What is it with Leo DiCaprio and the sea? First, DiCaprio's character Jack goes down with the Titanic. Then he stars as Richard, a restless young traveler obsessed with a legendary island paradise, in The Beach. Though this oceanic adventure jumps the shark in the last act, it gives the actor a chance to plunge into deeper, darker undercurrents. Plus, Leo lovers will appreciate he's half-naked for half the film.
Just sit right back, and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip…of two 7-year-olds, shipwrecked on a tropical island. They soon grow into model-perfect teens (Brooke Shields, Christopher Atkins) who moon over each other as their hormones rage. So god-awful it's good, Lagoon caused a stir in 1980 with its R-rated exploration of sexual awakening, but there's little here that's edgy or erotic—just unintentionally hilarious.
Want a cathartic boohoo? Check out this schmaltzy, guilty-pleasure melodrama, which traces the lifelong friendship between two mismatched ladies—WASPy attorney Hillary Essex (Barbara Hershey) from San Francisco and brassy singer/actress CC Bloom (Bette Midler) from the Bronx. Over 30 years, their stormy relationship weathers dating issues, career struggles, and terminal illness. You'll be reaching for the Kleenex as "Wind Beneath My Wings" soars on the score.
Sip a Mai Tai and say "aloha" to Elvis, who trades his blue suede shoes for flip-flops in this Hawaiian musical romance. Forget the serviceable plot (a returning GI takes a tourist-guide job instead of an exec position at his family's pineapple biz) and focus on the gorgeous scenery, shapely gals in bikinis and the King's smooth crooning, especially on "Can't Help Falling in Love." It's all good, clean, beachy-keen fun.
You probably won't spot Elvis in Hawaii, but you might run into your ex! That's what happens to Peter Bretter (Jason Segel) when he flees to Oahu after getting dumped by girlfriend Sarah (Kristen Bell). Surprise—she's vacationing at the same resort with her new rock-star lover (Russell Brand). Writer/star Segel gives this funny rom-com the perfect mix of bawdiness and vulnerability. We're never forgetting his full-frontal nude scene!
We have a bit of a crush on this girl-power sports flick. You can almost smell the sunscreen as Anne Marie (Kate Bosworth) trains for a Hawaii surf competition, all while dealing with the trauma of a near-drowning incident—and her budding attraction to pro quarterback Matt (Matthew Davis). Formulaic but fun, Blue Crush is like that trashy beach read you can't put down.
Before director Kathryn Bigelow depicted waterboarding in Zero Dark Thirty, she explored a different kind of waterboarding—on tasty waves, dude—in this rad bromance/adventure. Keanu Reeves stars as the awesomely named FBI agent Johnny Utah, who works with partner Pappas (pre-insane Gary Busey) to catch a gang of bank-robbing surfers, led by adrenaline junkie Bodhi (Patrick Swayze). Despite some soggy dialogue and story points, Point Break rides high on its kick-ass fighting, surfing and skydiving sequences. Righteous!
A low-budget labor of surfer love, Bruce Brown's cult 1966 documentary is a fascinating travelogue and time capsule of sorts. Brown follows two young boarders, Michael Hynson and Robert August, as they conquer waves (and befriend locals) around the globe—from Hawaii to California to Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Tahiti. The voiceover narration gets a bit too gee-whiz at times, but the cool surfing footage and groovy soundtrack make Summer endless fun.
Tom Hanks lost 55 pounds and grew long chin pubes to portray Chuck Noland, a FedEx employee stranded on a deserted island after surviving a plane crash (one of the most harrowing put on film). Despite the corny ending and shameless product placement for FedEx, we're still swept away by Cast Away's contemporary take on Robinson Crusoe. Who knew we'd get so emotionally invested in a volleyball (his pal Wilson)?
They needed a bigger boat…to hold all the money this blockbuster made! The Psycho of beach movies, this masterful thriller has kept audiences out of the water for years, thanks to Steven Spielberg's superb direction, a terrific cast (Richard Dreyfuss, Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw), and John Williams' iconic score. You can just hum the two-note "voice" of the shark—"Da-DUM, Da-DUM"—and people run screaming. If you've never seen Jaws, sink your teeth in now.