Guess what? All the ’94 babies are turning 30 this year, and this month is finally my turn!
Growing up in the early 2000s and watching romcoms almost every week, I learned that turning 30 and being single, unmarried and childless was the worst thing a woman could do! At 30, she was too old and a spinster, and no one would marry her. Her life was over!
I always found those movies so funny, as someone who didn’t want kids or get married, I didn’t understand the pressure these beautiful middle-class women felt. But the message that your life is over once you turn 30 did stick with me for a very long time.
But now, as I rewatch some of my favourite romcoms, I see those women in a different light. They have a career, pay rent every month, they have friends and hobbies. Their lives don’t look empty to me, and they’re certainly far from over. Even when they meet the man they’ll marry in the movie, I think of the lives they had before “the one”, and they were good lives too.
I enter my thirties unmarried and childless; if my life were a romcom, this would be the start of the film and I would be depressed and lonely, maybe drink too much, or hide myself in my work. In reality, I’m doing just fine. I bought a house with my partner, and we’ve just adopted a super cute kitten!
I’ve collected a list of ten movies I’m watching in September to celebrate this new decade.
Ten movies to watch when turning 30
13 Going on 30 (2004)
Comedy/Romance
Tired of her teenage years, 13-year-old Jenna Rink makes a wish on her birthday to become a 30-year-old woman. The next day, she wakes up in the future with her dream life.
This is one of those movies I rewatch often because it’s so perfect! It’s one of the few romcoms where being 30 is seen as a good thing.
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
Comedy/Romance
Bridget Jones decides to start a diary to help turn her life around. Her goals are to lose weight, get a boyfriend, quit smoking, and improve her career.
It is such a classic from the 2000s and an entertaining watch. The only thing I dislike about the movie is that Bridget is a healthy size and weight, but in 2001, she was seen as “fat”.
Romy And Michele’s High School Reunion (1997)
Comedy
Two best friends, Romy and Michele, are invited to their high school reunion and decide to lie about their careers and life to their former classmates to impress them.
This is a very underrated classic. It’s a fun, girly movie with fabulous 90s outfits and a great dance scene at the end.
When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
Drama/Comedy/Romance
Two strangers who just graduated from university share a car to drive to New York. While they don’t remain friends, they keep running into each other.
I want to live in this movie. I want the late 80s and 90s vibes, the peaceful autumnal atmosphere, and the cosiness of all the fantastic outfits Meg Ryan wears. I want it all!
Now and Then (1995)
Drama
Four childhood best friends reunite to prepare for the birth of Chrissey’s baby. This is the first time they’ve all been together in years, and they start to remember the summer they spent when they were 12 years old.
Most of the movie is set in the past, as a group of 12-year-old girls spend the summer of 1970 investigating an old mystery. I find it very interesting to match their old personalities to the women in the present.
No Hard Feelings (2023)
Comedy/Romance
32-year-old Maddie is on the brink of losing her childhood home, and to make some money, she agrees to date a wealthy couple’s introverted 19-year-old son by pretending to be a young 20-something.
One of my favourite movies from last year; it’s just fun, chaotic and loosely based on real life.
Love, Rosie (2014)
Drama/Romance
Rosie and Alex have been best friends since childhood and have never dated. But one night changes their future plans together, and they head in completely different directions, though they still keep in touch.
This is a rollercoaster of a movie that I would usually avoid. But it caught me in a particular mood of “I wouldn’t mind crying today”, so I watched it and loved it!
Promising Young Woman (2020)
Thriller/Crime
Thirty-year-old Cassie takes it upon herself to seek revenge for her best friend Nina, who committed suicide after being assaulted by a classmate.
This is a very intense watch, and you can feel the anger and desperation of the protagonist through the screen, but I really recommend it.
Adult Life Skills (2016)
Comedy/Drama
Anna has just turned 30 and is still living with her mother. She lives isolated from the world, but a series of incidents entangle her life with an eight-year-old and a local estate agent.
I haven’t watched this yet, but it has the quirky indie vibes I like, so I’m hoping it’s a good one!
Bridesmaids (2011)
Comedy/Romance
Annie’s life starts to unravel when her best friend Lillian gets engaged, and Annie becomes her maid of honour. She has to deal with another bridesmaid who’s trying to become Lillian’s closest friend, while also dealing with her relationship issues and failed business.
This is the type of movie to watch when you’re having a bad day, it’s the perfect comedy to cheer you up.
I hope you enjoyed my list, and feel free to write any films that I should watch to celebrate my 30s!
I’ll finish this post with this quote from 13 Going on 30:
Willow in Winter 