6 Unforgettable Summer Movies Every Millennial Grew Up Watching

Summer is often equated with outdoor activities, but one of the best experiences of summer vacation was sitting in an air-conditioned room with popcorn and snacks, watching a great movie. For millennials, it could have been a blockbuster film at the theater or a Blockbuster rental at home.

The '90s were full of fun movies that created the perfect summer mood. Growing up during that time, summer brought boundless freedom and infinite possibilities, and the movies we loved reflected those things. Adventure, excitement, and fun are common themes in these films that symbolized the millennial summer experience.

The Goonies (1985)

Yes, technically, The Goonies was released when millennials were babies, but it was so iconic that we were all still watching it a decade after it came out. And even though the film takes place in October, it just has the vibes of a summer adventure.

The Goonies follows a group of kids and teens on a treasure hunt after they find a pirate map in the attic. The money would help them protect their home from demolition, but they aren't the only ones after the treasure, as a criminal family follows the trail as well. Each summer, millennials joined Gen X in daring each other to do the Truffle Shuffle and yelling "Goonies Never Say Die!"

Jurassic Park (1993)

Just as life finds a way, millennials found ways to watch movies they were probably not old enough to see. Jurassic Park was one of those films. To be fair, the gore and violence were nothing compared to today's movies, but watching people get their arms bitten off or devoured by dinosaurs gave a lot of kids nightmares.

A summer vacation to a dinosaur amusement park sounded so cool. Getting to see actual, living dinosaurs instead of just zoo animals? We all felt the wonder that Tim (Joseph Mazzello) and Lex (Ariana Richards) had at their grandfather's park, but we also shared the sheer terror of trying to make it out of that kitchen scene alive.

The Sandlot (1993)

If you've ever heard, "You're killin' me, Smalls!" or "For-e-Ver," and got confused, millennials probably looked at you the same way the Sandlot kids looked at Smalls when he didn't know who Babe Ruth was. How could you not know one of the best summer movies of all time?

The Sandlot is about Scotty Smalls (Tom Guiry), who moves to a new neighborhood and tries to join the local kids playing baseball. But he knows nothing about baseball, and accidentally uses his stepdad's prized ball, signed by Babe Ruth, to play with. The team of kids must then face the terrifying junkyard dog that got the ball. It's an exciting summer adventure with so many funny quotes.

Little Rascals (1994)

Another incredibly quotable film, the 1994 Little Rascals gave us gems like "Quick, what's the number for 911?" and "If we were your kids, we would punish ourselves!" Most millennials will even be able to quote the entire letter Alfalfa (Bug Hall) writes to Darla (Brittany Ashton Holmes). Well, at least the version he claims to have written.

A group of boys creates the "He-Man Womun [sic] Haters Club," but one of the founding members, Alfalfa (yes, that's really his name), commits the cardinal sin of liking a girl. The hijinks that the club gets up to trying to stop Alfalfa from defecting to the enemy cause ridiculous amounts of mayhem. This adaptation of Hal Roach's Our Gang short films became a classic for all '90s kids.

A Goofy Movie (1995)

It's honestly shocking that A Goofy Movie was not an immediate hit. Tragically, Disney overlooked a film with one of the best soundtracks for years before realizing how much it meant to the first generation to watch it. Millennials all around the world learned the "Perfect Cast" dance moves, and still bust them out when they hear the first notes of "I2I" by Powerline (Tevin Campbell).

The first time Goofy (Bill Farmer) got the spotlight since the short films is truly a masterpiece. He tries to be a good dad by taking his son, Max (Jason Marsden), on a summer road trip, hoping to bond with him. Max hates this idea because he wants to be cool and not a "goof," but he learns that his dad is pretty awesome in his own, goofiest ways.

The Parent Trap (1998)

Unless you're a hardcore Disney fan or a boomer, when you hear the title The Parent Trap, you think of the Lindsay Lohan adaptation from 1998. It is actually a remake of the 1961 Disney film of the same name, but Lohan's performance is cemented into millennials' brains as the twin sisters who meet for the first time at summer camp.

Annie James and Hallie Parker, both played by Lohan, find out they are twins after attending summer camp. Their parents split up, each taking one of the twins and never talking about the other. So, the girls decide to swap places and see if they can reunite their parents. This movie taught millennials how to pull off the best pranks and had us all trying Oreos dipped in peanut butter.