6 Movies Set on Labor Day That You Can Watch This Weekend

Labor Day

Synopsis: It’s a rather apt way to start the list. The 2013 romance-drama starring Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin follows the plot of your typical, average Labor Day weekend: caring for your teenage son while beginning an affair with a ruggedly handsome escaped convict. We’ve all been there.

Where to watch: Rentable from Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, others.

Dirty Dancing

Synopsis: 1987. Dancing. Sexual awakenings. Patrick Swayze. Abortion. Lenny Briscoe from Law & Order. An investigation into the matter of whether Baby can actually be put into a corner. It all culminates on Labor Day weekend — in case you’re wondering how your summer might end.

Where to watch: Streaming on Netflix until Labor Day (Sept. 1) itself.

A Good Old-Fashioned Orgy

Synopsis: The 2011 ensemble comedy featuring a bunch of 30-something actors that you’d likely recognize (Jason Sudeikis, Lake Bell, Nick Kroll, Will Forte, etc.) is more or less about what the title indicates. If they were 20-somethings, it would have been on July 4th weekend rather than Labor Day.

Where to watch: A trip to your good, old-fashioned video rental store will be required (or you can buy a copy, including this one selling for $299)

Picnic

Synopsis: The 1955 film tells the story of what can happen in just 24 hours when one former college football star-turned-army man-turned-failed-actor (William Holden) visits a small Kansas town on Labor Day. It was nominated for six Academy Awards, and won for Best Film Editing and Best Art Direction-Set Direction.

Where to watch: See above (minus the $299 option).

Peyton Place

Synopsis: Unlike some of the others, 1956’s Peyton Place wasn’t set entirely on Labor Day, but it makes up for that by having Lana Turner and earning nine Academy Awards (not to mention inspiring a popular TV series that began in 1964).

Where to watch: Rentable from Google Play and others.

A Place in the Sun

Synopsis: The first of the Hollywood classics to be set on Labor Day, A Place in the Sun (1951) was an early twist on the classic love triangle tale. Starring Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift, it was nominated for nine Oscars and won six, including for Best Screenplay and Best Director.

Where to watch: Streaming for free via Amazon Prime Instant Video.