When I was in school, I used to hate summer.

Ironic, really, because those are the times when you’re supposed to enjoy summer to the fullest. Looking back, I’d perhaps taken those times for granted. There were some good memories sprinkled in here and there. As I get older, I find my mantra has become something along the lines of, “Oh it wasn’t all bad.” And truly, it wasn’t.

The tell tale signs of summer are, of course, the heat. The shedding of clothing. Beach trips, bonfires, clambakes, and dare I say it, aviator sunglasses.

With that said, today the motel brings three classic films to watch (or rewatch) this summer!

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

When asked for the motel’s favorite John Hughe’s movie, it is not The Breakfast Club that comes to mind, but Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The pacing is quicker, the characters are a little more wild, and man…Matthew Broderick’s Ferris Bueller is just a joy to watch.

Whenever I think of this movie, I think of sunny days. I think of a thrilling day adventure with clever, rambunctious friends, and perhaps that is all we could ever ask for on a bright summer’s day.

Now that I think of it, this could also be a very good movie for spring.

Also, isn’t this picture of Ferris and Sloane the cutest? I remember reading somewhere that John Hughes wanted Sloane’s character to be somewhat elegant and sophisticated, to balance Ferris out in a way. It’s this kind of specific input that made John Hughes who he was.

Top Gun

One of the motel’s favorite movies of all time…quite unexpectedly.

I will never forget how I stumbled upon this movie, and it was actually quite recent. A couple years ago.

On a whim, one of my old co-workers was talking about Tom Cruise. “Have you watched Top Gun?” he’d asked one of the other guys on my team.

Top Gun? I’d thought at the time. What an interesting name for a movie.

Some time later, I impulsively decided to check it out. I didn’t know what it was, call it a gravitational pull perhaps, but I felt drawn to watching the movie. Despite knowing nothing about planes, I loved it.

I will say, this film gets better and better with each watch. The actors. The soundtrack. The iconic scenes. The plot is so seemingly simple: a classic hero’s journey. Yet, it takes you in for a fun, wild ride, making Top Gun truly one of the most iconic movies of all time.

Such a shame that Kelly McGillis never quite recovered after this film — she was absolutely stunning here!

I’m also not sure how Top Gun 2 will pan out. Cruise usually doesn’t do sequels and I’m not expecting it to be mind blowing or anything, but it’ll be interesting to see what they do with the characters.

Cheaper By the Dozen 2

This movie is my little secret. Yet, it fully encapsulates the heat and joy of summer. The movie follows Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt’s rambunctious family to a vacation at the lake house. There, they encounter a rival family and all sorts of shenanigans ensue. It’s awesome, and sometimes I like to make believe that I’m part of their family too, but don’t we all? Also, young Tom Welling is always a good idea — I really wish the guy had made more movies back in his prime.

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It may or may not be a coincidence that 2 out of the 3 are classic 80’s movies. It was truly a decade to behold for good reason, people!

Can anyone believe that it’s nearly summer already? 2022 is flying by.