Second childhood

COCOON

1985

Directed by Ron Howard

Written by David Saperstein and Tom Benedek

*BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED

1987

Directed by Matthew Robbins

Written by Mick Garris, Brad Bird, Brent Maddock, S.S. Wilson, and Matthew Robbins

Spoilers: moderate to moderately highish

Opie on Opie

HILLBILLY ELEGY

2020

Directed by Ron Howard

Written by Vanessa Taylor (based on the book by J.D. Vance)

Spoiler alert: man, this guy is doin' fine

The young Han Solo chronicles

SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY

This movie is about the reward its hero received for believing in something; in a flawless example of form following function, Solo teaches its audience not to misplace its faith so easily, too.

2018

Directed by Ron Howard

"Executive produced" by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the poor bastards

Written by Lawrence Kasdan and Jon Kasdan

With Alden Ehrenreich (Han Solo), Joonas Suotamo (Chewbacca), Emilia Clarke (Qi'ra), Woody Harrelson (Tobias Beckett), Thandie Newton (Val), Jon Favreau (Rio Durant), Donald Glover (Lando Calrissian), Phoebe Waller-Bridge (L3-37), Linda Hunt (Lady Proxima), and Paul Bettany (Dryden Voss)

Spoiler alert: high

Out upon that deep water, these men saw the horizon

IN THE HEART OF THE SEA

Possessing certain elements that are positively fantastic, in every sense of the term, it's easy to ignore the parts of In the Heart of the Sea that aren't—including the parts that are actively aggravating.  Taken all in all, however, Heart is fun and sober-minded in equal measure (and in all the right places, too)—and I kind of half-love it, just for existing.

2015

Directed by Ron Howard

Written by Charles Leavitt, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver (based on the book In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick)

With Chris Hemsworth (First Mate Owen Chase), Benjamin Walker (Capt. Ben Pollard), Cilian Murphy (Matthew Joy), Brendan Gleeson/Tom Holland (Thomas Nickerson), and Ben Whishaw (Herman Melville)

Spoiler alert: moderate