Sometimes, life can be a real downer, you know? Whether it’s as temporal as having a bad night’s sleep, as minor as a takeout place forgetting the hot sauce (okay, but is it minor? You were really looking forward to that sauce!), or as serious as when you’re going through something major that you just can’t seem to shake—low points are something we all go through. And we’re all valid in our ebbs and flows. It’s okay to be sad when you’re sad.
That said, there are times when we really need an escape. To laugh. Or happy cry. Or just remember that the world has some goodness in it (look, Alligator Loki exists, and that’s something to hold onto!). And in those moments, I find it helps me to watch a good movie, the kind that will offer comfort and perspective in the times when I need them the most. So, here are some of my favorite movies that are particularly uplifting, without being overly saccharine to the point of lacking relatability.
Little Miss Sunshine
Even though the characters can be crass, and they go through quite a bit of humiliation and strife, the soul of Little Miss Sunshine is rooted in humanity and empathy. Each character’s plight is portrayed with immense tenderness.
It’s the perfect movie to watch when you’re feeling rejected, either by a circumstance or by life in general. These characters fail in their tasks, over and over, and yet ultimately, they’re “winners” for sticking by each other’s sides—with the culmination of their efforts being Olive’s wild ride of a beauty pageant performance. It’s fun, it’s heart-warming, and it’s impossible not to smile at least once while watching.
The last thing I’ll share is this quote from Frank, which is one of my favorite movie quotes of all time:
“[Proust] gets down to the end of his life, and he looks back and decides that all those years he suffered, those were the best years of his life, ’cause they made him who he was. All those years he was happy? You know, total waste. Didn’t learn a thing.”
Frank (Steve Carrell) on suffering
-Madeline
Where you can find it: Hulu, Amazon
Frances Ha
Let’s just take a moment to acknowledge that being in your twenties is HARD. Everyone romanticizes it as the time you’re “supposed” to be young, hot, and fun, but much of the modern twentysomething experience is enduring growing pains regarding sex, finances, independence, and adult friendships.
Frances Ha is one of the most graceful movies I’ve seen that portrays all of these things. Greta Gerwig stars as the titular character, who begins to experience all kinds of curveballs following the slow, painful divorce of her closest friendship. I cry every time I watch this movie (in a good way!), because even though Frances experiences so much loneliness and uncertainty, the ending’s message rings true: everything will be okay. -Madeline
Where you can find it: Amazon
Brittany Runs A Marathon
On the surface, this seems like yet another shallow movie about a plus-sized girl who loses weight and is “finally happy” because of it. But this movie is so much deeper than that. Brittany is pressured by her doctor to lose weight, and her journey is rife with identity crises and physical injuries.
Anyone who struggles with their body image will walk away from this movie feeling seen and inspired. The message isn’t that losing weight will solve all your problems—it’s about attempting to love yourself, no matter what size you are. And, in Brittany’s case, running helps with that. It’s a feel-good adventure of self-care, and a joy to watch. -Madeline
Where you can find it: Amazon
Someone Great
Someone Great is about a woman who gets her dream job opportunity as a journalist for Rolling Stone, but the job requires her to move to San Francisco—a decision that ultimately causes her boyfriend of nine years to break up with her. So, for her last remaining days in New York, Jenny tries to experience it with love, along with her closest friends, and what occurs is a painfully real account of moving ahead in life: letting go of what you love will never be easy, but ultimately, there is joy in exploring just how far you can go.
The film earns extra points for having a talented and diverse cast, whose starring women are career-focused and in their early thirties. Also, we get to see Peter Vack, who is a massively slept-on dreamboat…but I digress. -Madeline
Where you can find it: Netflix
Adventureland
College grads have a lot of expectations put on them, whether it be landing a “good” job ASAP, saving up for a home, or living their “best” lives in their twenties. But for most people, these things are nigh on impossible to achieve, and while that might be disappointing initially, they end up living meaningful lives on their terms.
That’s what Adventureland is all about: James’ post-grad plans are thrown for a loop, and thus he’s forced to get a job at an amusement park in his hometown to afford his travel expenses. But the experience ends up being exactly what he needed, as it not only helps him grow up—it allows him to manifest his own path (and he finds love and all that). -Madeline
Where you can find it: HBO Max
About Time
Admittedly, this film got some flak for the ways its protagonist, Tim, abused his time travel powers to end up with his dream girl. And while those criticisms are certainly valid, I believe that there is still so much to love about this movie. I think it reminds the viewer of how precious our connections with others are, without being overly weepy about it (though, just try not to cry in the moments with Tim and his dad).
It’s a charming, delightful movie, and Tim is such an endearing protagonist, you can’t help but root for him. He uses his powers in some selfish ways, in some altruistic ways, and in some silly ways—but by the end of the movie, learns there is only so much one can control. And really, that’s your own reactions to life and its harder parts. You can’t eliminate them, but you can learn to look through life with a different lens. It’s one of the more soulful magical-realism films out there, and I’d recommend it to most everyone, with the caveat that a box of tissues MUST be on hand. -Madeline
Where you can find it: Netflix
Legally Blonde
Who says you can’t be pretty and intelligent at the same time? Legally Blonde is THE movie for any woman who lacks faith in her academic abilities.
Reese Witherspoon plays Elle Woods, a woman ditched by her boyfriend for not being “serious” enough. She follows him to Harvard Law in an attempt to get him back and soon finds herself acing her classes and growing more and more in her self-confidence. And she’s supported all the way by other women, most of the time! A movie that will have you standing up and cheering at the screen by the time it finishes. And then changing your whole wardrobe to pink. -Sarah
Where you can find it: Amazon Prime
Pacific Rim
On the surface, Pacific Rim doesn’t seem all that uplifting. It is, after all, about giant monsters who emerge from the ocean and kill millions of people. And yet … the way humankind reacts to all this is very uplifting indeed if you ask me.
Pacific Rim is Guillermo del Toro saying over and over again, “Relationships are important. Don’t go it alone; love and connection and community will help all of us defeat the monsters.” It’s also him saying over and over again, “Wouldn’t it be awesome if a giant robot fought a giant lizard with a sword?” and he’s correct. It’s very awesome.
Pacific Rim has a happy ending (although it doesn’t come without sacrifice) and in order to preserve that happy ending I recommend you never watch the sequel. -Sarah
Where you can find it: Amazon Prime
Kiki’s Delivery Service
One of the greatest films from Studio Ghibli, and that’s really saying something. This movie takes us on a magical journey with Kiki, a young trainee witch who’s striking out on her own.
The animation is gorgeous and will improve your mood instantly, but the story is the main thing I want to talk about here. Kiki loves flying on her broomstick, that’s what leads her to start her delivery service… but then as time goes on suddenly she doesn’t love it anymore. She’s suffering from burnout and only resting and reconnecting will help her. That’s a very important lesson for both Kiki and the audience to learn. By the end of the movie, she’s back on her feet … or should I say, back on her broom. -Sarah
Where you can find it: Netflix
Barbie
Barbie is many things. It’s about toys. It’s about women. It’s about patriarchy. It’s … really uplifting? At its core, Barbie is about a woman trying to find out who she is, and turns out what she is is something really awesome.
Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are incredibly funny in their roles as Barbie and Ken, so this movie will have you roaring with laughter even as it tackles big questions about what makes a human being, well, human. But perhaps the most uplifting moment in the entire film comes when a single tear slides down Barbie’s beautiful, awestruck face. -Sarah
Where you can find it: Amazon Prime, AppleTV
Paddington 2
The story of a little bear settling in his adopted home country, only to find things going wrong. Paddington 2 could easily have been cynical—it is after all about the title character being thrown in prison for a crime he didn’t commit—but this is a film for children and children at heart, and so it’s not.
By the end of the movie Paddington has not only made the prison a nicer place, he’s melted the hearts of many of the inmates, defeated dastardly villain Phoenix Buchanan (Hugh Grant), and made his neighbors appreciate him all the more. If only real life was more like the Paddington movies. But the film might still inspire you to be more “kind and polite” in your day-to-day life. -Sarah
Where you can find it: Disney+
What movies do you find uplifting? Let us know in the comments! We always need more to put on our watchlist.
(featured image: Netflix)
Original story by Madeline Carpou. Additional entries by Sarah Barrett.
