There has never been a better time to treat yourself — and there are so many great ways to do so, whether it’s splurging on a shopping spree, enjoying something tasty and sweet or watching a great movie involving characters treating themselves.
When our favorite movie characters are happy, that makes us happy. We can find joy in the vicarious indulgence of those we’re watching on screen.
Below is a list of 14 movies that allow for that emphatic gratification, and you can find all of them now on a special playlist on Vudu.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Richard Harris
Treat yourself to: A feast with friends.
What makes it such a cool treat: Whether you’re meeting new schoolmates for the first time or getting together with old friends, a grand and festive meal is definitely something to savor.
Words to live by: “Let the feast begin!”
Did you know: All of the food seen in the Hogwarts welcome dinner scene is real, from the large platters of chicken drumsticks and fruit to the heaping bowls of corn and mashed potatoes. Yum!
The Croods: A New Age (2020)
Voice cast: Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds
Treat yourself to: A feeding frenzy at the farm with family.
What makes it such a cool treat: After a long trek through dangerous terrain with your loved ones, a splendorous farm filled with fantastical foods really hits the spot — and maybe even exceeds it.
Words to live by: “Full feels weird.”
Did you know: For the scene where the Croods happen upon this vast, vibrant farm with its explosion of color, director Joel Crawford was inspired by Dorothy’s arrival in Munchkinland from The Wizard of Oz. He wanted not just an amazing new environment for the characters to experience but for the fans to experience as well.
Clueless (1995)
Cast: Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Wallace Shawn
Treat yourself to: Shopping at the mall.
What makes it such a cool treat: When you’re feeling out of control and need to find sanctuary, the shopping mall provides a space where you can gather your thoughts and regain your strength — and splurge on some fashionable clothing and accessories, of course.
Words to live by: “As if!"
Did you know: The mall where Cher and Dionne go shopping is a combination of two places in Los Angeles. The exterior is shown to be the Westside Pavilion, which closed in 2019 and is now being turned into Google offices. The interiors were filmed at Fashion Square Sherman Oaks (now known as Westfield Fashion Square), which still exists. However, the Contempo Casuals store featured in the scene (later converted into a Wet Seal) does not.
Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)
Cast: Isla Fisher, Hugh Dancy, Krysten Ritter
Treat yourself to: That green scarf you want but do not need.
What makes it such a cool treat: As the talking mannequin explains, this scarf (or whatever the must-have accessory may be) will become part of a definition of you — of your psyche. And you’ll wear it with everything, so it’s an investment!
Words to live by: “Cost and worth are very different things.”
Did you know: If you do the math, the total amount that Rebecca seems to pay the cashier for the green scarf, with cash bills and various credit card charges, is $10 less than the $120 that the item costs — but the editing of the scene might just be deceiving.
Last Holiday (2006)
Cast: Queen Latifah, Giancarlo Esposito, Timothy Hutton
Treat yourself to: The whole menu.
What makes it such a cool treat: When you only have one opportunity to taste any of the gourmet specials at the fanciest eatery in town, you might as well sample them all. Go big, appetite-wise, or go home.
Words to live by: “The secret of life is butter.”
Did you know: All of the dishes in this scene, including the spiced lamb shanks with blood orange relish and the roasted quail with brioche and chorizo stuffing, were prepared by chefs from the Food Network, which also published the recipes on their website.
Ratatouille (2007)
Cast: Patton Oswalt, Lou Romano, Ian Holm
Treat yourself to: Dining out.
What makes it such a cool treat: Whether it's going out with friends or family, there's nothing better than letting someone else do the cooking.
Words to live by: “Anyone can cook.”
Did you know: Ratatouille’s animators didn’t exactly take a cooking class but did learn the art of cooking from one of the world’s most esteemed chefs and restaurateurs, Thomas Keller, who specializes in French cuisine. Keller, in turn, has a small role in the film as a patron at Gusteau's Restaurant.
Hook (1991)
Cast: Robin Williams, Julia Roberts, Dante Basco
Treat yourself to: Your imagination.
What makes it such a cool treat: If you can’t imagine yourself eating a rainbow-colored feast, then you won’t be eating a rainbow-colored feast. But if you can imagine it, and you believe it to be so, then you’ve got something. And it doesn’t just work with food, but also fairies, friends, fun, and anything else you fancy.
Words to live by: “When you're alone, you’re not alone, not really alone.” Also: “Bangarang!”
Did you know: The Lost Boy who is addressed as “Don’t Ask” in the food fight scene wasn’t treated to a character name before filming began. After asking Steven Spielberg for one on numerous occasions, the director finally just replied, “Don’t ask,” and it stuck.
Big (1988)
Cast: Tom Hanks, Robert Loggia, Elizabeth Perkins
Treat yourself to: A dance on a giant piano.
What makes it such a cool treat: Everything’s better when it’s bigger, especially when you’re still young at heart — and soul.
Words to live by: “Heart and soul, the way a fool would do.”
Did you know: The famous “Walking Piano” at F.A.O. Schwartz was much shorter than the one seen in the movie and too small for two men to play it together, so director Penny Marshall contacted its inventor and had the toy tripled in length.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
Cast: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara
Treat yourself to: A day off.
What makes it such a cool treat: It’s one whole day free to do whatever you want. And the question isn't "what can you do in a whole day?” The question is "what can’t you do in a whole day?”.
Words to live by: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Did you know: Ferris Bueller’s motto about looking around once in a while, which he repeats at the end, is more than just a great movie quote. It has become an iconic piece of advice. In 1990, then-First Lady Barbara Bush even recited the line, crediting the character, in her commencement address at Wellesley College.
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
Cast: Constance Wu, Gemma Chan, Jing Lusi
Treat yourself to: A shopping spree at the fashion boutique.
What makes it such a cool treat: What credit limit? Sometimes the greatest gifts are the ones we buy for ourselves!
Words to live by: “Nobody loves free stuff more than rich people.”
Did you know: Samsara Island, where the bachelorette party and shopping spree take place, is a fictional location. The name is a reference to a Buddhist belief that materialistic people will be stuck forever in the miserable cycle of birth and death and never reach nirvana — pretty ironic for an island that seems to be a heavenly paradise.
Monte Carlo (2011)
Cast: Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester, Katie Cassidy
Treat yourself to: The vacation that you deserve.
What makes it such a cool treat: While it’s unlikely you’ll ever be mistaken for a rich heiress lookalike and get to stay in her luxury suite, wear her expensive clothes and makeup and attend her fancy balls, you’re entitled to all that stuff yourself, as yourself — and then you can be the envy of your doppelgänger instead.
Words to live by: “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
Did you know: Gomez and Meester’s character are called Grace Bennett and Meg Kelly, which can be mixed up to form the name Grace Kelly, who was a famous American actress who became a real-life fairy tale princess when she married the prince of Monaco — which is where Monte Carlo is located.
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004)
Cast: Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews, Heather Matarazzo
Treat yourself to: A new closet. A really big one.
What makes it such a cool treat: The best part about discovering a new closet comes when you get to pick out all the fun stuff you can put in there. Dresses? Check. Gowns? Rows and rows of shoes? Check. A remote control to operate it all? Sure!
Words to live by: “Just remember, you are a princess.”
Did you know: According to star Anne Hathaway, all of the jewelry seen in the movie was real, and very expensive, including her character’s engagement ring, which was priceless. Rather than placed in a closet with a combination-code remote control, however, they were secured by an armed guard.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
Cast: Gene Wilder, Peter Ostrum, Jack Albertson
Treat yourself to: A chocolate fountain.
What makes it such a cool treat: You can never have too much chocolate, especially when it's raining down from above!
Words to live by: “Don't forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he always wanted…He lived happily ever after.”
Did you know: The chocolate river in the movie is really a chocolate river, consisting of 150,000 gallons of water, chocolate and cream, but it had to be mixed together just right to actually look the color of chocolate on screen.
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2011)
Cast: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Mr. T
Treat yourself to: The sweetest of snow days
What makes it such a cool treat: Craving a snow day in the middle of a hot summer? No problem! There's really nothing better than cooling off with a sweet treat ... or several. Heck, make it a Blizzard® Treat from DQ®!
Words to live by: “This is your day. Go have fun.”
Did you know: While the movie is very loosely based on the children’s book Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, the source material does have its own birthday scene, but the food involved is a combination of Brussels sprouts, peanut butter, and mayonnaise.
Sponsored by DQ®
