Galentine's Day is here! Celebrate with your besties by watching these 10 TV shows, movies

Charles Trepany and Edward Segarra, USA TODAY

February 13, 2023 at 6:49 PM·5 min read

Galentine's Day is upon us, which means it's time to gather with those near and dear for a celebration of friendship.

What is Galentine's Day, you may ask? Well, according to one seminal sitcom character, it's "only the best day of the year!" Galentine's Day, which falls the day before Valentine's Day and traces its origins to an episode of the popular workplace comedy "Parks and Recreation," embodies the spirit of Valentine's Day — but rather than doling out mushiness and affection to your lover, you dole it out to your best gals.

There are plenty of ways to celebrate Galentine's Day (which you can read all about here), but, in our opinion, no celebration is complete without viewing a TV show or movie that celebrates friendship.

Happy Galentine's Day! Here's how to bring the love and celebrate the February 13 holiday

Here are some Galentine's Day viewing recommendations:

1. 'Parks and Recreation' Galentine's Day episode (2010)

For Valentine's Day: "Parks and Recreation" not only has great romances worthy of Valentine's, it actually has led to a semi-recognized holiday on February 13: Galentine's Day.

Of course, the origin of the pop culture holiday has to be mandatory viewing. Season 2, episode 16 of "Parks and Recreation," entitled "Galentine's Day" sees the show's lead Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) celebrating the holiday with a group of her girlfriends at a local diner.

In the episode, Knope lays out the pillars of a proper Galentine's Day celebration:

Leave the boyfriends and husbands at home
Kick it breakfast style (i.e. grab waffles or pancakes at a local spot)
Have ladies celebrate ladies

2. 'Bridesmaids' (2011)

Perhaps the ultimate comedy about female friendship, the 2011 film "Bridesmaids" will have you and your besties cracking up at the antics of an iconic female ensemble featuring Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph and more.

3. 'Girls Trip' (2017)

What's more Galentine's than a group of female friends embarking on a zany adventure? The 2017 film "Girls Trip," starring Tiffany Haddish, Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah and more, will inspire you to plan a wild vacay with your besties for next year's celebration.

4. 'Mean Girls' (2004) or 'Mean Girls (Musical)' (2024)

Left to right: Lindsay Lohan as Cady, Amanda Seyfried as Karen, Lacey Chabert as Gretchen and Rachel McAdams as Regina in a scene from the motion picture u0022Mean Girls.u0022

Sure, girls can be mean. But, in the end, the 2004 comedy "Mean Girls," starring Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried and Lacey Chabert, is all about women deciding to lift each other up rather than tear each other down. What's more Galentine's Day than that?

And if one "Mean Girls" movie isn't enough, we have good news. The film was recently revamped with a musical adaptation starring pop singer Reneé Rapp.

Avantika plays Karen Shetty, Angourie Rice plays Cady Heron, Renee Rapp plays Regina George and Bebe Wood plays Gretchen Wieners in "Mean Girls" from Paramount Pictures.

5. 'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' (2005)

Out? Friendship bracelets. In? Cryptic pants. In the 2005 film "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," starring America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, Blake Lively and Alexis Bledel, a pair of jeans that somehow magically fits all of the women in a friend group, despite their different sizes, is what keeps each of the besties connected as they drift down different life paths.

6. 'Magic Mike's Last Dance' (2023)

Channing Tatum and Salma Hayek nearly had a mishap while rehearsing for their steamy routine in "Magic Mike's Last Dance."

In what seems to be an increasingly polarized society, there is at least one thing many women can unite behind: shirtless Channing Tatum. "Magic Mike's Last Dance," which came out Feb. 9 and earned $8.2 million its first weekend in North American theaters, sees Tatum back in his role as Mike, a retired male stripper who helps a socialite played by Salma Hayek produce a stage play. (Read our ★★½ out of four review of the film here.)

7. 'Clueless' (1995)

Stacey Dash (left), as Dionne, and Alicia Silverstone, as Cher, appear in the 1995 film "Clueless."

Cher and Dionne are one of the most iconic BFF pairings in cinematic history in this charming teen comedy starring Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy and Paul Rudd. Plus, Cher's mentorship-turned-friendship with new student Tai is as hilarious as it is heartwarming. Come for the stylish plaid ensembles; stay for the endearing camaraderie.

8. 'Crossroads' (2002)

Zoe Saldaña as Kit, from left, Britney Spears as Lucy and Taryn Manning as Mimi appear in a scene from the 2002 film "Crossroads."

In her feature film debut, pop icon Britney Spears stars as Lucy, a shy and sheltered teen who longs to connect with her absentee mother (Kim Cattrall) against the wishes of her dad (Dan Aykroyd). Lucy is joined by best friends Kit (Zoe Saldaña) and Mimi (Taryn Manning) on a road trip to California, along with the handsome Ben (Anson Mount).

The film was panned by critics upon its release, but come on: road-trip shenanigans with friends + Britney nostalgia? You can't go wrong.

9. 'The Craft' (1996)

Friends don't let friends take revenge alone.

In this horror fantasy starring Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell and Rachel True, a group of teen witches use their supernatural powers to dole out vigilante justice against those who've wronged them.

10. 'Aquamarine' (2006)

Emma Roberts, from left, JoJo and Sara Paxton appear in a scene from the 2006 film "Aquamarine."

Emma Roberts, JoJo and Sara Paxton star in this sweet fantasy comedy about boy-crazed BFFs Hailey (JoJo) and Claire (Roberts), who discover a mermaid named Aquamarine (Paxton) sitting by the pool one summer night. The girls help their new amphibious pal, who fled a forced marriage, prove to her father that love exists by setting her up with a hunky lifeguard (Jake McDorman).

More stories celebrating love, Valentine's Day

Love is in the air: Set the mood on Valentine's Day with 20 of the best love songs from this century
Wedding bells are ringing: Usher, Jennifer Goicoechea tied the knot in Vegas after the Super Bowl
Sometimes it's about heartbreak: How to get over a break up during Valentine's Day
Food for thought: Here's why you shouldn't have sex this Valentine's Day, according to a sex therapist
We've got you covered: Ideas for celebrating the Valentine's Day alternative with your besties
NFL's royal couple: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce pack on the PDA. We can't stop watching.

Contributing: Anna Kaufman, Erin Jensen and Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY; Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Galentine's Day viewing guide: 10 movies, shows on female friendship

Reuters
Isolationism has never worked for America, EU's Kallas says
Kaja Kallas, the European Union's incoming foreign policy chief, cautioned on Tuesday against making assumptions about what U.S. President-elect Donald Trump would do in Ukraine and warned that isolationism had never worked for the United States. Kallas, a former prime minister of Estonia, told her confirmation hearing in the European Parliament that she did not think anybody yet knew what Trump would do about the war in Ukraine, triggered by Russia's 2022 invasion.
USA TODAY
Storm tracker: Tropical depression expected to form in Caribbean Sea by end of the week
The NHC said Tuesday it is tracking a tropical wave in the Caribbean Sea that could become a tropical depression by the end of the week.
Associated Press
As US Catholic bishops meet, Trump looms over their work on abortion and immigration
As U.S. Catholic bishops gather for their annual fall meeting this week in Baltimore, the specter of President-elect Donald Trump’s resounding victory will hang over the proceedings. The incoming Trump administration offers promise and peril for American Catholic leaders' top policy concerns, which include abortion and immigration. Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, congratulated Trump on his win in a statement, while stressing that the Catholic Church “is not aligned with any political party.”
Associated Press
Growing pollution in Pakistan's Punjab province has sickened 1.8M people in a month, officials say
Worsening air pollution sickened an estimated 1.8 million people in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province in the past month, health officials said Tuesday, as schools across the province were ordered to close for five days to protect children's health. Punjab with a population of 127 million has been struggling to combat smog since last month. “Over 1.8 million people visited hospitals and private clinics in the smog-hit districts in Punjab in the past 30 days, and most of them had been suffering from respiratory-related diseases and burning of eyes,” said Ahsan Riaz, a spokesman for the health department.
AFP
Crisis-hit Germany headed for February 23 snap election
Germany, mired in political crisis, is headed for February 23 elections, the main parties agreed Tuesday, aiming to form a stable government after Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-party coalition collapsed last week."We don't have unlimited time to elect a new government in Germany, regardless of who leads it... because the world around us is not waiting," Merz said on Tuesday.
Reuters
Russian doctor jailed for 5.5 years on basis of public denunciation
A Russian court on Tuesday sentenced a Moscow paediatrician to five and a half years in a penal colony, state news agency TASS said, after the mother of one of her patients publicly denounced her for comments she made about Russian soldiers in Ukraine. Prosecutors last week requested Nadezhda Buyanova, 68, be jailed for six years for spreading "fakes" about the Russian army. Over 1,000 people have been criminally prosecuted in Russia for speaking out against the war, according to rights project OVD-Info, while over 20,000 have been detained for protesting.
AFP
C.Africa urges lifting of embargo on diamond exports
The Central African Republic (CAR) sought Tuesday to convince the regulatory body for global diamond trading to lift all restrictions against it, ending an export embargo in place for more than a decade.The Kimberley Process (KP) regulatory body opened its plenary assembly in Dubai on Tuesday under the presidency of the United Arab Emirates.
Associated Press
European fake art network involving Banksys, Warhols, Modiglianis uncovered in Italy
Italian authorities say a network of European art forgers who painted fake Warhols, Banksys and Picassos and then tried to sell them to unsuspecting buyers with the help of complicit auction houses has been dismantled. Thirty-eight people have been placed under investigation, including six in Spain, France and Belgium. Italian authorities say the network could have done 200 million euros ($212 million) in economic damage by flooding the art market with fake works.
Yahoo Finance
Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500 futures hit pause on record-setting rally
Investors are assessing whether the post-election rally is about to stall and what Donald Trump's cabinet picks mean for policy.
Reuters
Development lenders set new climate finance target for poorer countries
The world's top multilateral banks pledged on Tuesday to ramp up climate finance to low and middle income countries to $120 billion a year by 2030 as part of efforts at global talks in Azerbaijan to agree an ambitious annual target. Reaffirming a goal of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average by 2050, the lenders said the new figure would include $42 billion to help adapt to the impacts of extreme weather. With the U.S. government under Donald Trump expected to pull back from global efforts to fight climate change and many other countries cutting development aid, more emphasis is being placed on helping the private sector increase its funding for climate.
USA TODAY
Trump transition live updates: Latest news as election winner makes moves; House control
President-elect Donald Trump has started selecting the pivotal aides who will make up his second administration. Keep up with live coverage.
CNN
Ukraine is fighting 50,000 troops in Russia’s Kursk region, Zelensky says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia has deployed nearly 50,000 troops to Kursk, the southern Russian region where Kyiv launched its surprise counteroffensive in the summer.
CNN
Trump’s Cabinet picks could be complicated by GOP math in the House
Plenty of House Republicans are privately jockeying for President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet. There’s one big problem: Speaker Mike Johnson can’t afford to lose their votes in the next Congress.
CNN
Morning-after pill sales surge online, telehealth companies say, as women prepare for second Trump term
Online sales of emergency contraceptives, like the morning-after pill Plan B, have skyrocketed in the United States in the last week – just days after Donald Trump won the US presidential election, according to retailers.
Associated Press
Danish police close investigation into Old Stock Exchange fire
Danish police said Tuesday that they were closing the investigation into the devastating fire that destroyed more than half of Copenhagen’s Old Stock Exchange, saying nothing points at the blaze being the result of a criminal act. Despite extensive forensic investigations, review of surveillance and the questioning of a large number of witnesses, “it is not possible to determine the cause of the fire in the historic stock exchange building," said Brian Belling, the Copenhagen police officer in charge of the investigation. “Our assessment is that we have explored all relevant investigative possibilities in the case,” Belling told a press conference, adding that no one has been charged in the case.
AFP
War reaches Lebanon's far north after rare, deadly Israeli strike
A day after Israeli warplanes flattened their building, Lebanese residents helped rescuers scour the rubble for survivors, still reeling from the rare strike in the country's far north.On Sunday, Lebanon said an Israeli strike killed 23 people, including seven children, in the village of Almat -- a rare strike north of the capital.
CNN
Saudi crown prince accuses Israel of committing ‘collective genocide’ in Gaza
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has accused Israel of carrying out “collective genocide” in Gaza, in some of his strongest criticism of the country since the war began last year.
CNN
Demonstrators wave Nazi flags outside local theater performance of ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ in Michigan
A group of people carrying Nazi flags demonstrated outside a community theater performance of “The Diary of Anne Frank” in Livingston County, Michigan, in a display of antisemitism.
Reuters
Moldova protests to Russian envoy over election meddling denied by Moscow
Moldova handed Russia's ambassador to Chisinau a protest note on Tuesday over alleged interference by Moscow in a presidential election and a referendum on joining the European Union. The Moldovan foreign ministry said in a statement that Russia had sought to delegitimise the democratic process of the country's presidential election, won by pro-Western President Maia Sandu, and an Oct. 20 referendum on inserting a clause in the constitution defining EU membership as a goal. Moscow has denied the allegations.
Time
How We Chose the 100 Most Influential Climate Leaders in Business for 2024
The second annual list identifies 100 leaders driving measurable, successful, and equitable climate action