5 Movies to Watch on Labor Day
These films feature stories set during the holiday.
Stand By Me
Labor Day is all about barbecues and back to school, the last gasp of summer vacation before we all head into the busyness of fall. There's something cinematic about that bittersweet end-of-summer feeling that filmmakers have been mining for decades. A time of transition is perfect story fodder.
We’ve got five movies set during Labor Day you can watch to celebrate. After you watch these, check out Norma Rae, 9 to 5, or Office Space for some great films about labor and workers' rights.
Labor Day (2013)
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This romantic drama follows a depressed single mother (Kate Winslet) and her 13-year-old son who encounter an escaped convict (Josh Brolin) during their Labor Day weekend shopping trip.
The story takes place in 1987 and unfolds entirely over the holiday weekend. It’s got a nice little confined timeframe, which heightens the tension.
Weekend at Bernie's (1989)
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This comedy about two guys (Andrew McCarthy, Jonathan Silverman) trying to trick everyone into thinking their dead boss is alive takes place from the week before Labor Day through the actual holiday.
The film begins during a New York City heat wave the week before Labor Day, finding the main characters trying to keep cool in a kiddie pool.
Stand By Me (1986)
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Rob Reiner's coming-of-age classic, which was based on a Stephen King novella, is set over Labor Day weekend in 1959. It’s perfect for a story about summer ending, childhood fading, and real life beginning.
Dirty Dancing (1987)
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The film culminates on Labor Day weekend, with all the events of the summer romance reaching its climax during the holiday.
Set at a Catskills resort, the story follows Baby's (Jennifer Grey) transformation over the summer, with Labor Day marking both the end of vacation and her passage into adulthood. Nobody puts Baby in a corner.
A Place in the Sun (1951)
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The first Hollywood classic set during Labor Day, this six-time Academy Award winner uses the holiday as a crucial plot device. It was based on Theodore Dreiser's novel An American Tragedy and inspired by a real 1906 murder case.
When the main character, George (Montgomery Clift), tries to marry his pregnant girlfriend Alice (Shelley Winters), they discover the county courthouse is closed for Labor Day, forcing them to go to a lake instead, where tragedy strikes.
What did we leave out? Let us know your favorites.
