Wow. I noticed that most of my entries the past week or so have been very intense. So, let’s take a step back. For goodness sake, it’s Thanksgiving week! And we also need to get many of our blog lurkers and stalkers off the sidelines and onto the comments.
No one will bite…but I can’t guarantee it after this week.
Here’s the simple question:
What are you go to feel good movies that you watch to lift your spirits? The films you watch when you’re feeling down, knocked down, or in need of inspiration?
How about three? But share at least one.
My three+ in no particular order:
- Star Wars (any one of them)
- Hoosiers
- Chariots of Fire
- * Gotta add: Shawshank Redemption
- * With the family: Sound of Music and “Anybody Have a Peanut?”
If you’re bored and want to read couple great previous movie lists on the blog:
EUGENE CHO 
Rudy
Hitch
Amistad
*Antwone Fisher (if only for the last 20 minutes)
Amelie – effervescent French movie with a traveling lawn gnome.
Once – beautifully haunting music + Ireland
Up – talking dogs, giant birds, and a touching look at the power of relationships
Wow, am I actually going to be the second guy in a row to name ‘Amelie?’ That’s bad.
I also love ‘Stranger than Fiction’
Moulin Rouge
Love Actually
When Harry Met Sally
Already mentioned but Rudy and Amelie are certainly go-to movies.
Ones that haven’t been listed…
Little Miss Sunshine
Punch Drunk Love
…and I have to mention Amelie yet again because it always surprises me and makes me all giddy inside.
Sound of Music, why I married who I did 🙂
Anne of Green Gables,
Dumb and Dumber, still makes me laugh
Miracle (esp. for the MN props)
Hitch
Saving Silverman
Jerry Maguire
Lord of the Rings
The Natural
The Natural…
I love that movie. I always feel like I could have played in the majors after I watch that film.
You got me at Hello.
I’ve never even heard of Amelie, will have to look it up.
Up, is one of my favorite movies, hilarious and powerful all in an animated movie.
Pride and Prejudice. I like the 2005 version.
And my favorite movie ever, Blazing Saddles.
When I still want some level of sophistication:
– Little Miss Sunshine
– Lars and the Real Girl
– Sense and Sensibility
– Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
– Motorcycle Diaries
When I just want a laugh:
– Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
– The Three Amigos
– Elf
I’ve got to add that my favorite thing to put in the DVD player after a long week is Arrested Development. It just gets better every time!
Hmmmmm…without looking at my collection:
– Little Miss Sunshine
– Waking Ned Devine
– One of the Christopher Guest documentaries (Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, a Mighty Wind)
oooh Ned Devine, have to add that one too. Great call!
one more (sorry): The Great Outdoors.
You can’t go wrong with John Candy.
I find that kiddie movies most often get me in a good mood after a bad day or week. Some I enjoy are:
Space Jam
Harriet the Spy
Secret Garden
…
Also
The Dish and Dirty Dancing are 2 other feel-good movies which are high quality
I also have to add Yes! Man, I watched it today and I find it extremely humorous/uplifting
Little Miss Sunshine
Remains of the Day
500 Days of Summer
Love Actually
,…..are a few of the titles bumping around in my head!
Grace and peace
Johnny
~Love Actually
~Much Ado About Nothing
~Bridget Jones’ Diary
(The Brits do ‘feel good’ movies the best!)
I have to agree on Much Ado!
Elf
A River Runs Through It
Any movie featuring dogs
A River Runs Through It is also one of my faves simply for the reason that I love fishing.
A Christmas Story
Little Miss Sunshine is a good one, so I’ll “borrow” that.
I want to say “Precious”, but “feel-good” is not quite the word for it because it’s so hard to watch–but it does inspire me.
Ditto for The Soloist.
Forrest Gump
The Lion King
Slumdog Millionaire
The Natural (used to listen to the soundtrack with my dad in his truck before softball games)
Sound of Music (also useful as a soundtrack when packing (or unpacking) boxes)
Amelie (careful if the heartbreak is acute, but a wonderful, inspiring film – one of my all-time favorites and go-to movies when I’m feeling down)
Stranger Than Fiction (a newer favorite – hope and salvation in the midst of a stifling culture of fatalism)
The Two Towers (also great after heartbreak and sorrow)
The Incredibles (if everyone was special, no one would be 🙂
Hmm…if you’re going based just on how many times I’ve seen them, then I have to go with:
Ocean’s Eleven
Forrest Gump
Finding Nemo
prying me out of lurker mode with this:
Groundhog Day
Stranger Than Fiction
Love Actually
** virtually any Sci-Fi
** anything with Bruce Willis
** or explosions
Beauty & the Beast (Disney)
Anne of Green Gables
Newsies
Never Been Kissed
it’s not out on DVD yet but it is my favorite film of all time [in my short 20 ish years at least haha]: 500 days of summer. johnny D, here’s to you mentioning it as well!
serenity for my nerd side. not really feel good until the end when all the good stuff happens..
also, johnny english. it is a TERRIBLE film but it packs nonstop laughter. who could ask for more?
cheers
this might be a little *too* revealing but I’m a sucker for a good hong-kong stylized fight movie. And pretty colors. And a tear-jerking storyline. So when I get down I watch “Hero” (Wu-Ming) with Jet Li. I own 2 copies on DVD :p
Mr. Holland’s Opus
Benny and Joon
50 First Dates
Princess Bride
Spaceballs
The Matrix
Fight Club
Benjamin buttons
Once
Wow. Fight Club is kind of intense.
-about a boy
-so I married an axe murderer
-anchor man: the legend of ron burgundy
Honorable mention: Once, LOTR
I can’t believe I forgot about Anchorman. Good choice.
Axe Murderer is a classic, too, of course.
My all-time fav inspirational movie is “Dead Poets Society”
Also really like “Lost in Translation” (maybe a strange choice for a “feel good” movie?)
And another vote for “Love, Actually”
I’m all over the timeline here:
The Devil Wears Prada (I really wanted to hate it, but Streep & Tucci were just too amazing.)
Frisco Kid (Gene Wilder’s best-ever performance, IMHO)
Miss Potter (can’t help it — I raised my kids on Peter Rabbit)
Amadeus (am I dating myself?)
Family Man (first time I laid eyes on Don Cheadle)
and a brand new favorite: Where the Wild Things Are (Ok, so I can’t pop it in the DVD player … yet)
The Gospel!!!
or Diary of a Mad Black Woman… Fried Green Tomatoes. Don’t ask my why, but these movies always bring me up and make me smile!
[the wes anderson edition]
+ rushmore
+ the royal tenebaums
+ bottle rocket
+ the life aquatic
[the rom-com edition]
+ you’ve got mail
+ bridget jones’ diary
+ benny & joon
+ juno
Thanks, Eugene! I needed this break!
too many great movies like ” Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” so,
I will enjoy and laugh with
any movie with John Candy
then, I will enjoy and think outside myself with
Any movie with Don Cheadle
….Jackie Chan, anyone?
family man
seredipity
fast and the furious 😉
can ‘this is spinal tap’ be a feel good movie?
grease
people might think you’re kidding about fast and the furious…
he’s not.
Spinal Tap is TOTALLY a feel good movie. That is, if you consider an aching belly from laughing so hard throughout as “good.”
omg, I love Newsies – I knew there were other closet Newsies fans out there
Love Actually
Newsies
Slumgdog Millionaire
and I also love Little Miss Sunshine
Big
Clueless
Toy Story
and for a more recent movie, Juno
Maybe I missed it, but how did no one say . . .
The Sandlot. You’re KILLING ME SMALLS!!!!
Finding Nemo (I am teary eyed through the whole movie.)
Princess Bride
It’s a Wonderful Life, A River Runs Through It, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Why am I so excited about this? Don’t know but
Annie!
Dead Poets Society…”O Captain, my Captain”
Smokey and the Bandit
City Slickers
101 Dalmatians
The Shawshank Redemption,
Savannah Smiles,
Rocky IV,
Amelie,
The Princess Bride
Spirit of the Marathon
Up
I’m thinking I need to rent Amelie in the near future. Can’t believe the number of times it was listed – by both men and women.
…I have a copy you can borrow.
Not exactly a family movie as certain bits are NSFW but an endlessly enjoyable gem nevertheless.
This will NEVER embarrass me, but…
LEGALLY BLONDE 😀
Recent feel-goods:
Away We Go
Amazing Grace
Akelah and the Bee
Classics:
Sound of Music
Mary Poppins
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Gene Wilder version)
This is definitely a break from the usual fare that I find here, not that I don’t enjoy the other stuff. If I had to choose three movies, then I would go with these:
– Titanic: I am a James Cameron fan, first of all, and it is just a beauitful movie in general.
– The Devil Wears Prada: Meryl Streep is amazing, like it or not.
– The Family Stone: This movie gets me all warm inside. Sad, yes, but still quite beautiful.
“Anybody Want A Peanut” – of course (Princess Bride). It’s my fam-friendly feel-good fave. The kids know this and sweetly planned to watch it the day we had to put my cat down. (pretty thoughtful for 5 & 9 yo boys!!)
Galaxy Quest – I put this one on a LOT when I clean or am sick. If you’ve ever been a Sci-Fi/Trekkie fan (I’m just a mild fan) this is HILARIOUS
I 2nd the Arrested Development. Definitely NOT fam-friendly, but pee-my-pants hilarious. I put those in if I’m home sick (and my kids are at school)
My husband’s feel-good fave is Sports Night (Aaron Sorkin’s pre-West Wing series). It’s a winner.
Ever After is also a good one
Emma and Sense and Sensibility are great, too.
ok… i’m gonna cheat and double the allotted amount:
Nacho Libre
Dumb and Dumber
V for Vendetta
Count of Monte Cristo
Dark Knight
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Remember the Titans
Glory Road
Invincible
(Yes I know they are all sports movies – still, they inspire me and lift me up)
And for something just stupidly funny
Christmas Vacation
High Fidelity.
The Rookie.
Ordinary People.
Metropolitan.
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon.
A Room with a View
Shakespeare in Love
When Harry Met Sally
Casablanca
The Philadelphia Story the old one, with Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, and Jimmy Stewart)
Slumdog Millionaire
Life is Beautiful (doesn’t really make you feel good, but, you know. . .)
“Much Ado About Nothing” would be near the top of my list – from the joyous bathing scene at the beginning to the happy frolic at the end the film is full of wonderful feel-good moments
“Sense and Sensibility” is a film I can watch again and again and still have it bring a tear of joy to my eye. Alan Rickman gives a wonderfully restrained performance.
Three for Christmas…
“It’s a Wonderful Life” – may seem cliched but I always feel joyous after watching it.
“Scrooge” with Alistair Sim. The moment Scrooge joins his nephew’s party to the strains of “Barb’ry Allen” is one of the most poignant scenes in film, for my money.
“Millions” – again the final scene wraps up this wonderful little film nicely, and reminds us all what it means to live in solidarity.
Cinderella Man
If I need a pick me up when I feel like less of a leader then I watch “The Last Castle” or “We Were Soldiers”
The Scarlett Pimpernell! “Gods Fish My Dear!”
Much Ado About Nothing/Sense and Sensibility-Gotta love Emma Thompson!
Ocean’s Eleven
First Pirates of the Carribean…”I’m disinclined to aquiesce to your request…means ‘no”.” 🙂
LOTR
Amazing Grace
And a really oldie Dangerous When Wet… I love Esther Williams, she can swim and act…at the same time!
Dan In Real Life with Steve Carell.
Fantastic way of bringing a smile to my face.
Erik, Dan in Real Life is probably the best feel good movie I have seen in a while.
Remember the Titans
Places in the Heart with Sally Field and Danny Glover.
I move and second Shawshank Redemption.
Princess Bride or Love Actually — depending on if there are children present.
Hoosiers- “dont get caught watchin the paint dry” – “ill make it”
Rad – “let’s walk this sucker” – “hulk hogan eat your heart out”
Almost Famous – “youll meet them all in the long journey to the middle””
1. Field of Dreams
2. That Thing You Do
Spirited Away
UP
Elf
I’m pretty much still a kid. d:
Another vote for Love Actually!!!
And I must add “The Holiday” with Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Jack Black.
The movies that “cure” my broken heart or lift my spirits:
Brown Sugar
Center Stage
LOTR trilogy
V for Vendetta
Anchorman
and, I hate to admit this, Serendipity
The Ugly Truth – This was a really good movie, alot better then i expected.
Spirited Away – I watched this when I was like 11 or 12, and like every other kid who watches this movie, it’s the only thing you can think about for weeks after it.