Inspiration has always been a cornerstone of the movie industry, as filmmakers strive to present audiences with stories that touch the heart and ignite the spirit. However, some films possess a unique power to uplift, motivate, and inspire in profound ways. These are the movies that tell tales of resilience against all odds, journeys of self-discovery, or simple acts of truth and kindness that resonate deeply. Such stories linger with audiences long after the credits roll, leaving an indelible mark on their hearts and minds. This list highlights some of the most inspirational films, showcasing only the tip of the iceberg of cinematic masterpieces that encourage us to rise above our challenges and believe in the beauty of the human spirit.
Forrest Gump (1994)
A classic and an all-time favorite, Robert Zemeckis delivers a masterful and beautiful story of a simple man. Forrest Gump is a young boy growing up in Alabama in the 1950’s. Despite having low intelligence, Forrest leads anything but a restricted life because of his supportive mother played by Sally Field. Despite his exciting and exhilarating adventures, Forrest’s true meaning in life is defined for him in the form of the ultimate girl next door, Jenny.
Forrest Gump is an iconic and one of the most memorable movies of all time on account of its light-hearted story, masterful storytelling, and captivating visuals. The movie is a pop culture phenomenon and also a brief look on the modern history of America and tumult decades of the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s with focus on cultural issues, the ever changing political fluctuations, and historical events that took place in that timeline. Despite showcasing the american culture, the movie doesn’t particularly focus on that as a main plot, but rather a side story that and accompanying factor that helps the growth and development of the real plot line, Forrest’s passionate love for his childhood friend Jenny and his personal journey of self-discovery.
IMDB: 8.8/10
Hidden Figures (2016)
This 2016 American historical drama was based lon the book Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Who Helped Win The Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly. The story follows the real-life story of three African-American mathematicians named Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson who worked at NASA in the early 60’s. Despite the major racial segregation still in progress at the time, It was with their dedication that the NASA space program was successful in their early space flights against the USSR.
improve this paragraph and make it more clear: The movie is very powerful in converting the true sense of being an African-American in the 60’s with the extreme segregation still in progress. The movie shows the almost impossible journey of success for African-Americans and the extreme systematic racism placed towards their community. The movie also dives into the role of women in the 60’s, specially in male-dominated industries such as NASA. The movie shows the struggle of being an independent and, more importantly, smart woman in the workforce even if they were white as they were constantly being treated poorly, looked down upon, and were imposed more extreme working conditions such as a more strict dress code. Overall, the movie does a great job of inspiring the new generation while educating them about the social and political state of the country barely 60 years ago and how some people such as Katherine Johnson managed to rise above all even though everything seemed to be working against them. Katherine Johsnon later became NASA’s first female African-American engineer and in 2015, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.
The movie powerfully conveys the true experience of being an African-American in the 1960s, a time when extreme segregation was still prevalent. It depicts the almost insurmountable journey to success for African-Americans, highlighting the pervasive systematic racism they faced. Additionally, the movie delves into the role of women in the 60s, especially in male-dominated industries like NASA. It portrays the struggles of being an independent and intelligent woman in the workforce, even for white women who were often treated poorly, looked down upon, and subjected to stricter working conditions, including dress codes. Overall, the film does an excellent job of inspiring the new generation while educating them about the social and political climate of the country just 60 years ago. It showcases how individuals like Katherine Johnson managed to rise above numerous obstacles. Katherine Johnson went on to become NASA’s first female African-American mathematician and later received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2015 for her contributions.
IMDB: 7.8/10
Lorenzo’s Oil (1992)
This family drama focuses on the real-life story of Augusto and Michaeal Odone’s five-year old son, Lorenzo and his chronic illness called adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). Lorenzo is a vibrant and brilliant boy that lives in the Comoro Islands with his parents as his father works for the World Bank and is stationed there. Upon returning to the United States, he begins to show signs of neurological problems which eventually leads to him being diagnosed with ALD. ALD is an X Chromosome linked disease that is caused by the body’s failure to break down long chains of fatty acids all through the body, which causes them to build up and damage the Central Nervous System and the brain and is fatal within two years. This sends Augosto and Michaela in a rampage working with scientists and support groups to try and find a cure, and when they fail and are disappointed in the scientists and their long process, they start to study the material themselves and come up with the formula of an oil that proved sufficient in managing the illness to an extent.
The movie is a hard watch as it goes into visual details of this sickness and portrays the true agony this child is going through and how the parents are breaking from the inside as they are trying their best but still unable to do anything. The movie is a fairly accurate and detailed description of the illness and is academically verifiable. The olive oil eventually named ‘Lorenzo’s oil’ was the result of Augusto Odone’s long hours of studying difficult concepts of Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry in order to understand the concept and come up with an olive oil formula that contained two specific and digestible chains of fatty acids. Addition of this oil to Lorenzo’s diet stopped the progress of the illness by normalizing the accumulation of the fatty acid chains. However not a cure, this oil proved to be efficient with the majority of ALD patients in preventing the progression of harm before too late. Due to the neurological damage being already too high and irreversible, The real life subject Lorenzo Odone did not fully recover, however managed to progress and manage to perform very simple tasks such as swallowing and nodding, but eventually dies in 2008 due to Pneumonia, two decades later that originally predicted by the medical team.
IMDB: 7.3/10
Radioactive (2019)
This biographical drama showcases the story of Marie Curie and her discovery of two chemical elements in the early 20th century. The story follows Curie through her memories as she is being taken to the hospital after collapsing in her lab in Paris in 1934 due to radiation poisoning. Her story follows her as she meets her husband Pierre Curie that leads to the academic works done by both of them which eventually lead to the discovery of polonium and radium. Soon after she announces the discovery of radioactivity which revolutionizes the world of physics and chemistry. For all her work, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911, during which she defied the committee’s instruction to not travel to Sweden, and received standing ovation upon receiving the award.
Marjane Satrapi’s depiction of Curie’s life is an inspirational story of a hard world for women in science and her great determination of discovery and knowledge. Her discoveries of the two elements and radioactivity have then led on to inspire many inventions like the external beam radiotherapy or X-rays. She is also considered a war hero for her efforts during World War I, in which she ran a mobile X-Ray unit with her daughter in the front lines in order to determine which soldiers actually needed amputation, saving countless lives in the process.
IMDB: 6.3/10
Big Fish (2003)
This beautiful inspirational movie is probably Tim Burton’s lightest work. The movie focuses on a dying father and his son’s relationship and the son’s struggle to determine the truth and fiction from his dad’s stories. The story follows the dad in his young years, as he grows up, falls in love, gets married and lives his life with a series of surprising and eccentric characters and an incredible turn of events that make the audience doubt the validity of his story.
Although he never manages to differentiate between the fiction and truth in his dad’s tales, eventually the son understands the true meaning behind the story. The movie is a visual masterpiece with absolutely wonderful performances and an interesting plot line that’ll inspire the audience to always be the best selves they could be.
IMDB: 8/10
Ratatouille (2007)
Disney and Pixar’s joint project is a masterpiece and a personal animated favorite, Ratatouille follows the story of a street rat named Remy that is obsessed with food and cooking and creating new flavors and one day, ends up in a five-star restaurant in Paris and secretly starts working there in the most hilarious method, and revolutionizes the food industry.
Ratatouille’s inspirational stories can speak to many audiences. The food visuals and cooking scenes create a beautiful visual experience and the story inspires children and adults to follow their dreams, however unlikely they may be. The movie constantly throws challenges at Remy that are not present for anyone else, because he’s a rat he shouldn’t be in the kitchen, he should survive the daily world and he should stay hidden at work, almost like the movie is an allegory for racism and segregation and is promoting the very simple fact that “A great artist can come from anywhere”
IMDB: 8.1/10
Tomorrowland (2015)
This underrated Disney classic is one of the most inspirational of all. In the brink of a world that is close to end because of global warming and climate change, a young girl named Casey is single handed fighting back the corporates with small gestures, until eventually she finds a pin that transports her to Tomorrowland, a metropolis with uncanny fashion, unmatched technology, and and stable green energy dependance. This city is the source of arts, technology, science, etc. but she can only visit from a limited time only when she touches the pin until the pin runs out of battery. With that realization she sets off to find the source of the pin and the truth behind Tomorrowland.
Disney’s Tomorrowland manages to create a very real-life scenario and an imaginary one and combine them together to create a beautiful masterpiece that brings hope and inspiration. The entire idea of a place called Tomorrowland in the movie, is to inspire scientists, engineers, artists, architects, basically creative people, to actually create that place with their ambition and their love and dedication to what they do. Despite the doomsday scenario, Tomorrowland is a very light-hearted and optimistic movie that inspires people to do their best to try and save the environment and the planet to create a better, more sustainable tomorrow.
IMDB: 6.4/10
The Intouchables (2011)
Driss is an unemployed man with no ambition to get work and only wants to live off welfare. One day he goes to a hiring session from a billionaire quadriplegic man named Philippe who is looking for a full-time caregiver. Having no interest in working, Driss only wants his papers signed that he showed up for the interview so he can receive welfare. However, Philippe senses sometime in him and hires him on the spot with no hesitation, which leads to an unlikely friendship between the two.
Based on the real life story of Philippe Pozzo di Borgo and his French-Somalian caregiver. The movie explores the beautiful friendship between the two and shows the inside scope of a quadroplegic’s daily life. The movie accurately depicts hidden emotions by both people and how their lifestyles and home lives affect those feelings. Driss, who grew up very poor and always struggled, provides a light hearted fun and exciting change from Philippe’s daily life, which is surrounded by his assistants and agents and most of all , people who pity him. Although very light-hearted, the movie also explores themes such as poverty, racism, class difference, and depression in French culture.
IMDB: 8.5/10
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Will is a self-taught young man and an undiscovered mathematical genius who works as a janitor at MIT. One day, he solves a complex problem that a math professor posted on a blackboard as a challenge for graduate students. Impressed and intrigued by the mysterious solver, the professor posts an even harder equation, hoping to identify the individual responsible. He eventually catches Will during his night shift, solving the equation with ease. Despite Will’s brilliance, he soon finds himself in trouble after a bar fight where he assaults a police officer. The professor, recognizing his potential, offers Will a unique opportunity: the chance to study mathematics at MIT under his supervision, but only if Will agrees to attend psychotherapy sessions. Though Will accepts the offer, he does so with reluctance and a lack of enthusiasm.
This beautiful movie was produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and the main roles are divided between the two. The psychotherapy sessions with Robin Williams as a psychiatrist will make the audience cry out of sadness and joy. Although Damon delivers an amazing performance as Will, Robin Williams steals the show with his passive, yet caring psychological tone that is trying to help Will escape his demons and adapt to a better life.
IMDB: 8.3/10
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
This biographical drama follows the real-life story of the brilliant mathematician John Nash. In his early, socially awkward days at Princeton, John befriends his roommate, a literature student named Charles. Nash’s exceptional intellect soon lands him a position at the Pentagon, where he is tasked with decrypting enemy codes during the Cold War. The intense pressure from his work and teaching responsibilities begins to take a toll on his mental health, leading John into a spiral of paranoia and delusions. His life takes a pivotal turn when he meets Alicia, a student in one of his classes. Their relationship blossoms into a supportive and loving marriage, providing John with the stability he needs as he struggles with his inner demons. Together, they navigate the challenges posed by his condition, highlighting the strength of their bond and the resilience of the human spirit.
The full story makes much more sense as to why it’s inspired but the spoilers are too great to discuss. The movie, however, does a great job of depicting mental illness, isolation, and a sense of loneliness that emerges in people who are extremely smart. These mind barriers along with John’ mental illness, could have made it impossible for him to go on with daily tasks, but with the help of his wife, he managed to survive and actually become a Nobel Laureate in Economics.
IMDB: 8.2/10
