Hi friends! Today I'd like to share with you a list of movies that inspire me. Movies that motivate me to make the best of my life, to treat people better, to be a better me, to embrace goodness. Movies that remind me that the world is a beautiful complicated place full of beautiful complicated people, & that my tiny little perspective is constantly needing to be updated.
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-Les Miserables (any version)
This is basically THE story of how everyone has an impact on everyone else, & how you can never judge someone because you don't know what has made them who they are.
-Reign over Me
This is a story about how we're all different people with different problems & different ways of dealing with our problems, & about how important it is to actually communicate with people about things instead of being petty or deciding you already know everything.
-Dead Poets Society
CARPE DIEM. A movie about being yourself & doing the right thing, & letting other people do that too. (& uh, not trying to run your kid's life.)
-Patch Adams
No matter how bad the world is or how bad a situation you're in, you can still find (& be) goodness. Goodness matters.
-The Nun's Story
Sometimes, to do what you're passionate about, you have to struggle against so many other things. You may have to do a lot of things you really don't want to do. You may have people with authority over you making decisions that aren't at all what you want. Your family/friends might not understand what you're doing. Sometimes you yourself might not understand what you're doing. On the surface, this just seems like a story about what it's like to be a nun, but to me it's so much more.
-Up
Man, this is like two great things in one. You've got the first bit of the movie, which is one of my favorite things EVER, & a beautiful illustration of finding joy in life as it comes, celebrating what you have instead of pouting about what you don't. & then you've got the rest of the movie, which is... kind of a reinforcement of the first. Learn to let go of what needs to be gone, learn to adapt & take what shows up.
-An American Tail: Fievel Goes West
I don't know what's out there beyond those hills. But if you ride yonder... head up, eyes steady, heart open... I think one day you'll find that you're the hero you've been looking for.
That Fievel. He finds out that something needs to be done, & he just keeps at it, doing everything he can (but also getting help, because getting help is important) until finally the day is saved. He doesn't get too discouraged or wallow in self-pity or take no for an answer. It's a great example.
-It's a Wonderful Life
I know most people either love this movie, hate this movie, or just plain refuse to see this movie. But it's classic feel-good material. There's nothing wrong with a healthy amount of celebrating the good you've done for others... & being reminded that you should totally ask people for help sometimes. I know I personally can get too caught up in my own feelings of "I can't do this" & forget that I don't have to do it alone.
-A Christmas Carol
I don't really think you'll end up as a chain-laden ghost if you're selfish. But the point is more that not being selfish has its rewards. Connections with other humans is important, & little relational investments go a long way. You can get too comfortable in your little "safe" bubble.
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There's almost definitely more that I'm just not thinking of right now, but these are my go-to films for de-funking my brain. Actually, I don't even usually go to those last two, but maybe I should.
What about you? Do you watch movies to get your head back on straight?
