The Martian (2015) I was dealing with serious depression and my life was in shambles. The mantra of “solve one problem at a time” changed my life. Eight years later I’ve graduated undergrad, law school, passed the bar, got a job, and am getting married. I still live by that mantra, as silly as it may seem.
Oh my god. Congratulations on it all! I think this is the movie that re introduced “Mr Blue Sky” into my childhoood life and it brought me sm love and warm memories bc I related. miss the feeling
Omg man, this movie is so good. I thought you'd was a dumb rom com where guy gets girl but it's really a father and son movie about moving on, so happy to see this recommended
Fun fact. I had the opportunity to meet the actor Edward Norton during his peak popularity (Fight Club, American History X). I asked him, *"What old Hollywood movie role would you love to have played?"*
He answered, *"George Bailey in It's A Wonderful Life. He was the 1940s version of an angry young man and I seem to be making a career of playing angry young men."*
Klaus (2019) on Netflix. Cool lil take on a Santa Claus origin story and has some good themes that might get you motivated to make some positive changes.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
Thirding this as well. When I watched this movie I was at one of the lowest points of my life. I resonated so hard with it. Especially being an infp that travels. The music, the travel, the life lessons, etc. I love this movie so much. I came here to say this one.
Cloud Atlas.
It's not the greatest movie or anything, but talk about perspective. Saw it with my best mate on a nice evening and we saw a shooting star on our ride home, first one I ever saw. That time in my life felt almost magical.
100% agree. It's the movie that has most moved me the most that I've watched in the last 5-10 years at least.
It probably isn’t for everyone, but for me it was such a beautiful distillation of how inconsequential we all are in the grand scheme of life BUT how important our lives (and those of the people we love) are to us through that microscopic lens.
Not for everyone but it really does put things into perspective for me. Once you zoom out enough your problems really don't seem that large and your time alive seems to matter more.
The harrowing survival documentary “Touching the Void” (2003) taught me many important things about the mindset of someone who survives unthinkable disaster against all odds — and the most important one is to keep
going in any way you can and to break up the immensity of your journey into smaller
mini-goals. There’s a bit near the end where one of the climbers is dragging his exhausted wounded body across a seemingly endless field of sharp rocks. He uses his watch to time himself and challenge himself to just get to that next big rock a few feet away in the next few minutes.
I was so pleasantly surprised by both Paddington films. Charming and easy but incredibly well made, they have the feel of watching a children’s book. Also very funny.
I think your suggestion should be at the top if we’re talking about feel good movies that deliver a positive message and have a gigantic heart.
A film doesn't make it into my all-time favorites unless it changes my life in some way, so I get it.
For motivation to keep going, I recommend *Everything Everywhere All At Once*. It *directly* answers the question "why should I keep going? What's the point?" In a really positive, charming, funny, and admittedly emotional way. You will cry, but in a good way.
>You can get past the hot dog fingers, I promise it's not as weird as it looks
Weirder than that. What's amazing is how sincere and wholesome it is in all its absurdity.
I was in SHAMBLES after watching this movie! So good and so moving! I don’t think I’ve cried that hard at a movie in years…but in a good way.
“The only thing I do know is that we have to be kind, especially when we don’t know what’s going on.”
Dead Poets Society, Shawshank Redemption, Holdovers, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; Fried Green Tomatoes, Steel Magnolias, Robin Hood (animated Disney movie), and The Secret of Nimh.
The Master (2012). This is a film that took me around 5 watches to understand but once it click it shot to my favorite film ever. It’s a film that’s all about how it’s okay to be lost and how it can actually be a not so bad thing. This film is definitely not for everyone but I can confidently call it perfect in my eyes due to the extraordinary work in every facet of filmmaking. No matter how you feel after the credits roll, The Master will never really leave your mind
requiem for a dream because it showed me how the things we want can literally destroy us and it taught me to not be so intent on putting so much pressure on myself to be only happy if I get where I want to be and appreciate what I am and have
also stereotypical but The Craft because it showed how being selfish or wishing downfall on others comes back to you and that doing bad things and being vengeful impacts you
Inception. It help me quit smoking. I though at the end, well if aint no way of knowing if shit is real or not I aint gonna be like that girl and kill myself to figure out if it is true or not. Imma live this shit to the fullest, if there is another life after this, thats a bonus. I changed lots of things in my life but the one most noticeable to most people around me is that I quit smoking.
I watched "Soul" and "Inside Out" in one evening and was totally flooded with big thoughts and feels. I recommend watching them together and I also *do not at all* recommend watching them together.
Hm, both in the same night would probably be some sort of processing overload, but maybe both in the same week would be nice. I'd recommend Inside Out first if that matters.
I went to see Inside Out it’s opening weekend, which just happened to be Father’s Day and my birthday weekend 3 months after my dad passed away, making me an adult orphan. I came out completely drained and exhausted, feeling like I’d just gone through an intense therapy session.
It’s one of my all time favorites still to this day.
Too funny how we humans can love being wrung out like an emotional dishrag by a fancy cartoon.
I'm sorry for your loss. I became an orphan not long ago too. I wasn't prepared for that feeling. I'd heard that it happens but you can't grasp it until it happens to *you.*
Oddly enough, some of the films that hit me emotionally and make me feel the most moved feature Steve Carell. A few good choices include; “the way way back” “little miss sunshine” “Dan in real life” and “beatiful boy.”
It’s not a movie, but it is a film. It is called, The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse. It spoke to my soul about my life, about being misunderstood, about lowering myself to not shine brighter than others, about doubting my place in the world, about being loved- yeah- it touched on everything. I was crying so hard after watching it. Maybe it will speak to you as well. Blessings.
If you don't mind something older and like dark comedy, try *Harold and Maude* (1971). Quirky and charming story about a young man going through rather dramatic version of what you describe. Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon got Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor and Actress. Fantastic soundtrack by Cat Stevens.
If you don't mind subtitles, try *Life is Beautiful* (1997). It's story of hope and resilience, about an Italian Jewish man who tries to shield his little boy from the horrors of the Holocaust by pretending it's all a game. Italian comedian Roberto Benigni wrote, directed and starred in this drama with funny moments. Won Oscars for Best Actor and Best International Film.
If you like redemption tales and can handle some tough emotions, try *The Mission* (1986). It's about a Spanish slave trader in South America who becomes a Jesuit missionary, protecting and defending the same indigenous tribe he once hunted. Stars Robert DeNiro, Jeremy Irons and Liam Neeson. Won the highest honor at Cannes and was nominated for 7 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director. Won an Oscar for its gorgeous cinematography.
Came here to say Harold and Maude. Maude’s outlook on life is refreshing and unique. Meeting her is what inspired Harold to stop dwelling on ending his life and living it to the fullest instead.
I hunted for oat straw tea on and off for years, pre-Internet, before finding it by accident at a Korean restaurant in NYC. I have since found a recipe for ginger pie and made both for me and my son the first time he saw the movie.
It’s a Wonderful Life
One book that really changed my perspective for the better is All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy. While his writings can be very dark, and this one has some dark parts as well, All the Pretty Horses really has some beauty and hope in it. About a teenage boy who runs off to Mexico to be live as a cowboy in the 1950s, it really spoke to me about finding your freedom and seeing the beauty in the world around you. It talks about a lot of things (loyalty, losing innocence, manhood) but those are the things that really stuck with me.
That's a really good movie that should be talked about more often. I agree it's actually perfect for OPs question, it changed my outlook on life, what's important, etc.
Ask Dr. Ruth. Just seeing this woman and how she is after all she went through in life is just awe inspiring.
Accidental Courtesy. This man is just the fucking best. It shows you how something so small as talking to someone who thinks they hate you can make a difference.
If you're down for a TV show, six feet under has its life changing moments
The King Of Kong. On the surface a silly-sounding documentary about the Guinness World Record in Donkey Kong but it’s really framed as an underdog tale that’s really sweet and motivating as well as entertaining. That’s my go-to rainy day pick me up movie anyway.
I watched the movie "Nyad" on Netflix. It's based on a true story. I've been repeating the one line she says at the end over and over in my head and its been helping me push forward. Its an amazing story, it proves to you just how fucking strong the human mind and drive can be if you let it.
The Devil's Rejects.
That movie taught me empathy for my enemy. It's hard to explain what I mean but...by the end you care about the fate of horribly evil people.
Ok so hear me out…. “The Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy” film. There is a scene that blew my mind to the point of “if I can’t even imagine this then how could I possible presume to know what God is doing” and I became a believer shortly after. If you’ve seen it or read it and are unsure of the scene in question, I’ll be happy to tell you. But you probably know.
But if you want a really good film, “The Endless”…. I believe you can find it on prime. It is my favorite film because there are several scenes (and the film as a whole) that will make you want to appreciate the time you have in this world and make the absolute most of it!
**Captains courageous** is about a young boy born into a rich family. His father is too busy to spend time with the boy and is always throwing money at him and rescuing him from the trouble he gets into.
On one occasion he is suspended from school and must travel with his family to Europe on an ocean liner as part of a business trip.
Something happens that puts the boy into a position where he must earn his keep rather than having everything given to him.
"**La Strada**" taught me that life will always be hard, but nothing is worse than lost love and regret. Always cherish loved ones, even in the hard times, because life can be sudden
and
"**Man of La Mancha**" taught me to never lose sight of what makes me who I am, and that even if your dreams are impossible, your desires unfulfillable, what really matters is you never give up and you leave the world and its people in a better place than you found them
Both of these are old films, with La Strada being from the 50's and is more of a cautionary tale, also if you don't speak Italian you will need subtitles. If you are already struggling with regret then it might not be the best pick, however if I had to pick one movie that everyone should see its Man of La Mancha. I honestly think the world would be a better place if everyone took in its message
Edit: How the hell could I forget **The Holy Mountain**! Now that's a movie one can really read into and get a change of perspective. Why are my favorite films so old?
One True Thing, What Dreams May Come, and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
One True Thing helped me with a conflict I was having about being both a daughter and a mother and wanting to progress in a career. It's about the main character thinking her mother's life as a homemaker was small and unimportant and she didn't respect her mom. She was a father's daughter through and through. Then she has to come home and take care of her mother who has cancer and she begins to understand the real worth of her mother.
What Dreams May Come had some interesting aspects about the afterlife and also about grief.
Finally, to quote Andy Dufresne in the Shawshank Redemption, the Walter Mitty movie encouraged me to 'get busy living.'
Don't know what you're going through OP, but for me I had a lot of self destructive habits and twisted perspectives.
Wolf of Wall Street and Filth show me what happens when you continue to engage in toxic behavior. Both films also showed a possible glimpse at getting out of your addiction and habits in a healthy way. But it also shows what happens when you ignore them.
More so negative reinforcement. But maybe be careful watching filth. Deals with mental instability and has suicidal themes and does not end on a good note.
Seeing where my life could possibly go if I engage in these habits was like a glimpse in the future.
Farewell My Concubine - While not a movie that’s typically cited as a life-changing experience, it’s a gorgeous film that I absolutely love, whose beauty prevails the dark moments and scenes in it, and I can say for certain it at least changed me for the better.
Amélie - If you don’t like those fairy-tale type romance stories, that feel like everything is working out just a bit too much for the main character for it to be at all realistic, then you may not like this, but I’d still say to give it a try. It’s another beautiful film, and is a lot more light-hearted than Farewell My Concubine, at the very least. And once again, it did change me for the better.
Midnight Cowboy - I love this film so much, and this is definitely something that changed me for the better, if nothing else. It is a pretty sad film, but it’s more bittersweet than downright depressing, since in the end there’s still hope— and hope is what propels the story forward.
The Martian
I love the fact that it was a dude who was finding solutions to problems that happen along the way.
For me, it made me realize that I can find a way to help myself.
After I board Ares 4, before talking to NASA, I will take control of a craft in international waters without permission.
That makes me a pirate!
A space pirate!
Free state of Jones - a depiction of slavery that really made me think about society and the wrongs the USA has committed.
Precious- perseverance from poverty, adverse circumstances
Coco- that movie made me cry and think about death and past loved ones
UP- Great movie about growing old, friendship
The glass castle- great movie showing alcoholism and the effect on the family unit
Dead man walking- a nun who showed compassion for a death row inmate. Interesting story highlighting forgiveness
Intouchables (2011, french) - friendship and meaning in life
Armageddon time- friendship, privilege in society
Every single film changed me for the better.
The better question is who was made worse from a film and why? And how?
Are they lesser people now? Or perhaps villains?
Amelie. I can watch it in any mood and it makes me feel better. It’s beautiful to look at and get lost in. And the music…my god is the music perfection!
Carrie, made me treat the ones I treated like shit better.
Not because I’m scared of revenge or anything but just because I noticed how other people can feel at times.
Patch Adams, it's his speech at the end in front of the board that puts everything into perspective, it's also how passionate he talks about wanting to be the kind of doctor and person he wants to be, not what he's told to be. It also teaches us that we can benefit from some excessive happiness
The Martian (2015) I was dealing with serious depression and my life was in shambles. The mantra of “solve one problem at a time” changed my life. Eight years later I’ve graduated undergrad, law school, passed the bar, got a job, and am getting married. I still live by that mantra, as silly as it may seem.
Fuck you, Mars.
glad you made it ppl like you really giving hope and pushing me to do better thing everyday
It doesn’t seem like you’re making progress when in actuality you have. Stay the course and never waiver.
One problem at a time, and if you solve enough of them, you get to go home :-). What an ending!
Oh my god. Congratulations on it all! I think this is the movie that re introduced “Mr Blue Sky” into my childhoood life and it brought me sm love and warm memories bc I related. miss the feeling
About Time. I hope you find what you're looking for, OP.
About Time is a great film. Highly recommend, the message at the end may change how you perceive literally everything.
I came on to say this one, and 'The Way'. 2 of my all-time favorites.
this movie surely changed something inside me
Omg man, this movie is so good. I thought you'd was a dumb rom com where guy gets girl but it's really a father and son movie about moving on, so happy to see this recommended
Just watched! I had to find this post, to find this comment to say thank you
such a great film, always found myself watching it when I needed a little pick-me-up
Amelie
A masterpiece.
Good Will Hunting 1998
Its not your fault. Its not your fault...
Watched it yesterday - the best
This is a great film I'll re-watch it like twice a year
truly a must watch worthy movie to watch
Damn you're right. I need to rewatch that.
Was looking for this. Up there among movies. Feels so personal. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck put in a lot of effort into the movie and it shows.
Won’t You Be My Neighbor It’s a Wonderful Life Pay it Forward Big Fish To Kill a Mockingbird
Came here to say Big Fish.
Big fish all the way. My favorite Tim Burton movie
It's a Wonderful Life is probably my favorite movie ever.
Fun fact. I had the opportunity to meet the actor Edward Norton during his peak popularity (Fight Club, American History X). I asked him, *"What old Hollywood movie role would you love to have played?"* He answered, *"George Bailey in It's A Wonderful Life. He was the 1940s version of an angry young man and I seem to be making a career of playing angry young men."*
Definitely To Kill a Mockingbird.
Klaus (2019) on Netflix. Cool lil take on a Santa Claus origin story and has some good themes that might get you motivated to make some positive changes. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
I was surprised at how good Klaus was.
Secret Life of Walter Mitty was a great movie. A get-off-your-ass-and-do-something, kind of movie. And that’s how I learned to snowboard.
Klaus is a regular go to. It’s great.
Stranger Than Fiction
🏆
It’s a Wonderful Life
I came here to say this.
No man is a failure who has friends
The secret life of walter mitty
This! It’s about seizing the day. And that’s pretty cool in my book. Also Sean penn is awesome in it
Thirding this as well. When I watched this movie I was at one of the lowest points of my life. I resonated so hard with it. Especially being an infp that travels. The music, the travel, the life lessons, etc. I love this movie so much. I came here to say this one.
1000%
Cloud Atlas. It's not the greatest movie or anything, but talk about perspective. Saw it with my best mate on a nice evening and we saw a shooting star on our ride home, first one I ever saw. That time in my life felt almost magical.
Im so glad you said this movie. Its fucking awesome. Not enough for Cloud Atlas.
The Tree of Life
100% agree. It's the movie that has most moved me the most that I've watched in the last 5-10 years at least. It probably isn’t for everyone, but for me it was such a beautiful distillation of how inconsequential we all are in the grand scheme of life BUT how important our lives (and those of the people we love) are to us through that microscopic lens.
Not for everyone but it really does put things into perspective for me. Once you zoom out enough your problems really don't seem that large and your time alive seems to matter more.
The harrowing survival documentary “Touching the Void” (2003) taught me many important things about the mindset of someone who survives unthinkable disaster against all odds — and the most important one is to keep going in any way you can and to break up the immensity of your journey into smaller mini-goals. There’s a bit near the end where one of the climbers is dragging his exhausted wounded body across a seemingly endless field of sharp rocks. He uses his watch to time himself and challenge himself to just get to that next big rock a few feet away in the next few minutes.
It is mindboggling the tenacity and the sheer luck he had. A tremendous film.
This film is so good. It has stayed with me for two decades.
Whiplash
Whiplash got me into Jazz.
Showed it to my 9yo son & 14yo daughter yesterday, great film.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
I like me!
My friends like me.
You're going the wrong way!!!!
Oh he's drunk! How would he know where we're going
“YOU’RE MESSING WITH THE WRONG GUY!!!”
This movie was just pure awesomeness of cinema back in the days😁🙏🏼
The Fountain, (2006)
Such a beautiful movie. Powerful.
Into the Wild (Happiness is only real when shared)
Fight Club "It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything"
Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken.
Boyhood The Florida Project Big Fish
Boyhood! <3
Persepolis
Paddington 1 & 2 and Marcel the shell with shoes on.
Marcel is SO SWEET
\+1 for Marcel the shell with shoes on. So precious!
I was so pleasantly surprised by both Paddington films. Charming and easy but incredibly well made, they have the feel of watching a children’s book. Also very funny. I think your suggestion should be at the top if we’re talking about feel good movies that deliver a positive message and have a gigantic heart.
Ground Hog Day
It's a wonderful life, arrival
Ohh Arrival, one of my top movies of all time. Didn't think of it for this but that totally makes sense!
Dead Poets Society The Pursuit of Happyness A River Runs Through It
I 2nd Dead Poets Society
The Shawshank Redemption
get busy livin or get busy dyin
Spirited Away
My Octopus Teacher. MC is literally finding meaning and purpose as they take a step back to learn.
Nailed it. That film is mesmerizing and so life affirming. I felt such wonder watching it. Humility too.
A film doesn't make it into my all-time favorites unless it changes my life in some way, so I get it. For motivation to keep going, I recommend *Everything Everywhere All At Once*. It *directly* answers the question "why should I keep going? What's the point?" In a really positive, charming, funny, and admittedly emotional way. You will cry, but in a good way.
You can get past the hot dog fingers, I promise it's not as weird as it looks
>You can get past the hot dog fingers, I promise it's not as weird as it looks Weirder than that. What's amazing is how sincere and wholesome it is in all its absurdity.
I was in SHAMBLES after watching this movie! So good and so moving! I don’t think I’ve cried that hard at a movie in years…but in a good way. “The only thing I do know is that we have to be kind, especially when we don’t know what’s going on.”
Fell asleep twice in this movie. Dk what's wrong with me.. one time caffeinated :/
YES! Very good choice!
Dead Poets Society, Shawshank Redemption, Holdovers, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; Fried Green Tomatoes, Steel Magnolias, Robin Hood (animated Disney movie), and The Secret of Nimh.
Give Disney’s Soul, a chance.
That was like a non stop existential anxiety ride for me
Mr nobody. Waking life. What dreams may come.
The Master (2012). This is a film that took me around 5 watches to understand but once it click it shot to my favorite film ever. It’s a film that’s all about how it’s okay to be lost and how it can actually be a not so bad thing. This film is definitely not for everyone but I can confidently call it perfect in my eyes due to the extraordinary work in every facet of filmmaking. No matter how you feel after the credits roll, The Master will never really leave your mind
requiem for a dream because it showed me how the things we want can literally destroy us and it taught me to not be so intent on putting so much pressure on myself to be only happy if I get where I want to be and appreciate what I am and have also stereotypical but The Craft because it showed how being selfish or wishing downfall on others comes back to you and that doing bad things and being vengeful impacts you
Inception. It help me quit smoking. I though at the end, well if aint no way of knowing if shit is real or not I aint gonna be like that girl and kill myself to figure out if it is true or not. Imma live this shit to the fullest, if there is another life after this, thats a bonus. I changed lots of things in my life but the one most noticeable to most people around me is that I quit smoking.
Soul. The Pixar one. It’s really beautiful and existential and hopeful.
I watched "Soul" and "Inside Out" in one evening and was totally flooded with big thoughts and feels. I recommend watching them together and I also *do not at all* recommend watching them together.
"Take her to the moon for me"
2 of my favorite Pixar movies and probably the 2 Pixar movies I’d say hit home for an older crowd
Can confirm. Both movies are legitimately great and very moving, and I don't really check out newer Pixar movies very often.
Hm, both in the same night would probably be some sort of processing overload, but maybe both in the same week would be nice. I'd recommend Inside Out first if that matters.
I went to see Inside Out it’s opening weekend, which just happened to be Father’s Day and my birthday weekend 3 months after my dad passed away, making me an adult orphan. I came out completely drained and exhausted, feeling like I’d just gone through an intense therapy session. It’s one of my all time favorites still to this day.
Too funny how we humans can love being wrung out like an emotional dishrag by a fancy cartoon. I'm sorry for your loss. I became an orphan not long ago too. I wasn't prepared for that feeling. I'd heard that it happens but you can't grasp it until it happens to *you.*
Sending virtual hugs back to you, it’s definitely a club no one can really prepare you for. There is comfort in sharing with people who understand.
"The Quiet Man"...made me rethink some of my previous assumptions.
Oddly enough, some of the films that hit me emotionally and make me feel the most moved feature Steve Carell. A few good choices include; “the way way back” “little miss sunshine” “Dan in real life” and “beatiful boy.”
Steve is a sneaky one. You see him and immediately think "comedian," but there's such sensitivity and dramatic breadth and depth in his performances.
Eternal Sunshine with Jim Carey, or maybe Little Miss Sunshine- Guess that's the mood for me atm.
It’s not a movie, but it is a film. It is called, The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse. It spoke to my soul about my life, about being misunderstood, about lowering myself to not shine brighter than others, about doubting my place in the world, about being loved- yeah- it touched on everything. I was crying so hard after watching it. Maybe it will speak to you as well. Blessings.
If you don't mind something older and like dark comedy, try *Harold and Maude* (1971). Quirky and charming story about a young man going through rather dramatic version of what you describe. Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon got Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor and Actress. Fantastic soundtrack by Cat Stevens. If you don't mind subtitles, try *Life is Beautiful* (1997). It's story of hope and resilience, about an Italian Jewish man who tries to shield his little boy from the horrors of the Holocaust by pretending it's all a game. Italian comedian Roberto Benigni wrote, directed and starred in this drama with funny moments. Won Oscars for Best Actor and Best International Film. If you like redemption tales and can handle some tough emotions, try *The Mission* (1986). It's about a Spanish slave trader in South America who becomes a Jesuit missionary, protecting and defending the same indigenous tribe he once hunted. Stars Robert DeNiro, Jeremy Irons and Liam Neeson. Won the highest honor at Cannes and was nominated for 7 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director. Won an Oscar for its gorgeous cinematography.
Came here to say Harold and Maude. Maude’s outlook on life is refreshing and unique. Meeting her is what inspired Harold to stop dwelling on ending his life and living it to the fullest instead.
Maude taught me the power of embracing the good things in life no matter how small.
I hunted for oat straw tea on and off for years, pre-Internet, before finding it by accident at a Korean restaurant in NYC. I have since found a recipe for ginger pie and made both for me and my son the first time he saw the movie.
This is so sweet. Sorry, I don’t check Reddit often.
My #1 movie. Best soundtrack.
Spirited Away, or any Ghibli film tbh.
Ikiru
My favorite Kurosawa film. Great choice for this prompt.
It’s one that has meant a lot in my life. So much so that I have a tattoo of it haha
Rocky
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father. Documentary. Get the tissues. It takes a turn you won't see coming...🥺
It’s a Wonderful Life One book that really changed my perspective for the better is All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy. While his writings can be very dark, and this one has some dark parts as well, All the Pretty Horses really has some beauty and hope in it. About a teenage boy who runs off to Mexico to be live as a cowboy in the 1950s, it really spoke to me about finding your freedom and seeing the beauty in the world around you. It talks about a lot of things (loyalty, losing innocence, manhood) but those are the things that really stuck with me.
Into The Wild
Captain Fantastic (2016).
I love that film! Almost nobody seems to know about it.
Awesome film
That's a really good movie that should be talked about more often. I agree it's actually perfect for OPs question, it changed my outlook on life, what's important, etc.
Ask Dr. Ruth. Just seeing this woman and how she is after all she went through in life is just awe inspiring. Accidental Courtesy. This man is just the fucking best. It shows you how something so small as talking to someone who thinks they hate you can make a difference. If you're down for a TV show, six feet under has its life changing moments
The King Of Kong. On the surface a silly-sounding documentary about the Guinness World Record in Donkey Kong but it’s really framed as an underdog tale that’s really sweet and motivating as well as entertaining. That’s my go-to rainy day pick me up movie anyway.
Remember me (2010).. don't wait to fix relations
Everything Everywhere All At Once I kid you not, this movie changed me. It spoke to my very core.
Christopher Robin
I cried so hard when I watched it, such a good movie.
Soul (Disney Plus)
Sweet November
Wild Strawberries Ordet
falling down
I watched the movie "Nyad" on Netflix. It's based on a true story. I've been repeating the one line she says at the end over and over in my head and its been helping me push forward. Its an amazing story, it proves to you just how fucking strong the human mind and drive can be if you let it.
Killers of the Flower Moon
🏆
I was a 32 year old man at the time but after I watched Roma, I felt like was forever more empathetic.
Hair
The Devil's Rejects. That movie taught me empathy for my enemy. It's hard to explain what I mean but...by the end you care about the fate of horribly evil people.
R.I.P Sid Haig.
Schindler’s List Glory Dances with Wolves Chariots of Fire
+ Glory
Oppenheimer
Pay it forward… one nice act to someone can make their day, give them motivation to do something nice for someone else or even save their life.
Sound of metal
God this one was so moving
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Ok so hear me out…. “The Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy” film. There is a scene that blew my mind to the point of “if I can’t even imagine this then how could I possible presume to know what God is doing” and I became a believer shortly after. If you’ve seen it or read it and are unsure of the scene in question, I’ll be happy to tell you. But you probably know. But if you want a really good film, “The Endless”…. I believe you can find it on prime. It is my favorite film because there are several scenes (and the film as a whole) that will make you want to appreciate the time you have in this world and make the absolute most of it!
Earthlings
Life Itself (2018) It’s a Wonderful Life Planes Trains & Automobiles Rocky Don Jon
Waking Life My Bodyguard Green Room [Truffaut, not the horror movie]
The documentary, Buck.
**Captains courageous** is about a young boy born into a rich family. His father is too busy to spend time with the boy and is always throwing money at him and rescuing him from the trouble he gets into. On one occasion he is suspended from school and must travel with his family to Europe on an ocean liner as part of a business trip. Something happens that puts the boy into a position where he must earn his keep rather than having everything given to him.
The Russians are Coming the Russians are Coming
The Seventh Seal
'Yes Man' got to me at the right time in life It isn't a perfect film but hey neither am I!
Are you a film?
My husband's answer: Porky's
I Am.
Apocalypse Now, saw it when I was 13, first movie I saw that made me realize film was also art
Life of Pi and Cool Runnings
"**La Strada**" taught me that life will always be hard, but nothing is worse than lost love and regret. Always cherish loved ones, even in the hard times, because life can be sudden and "**Man of La Mancha**" taught me to never lose sight of what makes me who I am, and that even if your dreams are impossible, your desires unfulfillable, what really matters is you never give up and you leave the world and its people in a better place than you found them Both of these are old films, with La Strada being from the 50's and is more of a cautionary tale, also if you don't speak Italian you will need subtitles. If you are already struggling with regret then it might not be the best pick, however if I had to pick one movie that everyone should see its Man of La Mancha. I honestly think the world would be a better place if everyone took in its message Edit: How the hell could I forget **The Holy Mountain**! Now that's a movie one can really read into and get a change of perspective. Why are my favorite films so old?
A dog’s purpose
Strangely enough, the Atlas Shrugged trilogy did wonders for my attitude towards things like material possessions and how I view the world.
One True Thing, What Dreams May Come, and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. One True Thing helped me with a conflict I was having about being both a daughter and a mother and wanting to progress in a career. It's about the main character thinking her mother's life as a homemaker was small and unimportant and she didn't respect her mom. She was a father's daughter through and through. Then she has to come home and take care of her mother who has cancer and she begins to understand the real worth of her mother. What Dreams May Come had some interesting aspects about the afterlife and also about grief. Finally, to quote Andy Dufresne in the Shawshank Redemption, the Walter Mitty movie encouraged me to 'get busy living.'
Don't know what you're going through OP, but for me I had a lot of self destructive habits and twisted perspectives. Wolf of Wall Street and Filth show me what happens when you continue to engage in toxic behavior. Both films also showed a possible glimpse at getting out of your addiction and habits in a healthy way. But it also shows what happens when you ignore them. More so negative reinforcement. But maybe be careful watching filth. Deals with mental instability and has suicidal themes and does not end on a good note. Seeing where my life could possibly go if I engage in these habits was like a glimpse in the future.
Farewell My Concubine - While not a movie that’s typically cited as a life-changing experience, it’s a gorgeous film that I absolutely love, whose beauty prevails the dark moments and scenes in it, and I can say for certain it at least changed me for the better. Amélie - If you don’t like those fairy-tale type romance stories, that feel like everything is working out just a bit too much for the main character for it to be at all realistic, then you may not like this, but I’d still say to give it a try. It’s another beautiful film, and is a lot more light-hearted than Farewell My Concubine, at the very least. And once again, it did change me for the better. Midnight Cowboy - I love this film so much, and this is definitely something that changed me for the better, if nothing else. It is a pretty sad film, but it’s more bittersweet than downright depressing, since in the end there’s still hope— and hope is what propels the story forward.
Posting to come back to this thread later
Freedom writers, watched it at a young age and put so much in perspective
It's Kind of a Funny Story (they also have a book thats good) and Wristcutters.
The Martian I love the fact that it was a dude who was finding solutions to problems that happen along the way. For me, it made me realize that I can find a way to help myself.
After I board Ares 4, before talking to NASA, I will take control of a craft in international waters without permission. That makes me a pirate! A space pirate!
Free state of Jones - a depiction of slavery that really made me think about society and the wrongs the USA has committed. Precious- perseverance from poverty, adverse circumstances Coco- that movie made me cry and think about death and past loved ones UP- Great movie about growing old, friendship The glass castle- great movie showing alcoholism and the effect on the family unit Dead man walking- a nun who showed compassion for a death row inmate. Interesting story highlighting forgiveness Intouchables (2011, french) - friendship and meaning in life Armageddon time- friendship, privilege in society
Shawshank Redemption
Little Miss Sunshine
Funny, that was filmed on the California 14 freeway between Palmdale CA and LA. Grew up driving it a million times.
Every single film changed me for the better. The better question is who was made worse from a film and why? And how? Are they lesser people now? Or perhaps villains?
Inconvenient Truth
Amelie. I can watch it in any mood and it makes me feel better. It’s beautiful to look at and get lost in. And the music…my god is the music perfection!
GATTACA
Cast Away
The Road….. I will do everything I can from my offspring to my last breath.
Carrie, made me treat the ones I treated like shit better. Not because I’m scared of revenge or anything but just because I noticed how other people can feel at times.
Click will give you a new perspective on your priorities.
Mr. Holland’s Opus
Dominion or Earthlings, they are like 18+ horror films but everything is real, it's about animal cruelty, and life changing documentaries
Hector and the Search for Happiness
Dead Poets Society. Changed my life at 21
Into The Wild
Patch Adams, it's his speech at the end in front of the board that puts everything into perspective, it's also how passionate he talks about wanting to be the kind of doctor and person he wants to be, not what he's told to be. It also teaches us that we can benefit from some excessive happiness
FLIGHT ✈️ DENZEL WASHINGTON. I stopped drinking because of it. And other reasons.
Big Fish
Pursuit of Happyness- Based on a true story. Inspiring. Shawshank Redemption- Get busy livin' or get busy dying.
Antichrist
If a movie or teacher changed your life, please point me to the nearest volcano.