to evade censorship in the 1960s. Making the Richard Curtis-directed movie all the more relevant to this list, the lead-up to the final scene is set on the evening of Dec. 31, 1966, while the ship’s crew anxiously awaits the passing of a U.K. law banning pirate radio stations.

Staying in to watch a movie with your sweetie? Snuggle up with “Away We Go,” a romantic comedy about an expectant couple (Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski) crisscrossing the country looking for the perfect place to raise a family while crashing along the way with different friends and relatives (including Allison Janney, Catherine O’Hara, Jim Gaffigan, and Jeff Daniels) in various stages of their lives. Sweet, sappy, and laugh-out-loud funny, “Away We Go” couldn’t match its $17 million budget at the box office despite a warm reception from critics and audiences alike.

My wife still won’t watch “Up” because she can’t make it past the sadness of the first scene. But as the title suggests, it’s actually a pretty uplifting movie. In addition to a couple of heartfelt moments, the Pixar comic adventure has dogs and squirrels and a giant bird and a flying house and provides plenty of laughs whether you’re the age of Russell or the age of Carl. Plus, “Up” reminds you to follow your dreams — so put it on and start planning your 2020 goals.

If “Superbad” is our dude-centric modern raunchy comedy (although plenty of ladies like it), then “Bridesmaids” is our lady-centric modern raunchy comedy (although plenty of dudes like it). Written by Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig and directed by Paul Feig, “Bridesmaids” is hilariously relatable to anyone who has ever been in a wedding, or been to a wedding, or heard about a wedding...or anyone who has ever had to deal with an old friend’s new friend(s). A breakout film for Melissa McCarthy, the actress was just one member of a brilliant supporting cast that included Ellie Kemper, Rose Byrne, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Chris O’Dowd and Jon Hamm, not to mention stars Wiig and Maya Rudolph. 

We would be hauled off and beaten by an angry mob of rom-com fans if our New Year’s Eve list didn’t include 2011’s “New Year’s Eve.” Not only is it a feel-good flick, but it also stars half of Hollywood. In addition to being directed by Garry Marshall, the ensemble comedy includes Robert De Niro, Halle Berry, Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, Cary Elwes, Alyssa Milano, Common, Jessica Biel, Seth Meyers, Sofia Vergara, Ashton Kutcher, Jim Belushi, Sarah Jessica Parker, Abigail Breslin, Josh Duhamel, Hilary Swank, John Lithgow, Matthew Broderick, and Jon Bon Jovi. Don’t mind the five Razzie nominations — it didn’t win one anyway.