10. Friday the 13th (1980)

Not all summer camp films are fun and laughs — sometimes they’re about punishing naughty teenagers for drinking and screwing. Though you may think of this movie as being more appropriate for Halloween, it’s also fun to visit Camp Crystal Lake during the dog days.

9. Caddyshack (1980)

Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, a dancing gopher, and Rodney Dangerfield star in this Harold Ramis film that takes place on the grounds of an exclusive golf club. There’s not much of a plot, but the movie is hilarious, so we’ve got that going for us, which is nice.

8. Vacation (1983)

Yet another excellent ’80s screwball comedy starring Chase, written by John Hughes, and directed by Harold Ramis. Vacation is centered on that great American summertime tradition: the road trip.

7. The Seven Year Itch (1955)

In this classic Marilyn Monroe film, actor Tom Ewell’s character Richard Sherman is left behind at his New York City apartment for an entire summer while his wife and son vacation in Maine. Meanwhile, Monroe’s character (known only as “The Girl”) moves in upstairs, just as Sherman is editing a psychology book claiming that many men have extramarital affairs during the seventh year of marriage — precisely the length of time Sherman has been married to his wife. Monroe invites herself into his apartment to enjoy the air conditioning, the two become close, imaginary sparks fly, and then The Girl inexplicably stands over a subway grate, getting a refreshing blast of hot subterranean Manhattan air.

6. The Great Outdoors (1988)

Like many John Hughes films, The Great Outdoors  is a formulaic comedy pairing together two characters with clashing personalities who antagonize each other throughout the movie and then somehow become best buddies at the end, with one character relying on the other for love and support to triumph over a difficult personal situation that has been unknowingly festering beneath the surface the whole time (see the classic Thanksgiving movies Planes, Trains & Automobiles and Dutch for further examples). But this movie features John Candy, Dan Aykroyd, and a bald grizzly bear, so you’ll hear no complaints from me.

5. Major League (1989)

You can keep your inspirational baseball films like Field of Dreams and The Natural — I’ll take Major League, one of the best comedies of the ’80s starring a pre-tiger blood Charlie Sheen.

4. American Graffiti (1973)

Set in August 1962, American Graffiti is George Lucas’s homage to his own youth and the teenage years of others who were coming of age in the late ’50s and early ’60s. Cruising and rock ‘n roll culture is explored in a series of vignettes, focusing on a group of friends who’ve recently graduated from high school. The nostalgia factor notwithstanding, the film has held up surprisingly well and has become one of the most profitable movies of all time, owing to both its popularity and slim budget.

3. What About Bob? (1991)

Films featuring Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss keep popping up on this list, and Bob Wiley (Murray) and Dr. Leo Marvin (Dreyfuss) are arguably their best roles. During a summer vacation at New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee, Wiley innocently torments Dr. Marvin while simultaneously charming the doctor’s family. The movie includes many time-honored summer traditions such as boating, swimming, and Death Therapy.

2. The Sandlot (1993)

The Sandlot is a quintessential baseball movie, enjoyable even for those who don’t particularly care for the sport. It features a great cast and a fun, clever plot, set during an unforgettable summer vacation.

1. Stand By Me (1986)

Based on the novella The Body, Stand By Me is one of the many film adaptations of Stephen King stories. The film takes place in September 1959 over Labor Day weekend, just before the four main characters — Gordie Lachance (Wil Wheaton), Chris Chambers (River Phoenix), Teddy Duchamp (Corey Feldman), and Vern Tessio (Jerry O’Connell) — are about to start junior high. Equal parts humorous, tragic, and touching, the movie is a coming-of-age tale devoid of triteness and melodrama, benefiting from wonderful source material, a solid script, and brilliant casting, acting, and directing. And Richard Dreyfuss.

So, what did we forget? Let us know your favorite summertime flick.

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