Most Inspiring Movies Of All Time
I know, that's a catchy name and now that I have your attention, please take a moment to go through the list.
This list should be seen as a non-exhaustive work in progress. More movies are added in due time. If you have suggestions or criticism, please use the comment section. I would kindly ask for a mild-mannered discussion though.
An inspiring movie to me is a movie where someone has to overcome adversity/hardship and makes the best of life.
During this process they may also make you feel very uncomfortable by forcing you to choose as well.
My ranking should not be seen as judgement based on quality, but which movies came to mind first.
This list should be seen as a non-exhaustive work in progress. More movies are added in due time. If you have suggestions or criticism, please use the comment section. I would kindly ask for a mild-mannered discussion though.
An inspiring movie to me is a movie where someone has to overcome adversity/hardship and makes the best of life.
During this process they may also make you feel very uncomfortable by forcing you to choose as well.
My ranking should not be seen as judgement based on quality, but which movies came to mind first.
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- DirectorKim Ki-dukStarsKim Ki-dukOh Yeong-suJong-ho KimA boy is raised by a Buddhist monk in an isolated floating temple where the years pass like the seasons.Not a very known movie, unfortunately, but one of the most profound movies I have ever seen in my life. When I recommend this movie to others, I always half jokingly say the dialog fits on one piece of paper, which is actually true. This movie does not need many words to reveal a part of human nature and the human struggle in each and everyone of us.
- DirectorFrank DarabontStarsTim RobbinsMorgan FreemanBob GuntonOver the course of several years, two convicts form a friendship, seeking consolation and, eventually, redemption through basic compassion.I remember my uncle telling me about how this was supposed to be the best movie of all time, back in the 90's and to be quite honest, I was, and still am, a bit sceptic when something is claimed to be the "best", which is ironic considering this list ;-) After watching it though I must say it is a masterpiece and definitely worth the accolades it received. Great performances all around.
- DirectorGeorge MillerStarsNick NolteSusan SarandonPeter UstinovLorenzo Odone, a Virginia 5-year-old, develops a degenerative nerve disease so rare that nobody is working on a cure, so his parents decide to immerse themselves in research and tackle the problem themselves.I watched this when I was a measly 10 years old and it left a great impression in me, as well as shedding many tears. The struggle and hardship these parents had to go through is almost beyond comprehension.
- DirectorTaylor HackfordStarsJamie FoxxRegina KingKerry WashingtonThe story of the life and career of the legendary rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles, from his humble beginnings in the South, where he went blind at age seven, to his meteoric rise to stardom during the 1950s and 1960s.Besides just being one of the greatest musicians of our time, Ray was also a great person and this movie highlights the cornerstones of his life, learning to deal with his blindness.
- DirectorMarc ForsterStarsKhalid AbdallaAhmad Khan MahmoodzadaAtossa LeoniAfter spending years in California, Amir returns to his homeland in Afghanistan to help his old friend Hassan, whose son is in trouble.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsLiam NeesonRalph FiennesBen KingsleyIn German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.Perhaps the epitome of an inspirational movie. One of Spielberg's finest movies in my opinion.
- DirectorTom ShadyacStarsRobin WilliamsDaniel LondonMonica PotterThe true story of a heroic man, Hunter "Patch" Adams, determined to become a medical doctor because he enjoys helping people. He ventured where no doctor had ventured before, using humour and pathos.
- DirectorJonathan DemmeStarsTom HanksDenzel WashingtonRoberta MaxwellWhen a man with HIV is fired by his law firm because of his condition, he hires a homophobic-small time lawyer as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit.Let me set the scene: Just two years after the legendary Freddy Mercury was consumed by an illness thought to be the doom of humanity, Philadelphia portrays the gut-wrenching life of Andrew Beckett suffering from the same disease, deciding to fight against the establishment and clichés accompanying AIDS. This movie not only came at the right time, it was also perhaps one of Tom Hanks best performances.
- DirectorMimi LederStarsKevin SpaceyHaley Joel OsmentHelen HuntA young boy attempts to make the world a better place after his teacher gives him that chance.
- DirectorOlivier NakacheÉric ToledanoStarsFrançois CluzetOmar SyAnne Le NyAfter he becomes a quadriplegic from a paragliding accident, an aristocrat hires a young man from the projects to be his caregiver.
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsTom HanksRobin WrightGary SiniseThe history of the United States from the 1950s to the '70s unfolds from the perspective of an Alabama man with an IQ of 75, who yearns to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart.Another stellar performance by Tom Hanks. He manages to bestow dignity to an oftentimes ridiculed character, and makes us question the meaning of happiness. Forrest Gump is hilarious at times, but the movie never forgets to hint at the zen-like state one can achieve when concentrating on the important issues, not overcomplicating things, regardless of intellect.
- DirectorGabriele MuccinoStarsWill SmithThandiwe NewtonJaden SmithA struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional career.
- DirectorGabriele MuccinoStarsWill SmithRosario DawsonWoody HarrelsonA man with a fateful secret embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers.
- DirectorJulian SchnabelStarsMathieu AmalricEmmanuelle SeignerMarie-Josée CrozeThe true story of Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby who suffers a stroke and has to live with an almost totally paralyzed body; only his left eye isn't paralyzed.
- DirectorRob ReinerStarsJack NicholsonMorgan FreemanSean HayesTwo terminally ill men escape from a cancer ward and head off on a road trip with a wish list of to-dos before they die.
- DirectorStephen DaldryStarsJamie BellJulie WaltersJean HeywoodA talented young boy becomes torn between his unexpected love of dance and the disintegration of his family.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsAdrien BrodyThomas KretschmannFrank FinlayDuring WWII, acclaimed Polish musician Wladyslaw faces various struggles as he loses contact with his family. As the situation worsens, he hides in the ruins of Warsaw in order to survive.
- DirectorJames McTeigueStarsHugo WeavingNatalie PortmanRupert GravesIn a future British dystopian society, a shadowy freedom fighter, known only by the alias of "V", plots to overthrow the tyrannical government - with the help of a young woman.Perhaps an unlikely movie to be added to this list, but it has a very powerful message to stand up against authoritarian governments.
- DirectorGus Van SantStarsRobin WilliamsMatt DamonBen AffleckWill Hunting, a janitor at M.I.T., has a gift for mathematics, but needs help from a psychologist to find direction in his life.
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsTom HanksHelen HuntPaul SanchezA FedEx executive undergoes a physical and emotional transformation after crash landing on a deserted island.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsTom HanksCatherine Zeta-JonesChi McBrideAn Eastern European tourist unexpectedly finds himself stranded in JFK airport, and must take up temporary residence there.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsDaniel Day-LewisSally FieldDavid StrathairnAs the Civil War rages on, U.S President Abraham Lincoln struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on his decision to emancipate the slaves.
- DirectorDanny BoyleLoveleen TandanStarsDev PatelFreida PintoSaurabh ShuklaA teenager from the slums of Mumbai becomes a contestant on the show 'Kaun Banega Crorepati?' When interrogated under suspicion of cheating, he revisits his past, revealing how he had all the answers.
- DirectorMarc ForsterStarsJohnny DeppKate WinsletJulie ChristieThe story of Sir J.M. Barrie's friendship with a family who inspired him to create Peter Pan.
- DirectorPaul GreengrassStarsDavid Alan BascheOlivia ThirlbyLiza Colón-ZayasA real-time account of the events on United Flight 93, one of the planes hijacked on September 11th, 2001 that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania when passengers foiled the terrorist plot.In light of how relatively recent the events depicted in this movie occured, this is a very haunting and yet inspiring film.