What is it that makes a movie perfect for viewing in autumn? Sometimes the season is very explicit and even used as part of the plot and other times its just a vibe or a feel. Maybe its location; I mean, not all movies have to take place in the obvious heat of Southern California. Sometimes it is simply down to the lack of sunshine and the lack of snow but there are a group of movies that I gravitate to in the time between the day after Labour Day and the day before Christmas Decorating Day near the end of November. We have twice highlighted winter movies here at SoulRide and now I thought we’d run down some autumn movies.

The end of summer is always sad for me. But then I think of what is to come; the cozy evenings of fall, comfortable temperatures, sweaters and then Thanksgiving, Halloween and the approach of Christmas. Let’s add to the list of delightful things of the season by including these films in our autumn celebrations. Because sometimes its nice to see on-screen a little of what you’re seeing out the window.

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On the Waterfront (1954) // What is the opposite of a film shot in the Hollywood sunshine? One would have to concede that it is this one, made in Hoboken in dreary late November. And instead of lovers frolicking on the beach or in a clinch in a Chevy up on Mulholland under the stars, this one has Brando getting pummeled and bleeding all over the grimy waterfront docks. Surely one of the greatest films ever made, Kazan’s On the Waterfront is a striking film and for many reasons; at least three compelling performances and I would add the stark, depleted landscape of the location shoot. The desolate setting comprised of dark, damp streets, a rundown playground on a dreary day and “workers’ slum dwellings, bars, littered alleys, and rooftops” – a barrenness often mirrored by autumn – adds to the tenuous and desperate atmosphere of this remarkable film.

Barefoot in the Park (1967) // One of the joys of my life and on my list of Five Star Movies is this gem from Neil Simon starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda. Shot in New York City and Manhattan in October, Barefoot in the Park is the very epitome of a cozy autumn film. Movies based on plays often have few practical settings and an intimate feel and this one is no exception. The street scenes and those in the park depict autumn in all its drab glory and the Bratters’ apartment is to die; it offers comfort like an old sweater and a cup of coffee. I’ve reviewed this film here so that’s all I’ll say but this movie is an absolute delight. Quick disclaimer; more than once it is noted by the characters that the action takes place in February.

A Hard Day’s Night (1964) / Backbeat (1994) // For me, the Beatles are so very autumnal and I think it is down to my impressions of England in general and the UK I see depicted in A Hard Day’s Night. This is another movie on my Top 25 list and, for me, it is a mood unto itself. The charm and comedy of the four lads themselves and the fine music they made is just part of the appeal. Here you’ll see the 1964 streets of London and Middlesex but there are a couple of highlights that I must mention and these scenes really drive home a certain mood. First off are the opening sequences while the boys take the train through Somerset. Thankfully, director Richard Lester gives us a couple of lingering shots out the window as the train rumbles through and the scenery is quite fascinating. Never mind the cozy comfort of train travel itself (in the 60s, anyways). And then there is my favourite segment when Ringo goes “wandering abroad”. Look at the life we see in these scenes. The pub and the sidewalks and it all looks decidedly monochromatic; a shiny silver-grey. This movie may be best watched while ditching work (as Ringo did) and laying on the couch in the darkened basement. Or maybe with the family while enjoying a hot plate of bangers and mash. Perhaps not strictly an autumn movie but a fine companion to A Hard Day’s Night is Backbeat. This film that I happened to see in the theatre when it came out tells the story of Stu Sutcliffe, young John Lennon’s best friend and original bassist of the Beatles. It’s a fine film – shot on location in London and Hamburg – with some great performances from Sheryl Lee, Stephen Dorff and Ian Hart as young John. Factual and significant information for those interested in the Fab Four.

The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974) / Barney’s Version (2010) // Truly an autumn film if ever there was one, no question about it. Not only are there many sequences showcasing fall colours, but this venerable Canadian film from legendary Canadian artists Mordecai Richler and Ted Kotcheff depicts the lives many Canucks live in cozy, quiet evenings in dimly lit apartments and the bustling corner deli. I have talked about this film and the book on which it is based before here so I’ll move on and share a few words about Barney’s Version. Like Backbeat, this is not necessarily an autumn movie but it serves as an extension of Duddy as it was also based on a novel by Mordecai Richler. The movie charts the life of Barney Panofsky, played by Paul Giamatti who won a Golden Globe for his work. Barney navigates three marriages and the disappearance of his best friend – whom Barney may have killed after finding him in bed with his wife. This charming and compelling film also stars Dustin Hoffman, Rosamund Pike, Minnie Driver, Bruce Greenwood and Scott Speedman. In a nice touch, Canadian director Richard J. Lewis (Whale Music) utilized other Canadians in small roles. You can spot Atom Egoyan, David Cronenberg, Ted Kotcheff and Paul Gross. If its autumn and you’ve already watched Duddy, make it a double feature night by checking out this hidden gem.

Sunday in New York (1963) // Another one of my favourite films and one I have talked about here takes place in Manhattan and lacks blinding sun. Like Barefoot in the Park, it is another charming play starring Jane Fonda, a gorgeous apartment and some nice street scenes. Maybe there is something to be said about delightful romantic comedies based on plays that just emanate a homey, comfortable atmosphere. A film about spending a lazy Sunday in NYC and in that amazing apartment just says autumn to me.

All That Heaven Allows (1955) // Director Douglas Sirk was a master of the melodrama and one of his most popular was this film that was the second of his to star Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson. In this romantic tale, Wyman plays a well-to-do widow who scandalizes her kids, her friends and her town by becoming involved with a younger poor man played by Rock. But another prominent star of the film is the scenery. The first moments of the movie contain wonderful autumn imagery – including Rock the gardener burning leaves in the street! – and the fall colours are positively aglow in the light of Technicolor. I know that we prefer a location shoot but these environs are not exactly a set either. Colonial Street is one of the exterior “sets” on the Universal backlot and has been used for countless productions including my beloved Leave It to Beaver. The settings and the colours fit so well with this tender story of life and love and it all adds up to a film experience that is the exact equivalent of a cozy autumn evening curled up with a hot beverage.

Paris Blues (1961) // Now you has jazz. You know how your jazz records go so well with autumn weather? Well, this film goes just as well and it has so much going for it. First off is the incredibly authentic depiction of the music in the figures of Paul Newman and Sidney Poitier who have learned their instruments so well that it is hard to spot the fact that they are not playing. Add to this the Newman character’s earnest pursuit of his music and his hopes to make a living from it. You also get great street scenes and a real, misty Paris vibe. If all this wasn’t enough Paris Blues is also a poignant story of expatriates navigating life and love with the added wonder of school teachers taking a holiday in a foreign country and then considering staying. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s Satchmo!

The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984) // Another all-time fave of mine is this street-level, windswept, autumn nocturne about two small time hoods running in the streets of Greenwich Village. It is mentioned in the film that the date is September 21 – the very day before fall officially begins on the equinox and there are some fine fall colours on display when shooting moved upstate to Warwick, NY. During the neighbourhood scenes, the weather looks brisk and cloudy and Mickey Rourke puts on a clinic on how to dress well even after summer has gone.

The Trouble with Harry (1955) // Many classic film fans will point to this movie when discussing autumn in film. Hitchcock made a left turn with this hilarious dark comedy about a dead man who is buried and dug up again several times. The film is genuinely funny, even today, and it exudes charm. Even without this, though, the movie contains some wonderful scenery and the viewer is treated to stunning views of Vermont in full autumn bloom, filming having taken place in the Green Mountain State in September and October of 1954. If all this wasn’t enough you’ll get one of the most hilarious lines in all of film history; “hurry home, son”. You’ll have to watch this beauty for the full context.

The Wanderers (1979) // In terms of the calendar, The Wanderers is every inch a fall movie as it takes place from the day school begins to the last week of November. The titular Italian street gang roams the alleys and the football fields of the Bronx as they unknowingly watch their lives and American society begin to change like the leaves on the trees; the warm weather of the summer giving way to autumn is reflected in this societal and cultural change. Interesting – for me, at least – to add that many of the films on my original list of Top 25 favourites take place in the fall. Not sure what that means but there it is.

St. Elmo’s Fire (1988) // This legendary “Brat Pack” film has long been one of my favourites. Rob Lowe, Kevin McCarthy, Demi Moore and Judd Nelson lead the cast of this movie about upwardly mobile twentysomethings trying to pivot from student life to real life in the collegiate environs of Georgetown. The movie was directed by the late Joel Schumacher and shot during the last three months of the year. Once again, auburn foliage is a feast for the eyes and again good-looking people dress fashionably even though the weather is beginning to turn; these two elements go a long way to making an autumn movie.

Strange Brew (1983) // Like Duddy Kravitz, this is a Canadian film shot in Canada so therefore sunny, warm visuals are not apparent. But Torontonians of a certain age are going to recognize just about every location used in the film from Humber College on Lake Shore Blvd to University Theatre on Bloor. Along with scenes shot at Casa Loma, there is a street scene in Etobicoke that looks exactly like the neighbourhoods many of us grew up in. And all this is shown in October through December. Of course I should mention that this film charts the exploits of everybody’s favourite hosers, Bob & Doug McKenzie and is hilarious and beloved by Canadians from Burnaby to Charlottetown.

A Summer Place (1959) / Tea and Sympathy (1955) // I include these two fine films even though the time of year is not as significant to their stories as it is to the other films on this list. But there is something for me about a movie that depicts the end of summer and the return to school as these two movies do. Both movies are highly recommended no matter the time of year for the tales they tell, their fine presentations and the tone they borrow in small ways from the autumn season.

Bright Lights, Big City (1988) / The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) / 9 1/2 Weeks (1986) // These three make this list because of my own personal experience with them. They may not necessarily be “autumnal” but that’s when I have always watched them. And they do have a certain character or shadings that make them, say, less than sunny. They are all three on the original list of my Top 25 favourite films. Bright Lights, Big City was shot in Manhattan as opposed to Los Angeles and has Canadian Michael J. Fox running around in tweed sport coats and desert boots. There is an intimate vibe to it as well, what with Jamie’s apartment and his office and other places that the characters visit while just trying to navigate life while they are not able to access the advantageous properties of summer sunshine. The Fabulous Baker Boys is mostly about jazz. I’ve said before that, for me and many others, jazz is autumn and autumn is jazz. While this movie is not really about jazz it does present that music as the purest form of expression for a musician and the ultimate goal for one of the brothers, Jack, played by Jeff Bridges. And 9 1/2 Weeks is grey. Manhattan at its most muted is displayed here in this erotic drama and director Adrian Lyne wanted to give the film a black-and-white look and achieved it with monochromatic film and smoke machines. These three may be “just me” but check them out – they are all excellent – and see what you think.

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Jazz records, sweaters and pumpkin spice, sure, but fall is also about looking inward, taking time to breathe, to contemplate. Many autumn films reflect this and are more subdued and understated. They are less about the mad pursuit of life and more about discerning what one has and what one desires. Put more simply, a lot of these movies sound some deeper, warmer notes and the feelings they can elicit certainly match the falling leaves drifting by your window. Those autumn leaves of red and gold…