8 Comforting ’90s Movies That Kids of the Era Still Watch Every Fall

Ready for a cozy movie marathon?

There is just something about ’90s films that makes them ideal for a snug autumn viewing session. It hardly matters whether the story itself is set in fall. The overall look and feel fit the crisp air, colorful leaves, and the annual craving for sweaters and fuzzy socks.

For many people who grew up in the ’90s, nostalgia is part of the season, which is why watching favorite comfort movies in the fall has become a tradition. For some, the season does not fully begin until at least one title from this list has been rewatched. Year after year, these films offer a familiar kind of warmth that makes them worth fitting into busy adult lives.

1. Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)
2. Hocus Pocus (1993)
3. Little Women (1994)
4. A Little Princess (1995)
5. Casper (1995)
6. Halloweentown (1998)
7. Practical Magic (1998)
8. October Sky (1999)

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)

Anyone who loves this movie knows to keep tissues nearby for Disney’s take on The Incredible Journey (1963). Unlike the earlier version, Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey lets viewers hear the thoughts and feelings of the dogs and cat making a 200-mile journey to reunite with their family. Michael J. Fox as Chance, Don Ameche as Shadow, and Sally Field as Sassy remain a guaranteed source of tears for ’90s kids, even as the story leaves them feeling warm at the end.

Hocus Pocus (1993)

Halloween would not feel complete without the Sanderson sisters. Many ’90s kids remember loving Hocus Pocus long before it became a merchandising phenomenon. For a long time, it was the kind of movie watched once a year, with every line and Sarah’s song memorized by heart. The plot of three witches—played by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker—returning after 300 years to drain the life force of children sounds much scarier than the movie actually is. In the end, it is a family-friendly Halloween favorite that gets revisited every year.

Little Women (1994)

Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women has been adapted many times for film and television, but the 1994 version remains especially beloved by millennials. And claims that Christian Bale’s Laurie does not make hearts flutter are hard to believe. Even viewers who strongly identified with feminist ideals were often disappointed when Jo, played by Winona Ryder, did not choose him. The film is not set entirely in autumn, but watching the March sisters grow up carries a softness that fits perfectly with a cool fall day.

A Little Princess (1995)

Nearly two decades before becoming Davos Seaworth in Game of Thrones, Liam Cunningham played Captain Crewe, the father of Sara Crewe, portrayed by Liesel Matthews, in A Little Princess. Based on Frances Hodgson Burnett’s novel of the same name, the film follows Sara as she learns her own value after her father is believed to have been killed in World War II. Even though she is treated cruelly as an orphan, she stays true to the lesson her father taught her: all girls are princesses.

Casper (1995)

When people think of Casper the Friendly Ghost, they are more likely to picture the 1995 film than the older animated series. In fact, fewer viewers seem to remember the cartoon at all. Instead, they think of Christina Ricci and Bill Pullman as a father-daughter team trying to communicate with ghosts. They go to Whipstaff Manor hoping to clear the spirits out, only to find themselves facing much more than expected from Casper’s uncles. Casper is eager to help, though, because it is the first time since his death that he has had a friend.

Halloweentown (1998)

Debbie Reynolds was a treasure, and she was gone too soon. Older audiences and fans of movie musicals know her from Singin' in the Rain, but many ’90s kids first met her as Aggie Cromwell in the Disney Channel Original Movie Halloweentown. When her granddaughter Marnie, played by Kimberly J. Brown, pushes back against her mother’s “no Halloween, no magic” rule, Aggie steps in to teach her how to become a witch. A world where it is Halloween all the time is more than enough reason to watch.

Practical Magic (1998)

Another witchcraft story on the list is Practical Magic, though it is better suited to older children and teens. It is sometimes cozy and sometimes dark, but that never kept ’90s kids from watching it. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman star as magical sisters trying to live with a curse on their bloodline: every time they fall in love, their partner dies in a tragic way. When one man dies under suspicious circumstances, they must also contend with an investigator, played by Aidan Quinn, who may or may not be under a love spell.

October Sky (1999)

October Sky is another moving story with serious themes, but it still has enough autumn atmosphere to justify an annual rewatch. Based on engineer Homer Hickam’s memoir Rocket Boys, the film tells the story of his youth in a coal-mining town during the 1950s. Homer, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, dreams of building rockets after seeing Sputnik in the sky, while his father, played by Chris Cooper, wants him to stay in the mines instead of chasing his ambitions. Many ’90s kids first saw the movie in science class and liked it enough to keep revisiting it well into adulthood.