When you truly need that pick-me-up motivational push, turning to inspiring and motivational movies can really help. It might be challenging to define what makes something “inspiring.” The term itself has a wide range of connotations. It may refer to anything that challenges you, excites you, inspires you artistically, awes you, or drives you to improve.
Things that inspire you might change depending on the situation. A family is struggling to survive one morning, and the next, a seemingly impossible act of strength is accomplished.
Motivational Movies
The power of anything to give us a sense of optimism or encouragement is often what the word “inspiring” alludes to. The movies listed below inspire us, and maybe they will do the same for you. Here are the top motivational films of all time.Â
List Of Motivational Movies
1. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
Henry Fonda plays Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, a flawed but persistent man trying to better his family’s lives after losing their farm to the Great Depression. Their arduous, enlightening journey to what they hope would be a better, more comfortable life in the West is the subject of this John Ford movie. The film is based on the famous novel by John Steinbeck. Joad and his family are continually and palpably discouraged by what they see and encounter while traveling, and the empty disappointment of unfulfilled promises hovers over them. Nevertheless, they fight against it with tenacity, fortitude, and optimism. The aesthetically stunning black-and-white movie powerfully illustrates one of life’s everlasting truths.
2. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
In this Frank Capra classic, Jimmy Stewart portrays George Bailey, a stressed-out family man who is angry about all the possibilities and goals that have eluded him over the years. He feels hopeless and gloomy about his existence. But at his lowest, a guardian angel appears. And shows him how terrible life would be for the people he loves and for his beautiful town if he had never lived.Â
3. Rocky (1976)
Rocky is renowned for being one of the finest sports films and for introducing Sylvester Stallone to the world as Rocky Balboa. The 1976 movie, directed by John G. Avildsen and scripted by its breakout star, is a classic David-and-Goliath story. A little-known fighter with enormous goals squares up against Apollo Creed, the heavyweight world champion (Carl Weathers).
Inspiring Motivational Movies
4. The Color Purple (1985)
The Color Purple, an adaption of Alice Walker’s iconic novel, follows Celie, a Southern Black woman, for 40 years through her difficult life. She patiently and courageously endures harassment, bias, and unjust treatment at every stage of her life. And in the end, she can do so thanks to the support of her friends.
5. Thelma & Louise (1991)
We are joyfully urged to admire Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon’s law-breaking characters in this film. In Ridley Scott’s quirky road trip film, Davis and Sarandon portray pals who flee into the desert after being embroiled in a complex murder. The pair fights against interesting personalities (including a delightfully rakish Brad Pitt), sexist attitudes, and their probable deaths as law enforcement is hot on their trail. It’s a sympathetic, bittersweet tale about friendship, self-discovery, and love—for others and for oneself. The movie manages to be both saucily humorous and sensitively heartbreaking at the same time.
6. A League of Their Own (1992)
After appearing in Thelma & Louise, Geena Davis went on to act in this female-centric sports drama from Penny Marshall. These were undoubtedly inspirational years for Geena. A League of Their Own, which is mostly set during World War II, follows a scrappy female baseball team that is coached by Tom Hanks and led by Davis. Its bittersweet struggle between conventional expectations of women (marriage, family, and supporting a spouse) and the realities of their genuine potential (independence, ambition, athletic talent) sets it apart from previous sports movies. It serves as a reminder that women occasionally make surprising decisions and that having the freedom to make those decisions is important.
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Amazing Motivational Movies
7. Cool Runnings (1993)
A professional Jamaican sprinter sets his eyes on the Winter Olympics after just missing the cut for the 1988 Summer Olympic qualifications in the movie Cool Runnings. He assembles a mismatched group of men into an impromptu bobsled team despite having no experience with snow, ice, or anything even vaguely relevant to the sport.
8. Rudy (1993)
Rudy, is David Anspaugh’s story about a young guy with a big desire and an astonishing amount of perseverance. Sean Astin’s character, Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger Jr., would do anything to play football at the University of Notre Dame. But he lacks both the academic and athletic credentials necessary for a scholarship. Besides, his family is unable to cover the cost of tuition.
9. Forrest Gump (1994)
Forrest Gump, directed by Robert Zemeckis, is arguably one of the most obvious selections for this list since it epitomizes the term “inspirational movie” in many different ways. Many residents of Forrest Gump’s little town pitifully mock him for his low IQ. But Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) has never thought of himself as inadequate in any manner.
Motivational Movies To Watch
10. October Sky (1999)
In October Sky, Jake Gyllenhaal plays Homer Hickam, a young man from a remote area who thinks that building homemade rockets in his garden is his destiny rather than following in the footsteps of his father, a miner. His father (Chris Cooper) naturally disapproves of his son’s goals, but a sympathetic instructor (Laura Dern) fosters his enthusiasm.
11. Erin Brockovich (2000)
In every role she plays, Julia Roberts is a delight to watch, and Erin Brockovich is no exception. She plays the titular role, a single mother without a job who implores Ed Masry (Albert Finney), to recruit her for a secretarial position at his business. She finds a possible story and persuades Ed to allow her to look into it. This leads her to discover a vast criminal cover-up involving a power company and a weird ailment in the neighborhood. Although the story, which is based on Brockovich’s real life is intriguing, Roberts who plays Erin with equal parts kindness and tenacity is the genuine heart and soul of this Steven Soderbergh film.
12. Legally Blonde (2001)
It’s doubtful that anyone could have predicted Legally Blonde’s enormous popularity when it first came out. This frequently quoted film by Robert Luketic follows pink-clad sorority girl Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) as she applies to Harvard Law School and is accepted. Elle doesn’t want to become a lawyer; instead, she wants to show her ex-boyfriend (Matthew Davis) that she is intelligent and ambitious after he dumped her because she wasn’t “serious” enough. But Elle shows everyone else by the end of the film how amazing she really is.
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Motivational Movies For All
13. Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
Keira Knightley was propelled to cinematic stardom in this coming-of-age film. But Bend It Like Beckham’s cultural viewpoint is what sets it apart. Jess Bhamra (Parminder Nagra), a teenage girl who is madly in love with soccer (and David Beckham, who gave the movie permission to use his name because he wanted to support girls’ soccer), is the subject of the narrative. Watch the movie on Amazon Prime Video.
14. Whale Rider (2002)
One of the most beautiful movies of the early 2000s, both aesthetically and emotionally, was Whale Rider. Director Niki Caro’s film, which is set in New Zealand, recounts the tale of Pai, a young girl who is driven to prove that she is just as capable as the boys. Pai was raised by her traditional grandparents and is the next in line to become chief of her Mori village. But her grandfather is adamantly opposed to her holding that position and regularly reminds her that she is “just” a girl. Played expertly by Keisha Castle-Hughes, at 13 she became one of the youngest Best Actress nominees ever.Â
15. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Little Miss Sunshine, directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, gives new meaning to “dark comedy”. The film has an excellent script from Michael Arndt and an astounding ensemble cast comprising Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carell, Paul Dano, and Alan Arkin! It follows the mostly-melancholy members of a dysfunctional family as they road trip across the United States to take nine-year-old Olive (an adorable Abigail Breslin, who was also Oscar-nominated) to compete in a beauty pageant.Â
Top Motivational Movies
16. Milk (2008)
Milk, a Gus Van Sant film is based on the real life of Harvey Milk who in the 1970s became the first openly homosexual man to be elected to public office. He moved to San Francisco with his boyfriend at the age of 40 after becoming unsatisfied with his existence as a closeted researcher at a securities business. Distressed and furious about the institutionalized discrimination against the LGBT community, he became a fixture for gay rights in the city. A sad turn of circumstances causes everything to change for him. He campaigns, delivers a speech, and is ultimately elected to a position on the Board of Supervisors. Sean Penn is at his absolute best in this film. The influence Penn has had on the LGBTQIA+ community cannot be overstated. And his portrayal of a truly human guy who is kind, fortunate, and imperfect serves as a reminder of the good a regular person can do.Â
17. The Intouchables (2011)
The Intouchables, helmed by Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano, served as the model for 2017’s The Upside. But regardless of whether you’ve seen the follow-up film, the first is still well worth seeing. Omar Sy of Lupin portrays Driss, a paroled felon who lands a position as Philippe’s (François Cluzet) caretaker by chance. Philippe is crippled. The contrast between the two men could not be greater. Driss is a young black guy and Philippe is an older white man. And they both come from extremely different socioeconomic and racial backgrounds.
18. Wild (2014)
The second Reese Witherspoon movie on this list is very different from the first. In the movie Wild, Cheryl Strayed is a young lady who descended into self-destruction following the loss of her mother. She makes the snap decision to hike the whole 1,000+ mile Pacific Crest Trail without giving it much consideration or prior hiking expertise. Through flashbacks, we witness the moments of sadness and trauma that motivated her to go out on the voyage as she battles dangerous animals, rapacious men, and runs out of supplies. The late Jean-Marc Vallée’s film Wild is unique and worth watching.Â
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Fantastic Motivational Movies
19. Selma (2014)
Ava DuVernay’s film chronicles Martin Luther King Jr. and his supporters on their historic march. The march from Selma to Montgomery was in opposition to racial inequality. Despite the Civil Rights Act of 1964’s implementation of legal desegregation, black people in the South were having a very difficult time registering to vote. So, in 1965, King decided to take matters into his own hands. The film stars David Oyelowo as King.
20. Lion (2016)
Garth Davis’ Lion, follows a disadvantaged five-year-old named Saroo (Sunny Pawar) who gets lost in the train while traveling in India. Twenty-five years later, now living in Australia, he attempts to find his way back home. The movie is marked by stunning visuals and intense emotions, among other things. Up to the point where he becomes Nicole Kidman and David Wenham’s adopted son, the movie places young Saroo in unbelievable circumstances.Â
21. Hidden Figures (2016)
The genuine narrative at the heart of Hidden Figures is as astounding as the acting and directing by Theodore Melfi and the cast. It is about three Black women who worked for NASA and were instrumental in John Glenn’s 1962 space flight. The three women are none other than Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. They maintain their composure and gaze upward in the face of doubt, mockery, sexism, and racism from all directions. Incidentally, NASA was infamously a boys’ club, and a very white one too.Â
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The Best Motivational Movies
22. CODA (2021)
This Best Picture Oscar winner is a one-of-a-kind. Three of CODA’s key performers, Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin, and Daniel Durant, are deaf, and the majority of the conversation is given in American Sign Language (ASL). The only person with hearing in the Rossi family is Ruby (Durant’s sister and the daughter of Kotsur and Matlin), portrayed by Emilia Jones. She works in the mornings to assist with the family’s fishing business. But when she joins the choir at her high school, she discovers her passion for singing, leaving her conflicted between her family and her own goals. Coming-of-age themes are frequent, but what makes this one unusual is the fresh viewpoint the movie offers.
23. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, or The Daniels, are the filmmakers of the delightful film Everything Everywhere All at Once. It starts off somewhat innocently with a Chinese woman named Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh), who manages a laundry in California. And she is also juggling a variety of pressures, such as her father’s visit, her upcoming tax audit, the status of her marriage, and her daughter’s sour disposition. Her husband and daughter are let down by her anxiousness as they strive in vain to persuade Evelyn to attend to their needs. Soon after, Evelyn experiences an interdimensional rupture in her reality where she meets different versions of her family members that demand bravery from her that she didn’t know she was capable of.
More Motivational Movies
24. The Shawshank RedemptionÂ
The short tale by renowned author Stephen King served as the inspiration for this movie. It’s a tale of enduring friendship, life lessons, and unwavering optimism. Andy Dufresne, who was falsely charged, is sent to jail where he meets Red, another prisoner who is also receiving a life sentence. Andy is optimistic and is not accepting his situation and descending into sadness. He doesn’t give up despite the harsh conditions, unfairness, and corruption that are a part of everyday life in Shawshank Prison. His only focus is on escaping from prison, even if it has never been done before. This image of freedom is the only solace he has.
25. The Pursuit Of Happyness
A father chooses to take the biggest risk of his life and work as an intern in the hopes that it would lead to something bigger after a failed business endeavor leaves him and his kid homeless. Will Smith delivers one of his best performances in this movie that will move you to tears and triumph. Watch it on Netflix.
