50 Inspirational & Motivational Movies That Will Change Your Life

Everyone loves a good movie. When I say “A good movie”, I mean one that inspires you. One that makes you think, or one that just straight up…gives you goosebumps, because it stirred a feeling inside of you!

You know the movies I’m talking about.

In this article, we’re going to talk about exactly those types of movies.

Inspirational & Motivational

Like anyone else, I have watched more movies in my lifetime than I could even dare to put a number on! They have ranged across the board…everything from drama, to horror, to tear jerkers and romantic comedies that leave you woozy with love.

I must say, the most memorable and life changing movies I have seen, always tend to include certain sentiments about life.

Inspiration. Motivation. Empowerment. Uplifting. Courage.

If you walk away from a movie that makes you feel any of those things, you can definitely say it’s a good movie.

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All Time Favorites

In this post, we’ll explore the most popular, life changing movies of our time that have captured the hearts, minds, and emotions of many people throughout the years. These films are not only heartwarming and relatable, but they also teach valuable lessons that will stay with you long after the credits roll.

I figured with the return of Spring, now is as good a time as any, to refresh our memories a bit and embrace the idea of new beginnings!

So… get together your popcorn, tissues, and your heart, for you are about to discover a list of movies that will leave you with a new and refreshed way of thinking about life in general and all of it’s possibilities!

Overcoming Obstacles and Believing in Yourself

Everyone has obstacles to face in life. Some are unique and some are common among all of us. Regardless of your situation or obstacle, there is a need to keep pushing through some kind of challenge in life.

In order to be able to push through your challenges, it is helpful to see others facing similar obstacles in life and how they work though those obstacles to reach their goals.

These movies are but a few that leave us feeling a little more courageous, confident, and aware of our abilities to make those dreams of ours, come true.

1. Rocky

Synopsis – “American success story of an ‘everyman’ triumphing over all odds. As boxer Rocky Balboa, Sylvester Stallone comes out swinging with heart, humor and unforgettable power as he ‘goes the distance’ against World Heavyweight Champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) in this unforgettable film!“

Fun Fact – Mickey Goldmill is a fictional character created by Sylvester Stallone and portrayed by Burgess Meredith in the Rocky film series.

2. The Pursuit of Happyness

Synopsis – “Will Smith stars in this moving tale inspired by the true story of Chris Gardner, a San Francisco salesman struggling to build a future for himself and his 5-year-old son Christopher. With self-confidence and the love and trust of his son, Chris Gardner rises above his obstacles to become a Wall Street legend.“

3. The Blind Side

Synopsis – “Michael Oher a homeless black teen, has drifted in and out of the school system for years. Then Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) and her husband, Sean (Tim McGraw), take him in. With help from his new family and devoted tutor, Michael realizes his potential as a student and football player.”

4. Wild

Synopsis – “Driven to the edge by the loss of her beloved mother, the dissolution of her marriage and a headlong dive into self-destructive behavior, Cheryl Strayed (Reese Witherspoon) makes a decision to halt her downward spiral and put her life back together again. With no outdoors experience, a heavy backpack and little else to go on but her own will, Cheryl sets out alone to hike the Pacific Crest Trail – one of the country’s longest and toughest through-trails.”

5. Erin Brockovitch

Synopsis – “Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts) is a woman in a tight spot. Following a car accident in which Erin is not at fault, Erin pleads with her attorney Ed Masry to hire her at his law firm. She convinces Ed to allow her to investigate a misplaced file, where she discovers a cover-up involving contaminated water in a local community which is causing devastating illnesses among its residents.”

6. The Upside

Synopsis – “Phillip is a wealthy quadriplegic who needs a caretaker to help him with his day-to-day routine in his New York penthouse. He decides to hire Dell, a struggling parolee who’s trying to reconnect with his ex and his young son. Despite coming from two different worlds, an unlikely friendship starts to blossom as Dell and Phillip rediscover the joy of living life to the fullest.”

7. The Shawshank Redemption

Synopsis – “Andy Dufresne is sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison for the murders of his wife and her lover and is sentenced to a tough prison. While there, he forms a friendship with Red (Morgan Freeman), experiences brutality of prison life, adapts, helps the warden, etc., all in 19 years.”

8. Remember The Titans

Synopsis – “In 1971 high school football was everything to the people of Alexandria. But when the local school board was forced to integrate an all black school with an all white school, the very foundation of football’s great tradition was put to the test.”

9. A League Of Their Own

Synopsis – “As America’s stock of athletic young men is depleted during World War II, a professional all-female baseball league springs up in the Midwest, funded by publicity-hungry candy maker Walter Harvey. Competitive sisters Dottie Hinson and Kit Keller spar with each other, scout Ernie Capadino and grumpy has-been coach Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks) on their way to fame.

10. Life Of Pi

Synopsis – “After deciding to sell their zoo in India and move to Canada, Santosh and Gita Patel board a freighter with their sons and a few remaining animals. Tragedy strikes when a terrible storm sinks the ship, leaving the Patels’ teenage son, Pi, as the only human survivor. However, Pi is not alone; a fearsome Bengal tiger has also found refuge aboard the lifeboat.”

Pursuing Your Dreams and Accomplishing Goals

Let’s face it. Pursuing your dreams and accomplishing your goals is not always easy. In fact, it can sometimes seem to be down right impossible. That’s when you need a bit of encouragement, so your stamina stays exactly where it need to be 🙂

These following movies will not only give you the courage to push forward on your life path, but it will leave you feeling like you can indeed accomplish any goal you choose in life. Literally, everything you want is right at your fingertips if you stay focused, confident, and have patience!

1. Big Fish

Synopsis – “When Edward Bloom becomes ill, his son William travels to be with him. Even on his deathbed, Edward recounts fantastical anecdotes. When William, who is a journalist, starts to investigate his father’s tales, he begins to understand the man and his penchant for storytelling.”

2. Forrest Gump

Synopsis – “Slow-witted Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) has never thought of himself as disadvantaged, and thanks to his supportive mother, he leads anything but a restricted life. Whether dominating on the gridiron as a college football star, fighting in Vietnam or captaining a shrimp boat, Forrest inspires people with his childlike optimism. One person Forrest cares about most is his childhood love, the sweet but troubled Jenny.”

3. A Beautiful Mind

Synopsis – “A human drama inspired by events in the life of John Forbes Nash Jr. From the heights of notoriety to the depths of depravity, John Forbes Nash Jr. experienced it all. A mathematical genius, he made an astonishing discovery early in his career and stood on the brink of international acclaim. But the handsome and arrogant Nash soon found himself on a painful and harrowing journey of self-discovery.”

4. Jerry Maguire

Synopsis – “When slick sports agent Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) has a crisis of conscience, he pens a heartfelt company-wide memo that promptly gets him fired. Jerry starts his own management firm, with single mother Dorothy Boyd joining him in his new venture. Banking on their sole client, football player Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.), Jerry and Dorothy begin to fall in love as they struggle to make their business work.”

5. Field Of Dreams

Synopsis – “When Iowa farmer Ray (Kevin Costner) hears a mysterious voice one night in his cornfield saying “If you build it, he will come,” he feels the need to act. Despite taunts of lunacy, Ray builds a baseball diamond on his land, supported by his wife. Afterward, the ghosts of great players start emerging from the crops to play ball, led by “Shoeless” Joe Jackson.”

6. Good Will Hunting

Synopsis – “Will Hunting (Matt Damon) has a genius-level IQ but chooses to work as a janitor at MIT. When he solves a difficult graduate-level math problem, his talents are discovered by Professor Gerald Lambeau, who decides to help the misguided youth reach his potential.”

7. High Strung

Synopsis (courtesy of https://www.commonsensemedia.org) – “HIGH STRUNG follows Ruby (Keenan Kampa), a scholarship dance student, as she arrives in New York to study ballet. She immediately falls for Johnnie, a poor British street violinist who needs a visa to avoid deportation.”

8. Love’s Unfolding Dream

Synopsis – “When a young woman nurses a wealthy socialite back to health, the woman offers to pay her cost for medical school, but the arrival of a handsome stranger in town leaves the would-be doctor torn between her ambitions and following her heart.”

9. The Bucket List

Synopsis – “Billionaire Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) and car mechanic Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) are complete strangers, until fate lands them in the same hospital room. The men find they have 3 things in common: a need to come to terms with who they are, what they have done with their lives, and a desire to complete a list of things before they die. The men leave the hospital and set out on the adventure of a lifetime.”

10. The Devil Wears Prada

Synopsis – “Andy (Anne Hathaway) is a recent college graduate with big dreams. Upon landing a job at prestigious Runway magazine, she finds herself the assistant to diabolical editor Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep). Andy questions her ability to survive her grim tour as Miranda’s whipping girl without getting scorched.”

Finding Hope and Inspiration in Unexpected Places

Isn’t it funny? Sometimes, life can feel down right shitty and luck is simply not on your side. Before you know it, you slide on down that drain of self doubt, lack of motivation, and general ho-hum feelings about life in general. You are looking for a sign!

Then comes along some random stranger or situation, in the midst of the shittiest of shittiest moments, that completely changes your way of thinking. No longer are you feeling down in the dumps. You have this renewed energy about you, and you’re ready to conquer anything!

We’ve all been there at least a time or two. That, my friends, that is what it means to find hope in unexpected places. The movies that follow are beautiful examples of just that!

1. Eat Pray Love

Synopsis – “Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) thought she had everything she wanted in life: a home, a husband and a successful career. Now newly divorced and facing a turning point, she finds that she is confused about what is important to her. Daring to step out of her comfort zone, Liz embarks on a quest of self-discovery that takes her to Italy, India and Bali.”

2. The Secret Life Of Walter Smitty

Synopsis – “Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller), an employee at Life magazine, spends day after monotonous day developing photos for the publication. To escape the tedium, Walter inhabits a world of exciting daydreams in which he is the undeniable hero. He gets a chance to have a real adventure when Life’s new owners send him on a mission to obtain the perfect photo for the final print issue.”

3. The Big Lebowski

Synopsis – “Jeff `The Dude’ Leboswki is mistaken for Jeffrey Lebowski, who is The Big Lebowski. Which explains why he’s roughed up and has his precious rug peed on. In search of recompense, The Dude tracks down his namesake, who offers him a job in which he is aided and hindered by his pals Walter Sobchak (a Vietnam vet), and Donny (master of stupidity).”

4. The Holiday

Synopsis – “Dumped and depressed, English rose Iris agrees to swap homes with similarly unlucky in love Californian Amanda for a much-needed break. Iris finds herself in a palatial Hollywood mansion while Amanda navigates the lanes of a picture-perfect English village. Soon enough, both lovelorn ladies bump into local lads perfect for a romantic pick-me-up.”

5. A Star Is Born

Synopsis – “Seasoned musician Jackson Maine discovers — and falls in love with — struggling artist Ally. She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer until Jackson coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally’s career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jackson fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.”

6. October Sky

Synopsis – “John Hickam is a West Virginia coal miner who loves his job and expects his sons, Jim and Homer, to follow in his footsteps. But Jim gets a football scholarship, and Homer becomes interested in rocket science after seeing Sputnik 1 crossing the sky. John disapproves of his son’s new mania, but Homer begins building rockets with the help of friends and a sympathetic teacher.”

7. Little Miss Sunshine

Synopsis – “The Hoover family — a man, his wife, an uncle (Steve Carell), a brother and a grandfather puts the fun back in dysfunctional by piling into a VW bus and heading to California to support a daughter in her bid to win the Little Miss Sunshine Contest.”

8. The Green Mile

Synopsis – “Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) walked the mile with a variety of cons. He had never encountered someone like John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), a massive black man convicted of brutally killing a pair of young sisters. Coffey had the size and strength to kill anyone, but not the demeanor. Paul began to question whether Coffey was truly guilty of murdering the two girls.”

9. Cool Runnings

Synopsis – “Four Jamaican bobsleighers dream of competing in the Winter Olympics, despite never having seen snow. With the help of a disgraced former champion desperate to redeem himself, the Jamaicans set out to become worthy of Olympic selection, and go all out for glory.”

10. Dear God

Synopsis – “In order to avoid a jail sentence, con man Tom Turner promises a judge he’ll get an honest job for a year. But when he starts working in the U.S. Post Office’s dead letter office, he’s moved by some letters addressed directly to God. After he starts a Good Samaritan con by replying to the letters, his co-workers are inspired to do the same.”

Learning Life Lessons and Changing for the Better

Life in general, is a never ending cycle of learning. The older you get and the more experiences you have, the more lessons you learn. Of course, it’s not just your own experiences that teach you valuable lessons. Some lessons come from your parents, grandparents, friends, and anyone else you’ve heard a story from.

Books and movies have become an excellent way of conveying the stories of those you will perhaps never meet, and have something unique to share. Some involve real life experiences, while others are born solely of imagination. Regardless, perspective is the end result.

I firmly believe the more different perspectives you gain in life, the more prepared you are to achieve anything you wish.

These movies are very good examples of background stories that have led the rest of us to gain valuable insight on general life circumstances. They have something to teach, and we can learn from them.

1. Dead Poet’s Society

Synopsis – “A new English teacher, John Keating (Robin Williams), is introduced to an all-boys preparatory school that is known for its ancient traditions and high standards. He uses unorthodox methods to reach out to his students, who face enormous pressures from their parents and the school. With Keating’s help, students Neil Perry, Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke) and others learn to break out of their shells, pursue their dreams and seize the day.”

2. The Peaceful Warrior

Synopsis – “Dan Millman is a gifted athlete whose desire for success drives everything he does. When a mysterious stranger (Nick Nolte) opens Dan’s eyes to a new vision of strength and understanding, the Olympic hopeful finds that he still has much to learn and more sacrifices to make.”

3. Pay It Forward

Synopsis – “The story of a social studies teacher who gives an assignment to his junior high school class to think of an idea to change the world for the better, then put it into action. When one young student creates a plan for “paying forward” favors, he not only affects the life of his struggling single mother, but he sets in motion an unprecedented wave of human kindness which, unbeknownst to him, has blossomed into a profound national phenomenon.”

4. Click

Synopsis – “Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) seems to have it all but his wife, Donna, is increasingly frustrated by the amount of time he has to spend at work. Michael cannot find time to be at home until he meets an eccentric inventor (Christopher Walken) who gives him a universal remote that controls time.”

5. Groundhog Day

Synopsis – “A cynical TV weatherman finds himself reliving the same day over and over again when he goes on location to the small town of Punxsutawney to film a report about their annual Groundhog Day. His predicament drives him to distraction, until he sees a way of turning the situation to his advantage.”

6. The Butterfly Effect

Synopsis – “College student Evan Treborn (Ashton Kutcher) is afflicted with headaches so painful that he frequently blacks out. While unconscious, Evan is able to travel back in time to difficult moments in his childhood. He can also alter the past for friends, like Kayleigh, who was molested by her father. But changing the past can drastically alter the present, and Evan finds himself in nightmarish alternate realities, including one where he’s locked away in prison.”

7. Seven Years In Tibet

Synopsis – “The story of Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer, whose attempt to scale a Himalayan peak is interrupted by the Second World War. After many adventures, he finds himself in Tibet where he befriends the Dalai Lama, gaining maturity and humility. However, turbulent times lie ahead.”

8. Lost In Translation

Synopsis – “A lonely, aging movie star named Bob Harris (Bill Murray) and a conflicted newlywed, Charlotte, meet in Tokyo. Bob is there to film a Japanese whiskey commercial; Charlotte is accompanying her celebrity-photographer husband. Strangers in a foreign land, the two find escape, distraction and understanding amidst the bright Tokyo lights after a chance meeting in the quiet lull of the hotel bar.”

9. Fight Club

Synopsis – “A depressed man (Edward Norton) suffering from insomnia meets a strange soap salesman named Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) and soon finds himself living in his squalid house after his perfect apartment is destroyed. The two bored men form an underground club with strict rules and fight other men who are fed up with their mundane lives.”

10. Hitch

Synopsis – “Dating coach Alex “Hitch” Hitchens (Will Smith) mentors a bumbling client, Albert, who hopes to win the heart of the glamorous Allegra Cole. While Albert makes progress, Hitchens faces his own romantic setbacks when proven techniques fail to work on Sara Melas, a tabloid reporter digging for dirt on Allegra Cole’s love life.”

Empowering and Uplifting Stories

Who doesn’t love a good uplifting or empowering movie? Even when things are going great in your life (I’d argue… Especially when things are going great in your life!), a genuine feel good sort of movie can make a huge impact on your day.

These are the movies that often times, will at least give you the goosebumps. Some of them will make you smile, laugh, and cry all at the same time! They are those movies that make you think. They make you feel connected, understood, loved, encouraged, relaxed, and hopeful about life in general.

These are those feel good movies that empower, inspire, and reserve a place in our memories for future reference.

1. Chef

Synopsis – “After a controlling owner pushes him too far, chef Carl Casper quits his position at a prestigious Los Angeles restaurant. As he tries to figure out what his next step should be, he finds himself in Miami. Carl joins forces with his ex-wife, best friend, and son to launch a food-truck business, and the venture provides a chance to reignite his passion for cooking — as well as his zest for life and love.”

2. Braveheart

Synopsis – “William Wallace (Mel Gibson) is the medieval Scottish patriot who is spurred into revolt against the English when the love of his life is slaughtered. Leading his army into battles that become a war, his advance into England threatens King Edward I’s throne before he is captured and executed, but not before becoming a symbol for a free Scotland.”

3. Catch Me If You Can

Synopsis – “Frank Abagnale, Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) worked as a doctor, a lawyer, and as a co-pilot for a major airline — all before his 18th birthday. A master of deception, he was also a brilliant forger, whose skill gave him his first real claim to fame: At the age of 17, Frank Abagnale, Jr. became the most successful bank robber in the history of the U.S. FBI Agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) makes it his prime mission to capture Frank and bring him to justice, but Frank is always one step ahead of him.”

4. Into The Wild

Synopsis – “Christopher McCandless, son of wealthy parents, graduates from Emory University as a top student and athlete. However, instead of embarking on a prestigious and profitable career, he chooses to give his savings to charity, rid himself of his possessions, and set out on a journey to the Alaskan wilderness.”

5. The Notebook

Synopsis – “In 1940s South Carolina, mill worker Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling) and rich girl Allie (Rachel McAdams) are desperately in love. But her parents don’t approve. When Noah goes off to serve in World War II, it seems to mark the end of their love affair. In the interim, Allie becomes involved with another man (James Marsden). When Noah returns to their small town years later, on the cusp of Allie’s marriage, it soon becomes clear that their romance is anything but over.”

6. Rudy

Synopsis – “Rudy Ruettiger wants to play football at the University of Notre Dame, but has neither the money for tuition nor the grades to qualify for a scholarship. Rudy redoubles his efforts to get out of the steel mill where his father works when his best friend dies in an accident there. Overcoming his dyslexia thanks to his friend and tutor, D-Bob, Rudy gains admission to Notre Dame and begins to fight his way onto the school’s fabled football team.”

7. Joe vs. The Volcano

Synopsis – “Joe Banks (Tom Hanks) is dying, apparently. This is good news, since his life was not much worth living anyway. On the upside, a strange millionaire offers Joe a way to die with meaning and dignity: by hurling himself into a volcano. With plenty of spending cash and an ensemble of new luggage, Joe embarks on an absurdist journey to his demise, guided by two very disparate sisters, and trying to puzzle out the meaning of existence.”

8. Coach Carter

Synopsis – “In 1999, Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson) returns to his old high school in Richmond, California, to get the basketball team into shape. With tough rules and academic discipline, he succeeds in setting the players on a winning streak. But when their grades start to suffer, Carter locks them out of the gym and shuts down their championship season.”

9. Fried Green Tomatoes

Synopsis – “On one of trapped housewife Evelyn Couch’s (Kathy Bates) Wednesday nursing home visits, she encounters Ninny Threadgoode (Jessica Tandy), a colorful old woman who brightens Evelyn’s outlook by sharing tales from her past. As Ninny recounts the exploits of her free-spirited sister-in-law Idgie, owner of a small Alabama café in the 1920s, and the bond Idgie shared with her friend Ruth, Evelyn gains the confidence to change her own life for the better.”

10. The Secret

Synopsis – “The Secret is a 2006 self-help book by Rhonda Byrne, based on the earlier film of the same name. It is based on the belief of the pseudoscientific law of attraction, which claims that thought alone can influence objective circumstances within ones life.”

Final Thoughts

While Spring may be a temporary season, our feelings, thoughts, and dreams are not. Sometimes, a good movie makes a grand entrance into our lives, that leaves a lasting impression.

The movies in this list are only a fraction of some really awesome feel good, life changing stories that have captured our attention over the years. These are the movies we pass on to our children and grandchildren. They are the movies that helped shape who we are, and will become in the future.

So…the next time you need a little time to yourself to decompress, refer back to this list. You are certain to find something here to inspire you with whatever you need inspiration for.

Don’t forget to comment and let us know which of these classics have helped you to feel refreshed, encouraged, or wiser! Every bit of perspective matters 🙂

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