-originally written on April 21, 2023; edited on May 13, 2023-
I love watching movies, and I love listening to movies. I often will put a movie on my phone right before I go to bed and fall asleep to it. My phone will be face down, so I’ll just be listening to it, but it does help keep the thoughts out. It’s hard to turn them off, and I’d rather not be kept up for most of the night, just because my brain won’t stop talking. But I’m picky about what movies I’ll fall asleep to, depending on the platform and mood. So I wanted to share a few of the movies I enjoy listening to.
Now, I don’t use Netflix, Hulu, Viki, Peacock, or Amazon Prime for bedtime movies. Mainly because I want to avoid the potential of something else starting while I’m asleep (not that I really think that’ll happen, but also, I mainly use those platforms for tv shows, not movies). Disney Plus, though, that I use, and Movies Anywhere and Vudu.
Disney Plus
On Disney Plus, because I’ve been doing my DFP project, I keep that to movies that have already passed or that are so far ahead in the timeline that it won’t affect my viewing order.
As a side note, I used to say that I wouldn’t watch anything within 30 years of whatever current movie I was on. I have changed that to be whatever decade I was on. So right now, I am currently in the 1960s. So I’d be blocked out of any remaining movies of the 1960s and then any movies from the 70s and 80s. I used to go down to the year, which would push me into the 90s, but I gave up on that.
Which is fine; it’s my project anyway.
Disney Plus Selections
- Dinosaur (2000) – the music is the main thing, but this is one of my favorites.
- Invincible (2006) – the soundtrack for this movie is top-notch; it’s also a personal favorite for watching, not just listening.
- Miracle (2004) – this is a big favorite
- The Greatest Game Ever Played (2006) – another personal favorite, but I usually listen to it on Movies Anywhere because I bought it on sale.
- The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) – the overture and the “Scrooge” song are both favorites to fall asleep to
- Muppet Treasure Island (1996) – The music. It’s great, but I need to be in the mood because I don’t always fall asleep to this.
- Mary Poppins (1964) – I didn’t have this as an option for most of the first half of the year or, in fact, since I started posting the videos on TikTok. But because I recently did the video review for it, it can now join the line-up. I have been waiting for it!
Movies Anywhere
I have a decent size collection of movies on Movies Anywhere. Technically I have more movies on Vudu (because not all studios participate in Movies Anywhere), but I tend to watch more on Movies Anywhere. I share my Vudu account with my parents, so I want to avoid messing up whatever movie someone else has been watching. And since I haven’t logged into my Movies Anywhere account on my parents’ TVs, I keep it more to myself. Not that they’re missing out on anything. They technically have access to the larger portion of the collection. Like Top Gun Maverick. A minor thing, but still.
Movies Anywhere Selections:
- The Greatest Game Ever Played (2006) – I mentioned this in the Disney Plus section, but I watch it on Movies Anywhere more.
- Field of Dreams (1989) – one of my all-time favorite movies, and one of the main reasons I pick this one is because of the gorgeous score by James Horner.
- Land Before Time (1988) – the score by James Horner is another reason why I’ll choose this one. I absolutely adore it, and it has made me cry multiple times. Not when I’m falling asleep, but when I’m listening to it while driving. The soundtrack, not the movie.
- The Secret Garden (1993) – there’s a bit of a pattern where music is what pulls me to a movie, and that’s the same case here.
- Ever After (1997) – Here too. Also, because I love listening to the opening.
- Rudy (1997) – again, the music. It’s really what pulls me to this movie.
- Sleepless in Seattle (1993) – I like the music, but for me, it’s more about the opening scenes with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan—especially Tom Hanks’ opening scene about the loss of his wife.
- Sense and Sensibility (1995) – Two words, Alan Rickman. Which, of course, means nothing to this list because I’m always asleep by the time he appears on the screen.
- Persuasion (1995) – This one I don’t choose for the music, but because it’s steady on the sound. So it lulls me to a peaceful sleep.
- Anastasia (1997) – I don’t often choose this one because when I do, it starts playing through the bonus features attached to this movie. This includes, I think (because I haven’t watched it fully awake), a full-length version of the movie with director commentary, some music videos, and behind the scene stuff, AND the full-length movie Bartok the Magnificent. It’s funny because you can buy the Bartok movie, pay for it with real money, and yet, they somehow decided to add it for free with Anastasia. So yay? I guess?
- Prince of Egypt (1998) – Music. Need I say more? But I don’t often choose this one, just because I have to be in a certain mood or so tired that I fall asleep during the first song.
Vudu
Vudu Selections
- Return to Me (2000) – Back with the music. Also, because this movie is so cute, I love listening to it.
- Top Gun Maverick (2022) – Now, I know that I mentioned earlier that I don’t usually watch this one, but sometimes I do if no one else has been watching it.
- Sabrina (1995) – I don’t play this one a ton, but it is one of my favorites, and it comes in clutch when I need it.
- Dances with Wolves (1990) – This is a more recent addition because I had never seen it when I bought it (it’s one of my Dad’s favorites). So once I watched it while fully awake, then it was added. Why did I want to add it? The music. Of course.
What Else is There?
Sometimes, sometimes, I will watch Anne of Green Gables (usually the first or the 2nd) on GazeboTV because I own both of those. Well, I own the whole trilogy, but I don’t often watch the third unless I’m doing a marathon. And because each movie lasts over 3 hours, they are the rare choice.
Now, I add things from time to time, and you better believe that I have movies that I will be adding to this list once I buy them. Here are some that will eventually join the list, at least, the list I make at the end of the year:
- Free Willy
- Fly Away Home
- Draft Day
- Swan Princess
I keep an eye on the movie sales, so I try to wait until both my finances and the movie sales line up. Then I go in to buy. Someday I’d like for Movies Anywhere to have access to all the studios, because I have a number of movies on iTunes that I can’t watch on anything but my computer. The lack of multiple platform access has become one of my main criteria when buying movies. I try to choose movies that are on Movies Anywhere, but if they are from a studio that isn’t available, then I go to Vudu. That way, I can continue sharing the movies with my family. And, of course, building up my collection.
Sometimes I get out my portable DVD player, which opens up the door to an even greater array of movies to choose from. But I don’t often choose that option because the DVD player doesn’t really turn off when the movie is over. Sometimes it does. Other times, it just stays on the main menu screen, and I’d prefer not to do that. With my phone, once the movie is over (so basically, with all of my options aside from Anastasia), it goes into sleep mode. Which also doesn’t mess up my alarms in the morning.
So those are my comfort movies so far this year. Will they change? Perhaps, depends on the second half of 2023 goes. You can most likely expect an update towards the end of the year or even in the beginning of next year (to really catch those December movies).
What are some of your comfort movies? Share them in the comments below, I always enjoy seeing new recommendations.
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