- a handcrafted list of fifty films that leave you feelin' good -
It's movie night. You have selected your favorite beverage and snack. You’ve got your pillows and blankets. You’ve called up your friends or family. But, the real question is: what are you going to watch?
This is the “SOS! I don’t know what to watch for a good movie! Do you have any recommendations?”
As a matter of fact, I do.
If this tells you anything, my very first major in college was Motion Pictures. A dream job of mine was to compose music FOR movies. I'm not saying I'm some qualified movie genius - rather, I'm just someone who really loves and appreciates a good movie!
I could make a very, very long list of movies that, in my opinion, are great artistically and cinematically, but that’s a blog for another time.
But, there’s something so special about watching a good movie. What’s even better is feeling good once it fades to black and the credits start rolling.
Here’s a prime example of a great movie that doesn’t make me feel super good after:
La La Land.
Before you get all mad at me, let me just preface by saying that I absolutely love this movie. It’s beautifully shot, artistic and colorful, well-acted, and the music is phenomenal! I admire so much about it, and I personally think it should have won the Academy for Best Picture for longer than 30 seconds...
But, if you’ve seen La La Land, am I the only one that wishes it ended in the way we all wanted it to end? The film concluded in a way that made me feel more sad than good, in my humble opinion.
This list is a “feel-good” movie list.
This list has all genres of movies! Old classics, swashbuckling adventure, drama, musical, rom-com, sports, nostalgic animated movies, action, cooking, and I've even thrown a Christmas movie in there!
It’s a list where I’ve handpicked fifty movies that I quite enjoyed throughout my twenty-four years of living. You'll notice lots of good childhood movies in there that haven't gotten old and have aged nicely.
You may have seen these. You may have not! I say this: don't bash it if you haven't watched it!
I've aimed to pick films that make you feel good after. The kind where you can hit the hay and rest your head hopefully feeling a little better than before.
"Garbage in, garbage out."
That's a phrase my mom told me all the time as I was growing up. She still tells me to this day! Basically, whatever we consume is what comes out!
In The Message version of Philippians 4:8, Paul says: "Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse."
All this to say, entertainment and media have more impact on us than we realize, so it's very important to guard our hearts and minds in Christ, and think on the things that are pure, excellent, noble, true, lovely, and admirable.
Alright, let's get to the movies!
DISCLAIMERS
I'm not a movie expert. I just really like and appreciate good movies.
I’ve done my very best to pick movies that are appropriate and aren’t rated higher than PG-13. Everyone has their own convictions! If a movie on this list is rated PG-13, I’ve linked the Parents Guide from IMDb (International Movie Database) - a great feature on their website where you can check a movie to see if there’s something you don’t want to watch (i.e. violence, language, etc.). But again, I’ve done my best to pick tasteful movies. :)
This list isn’t exhaustive. There's only fifty titles here, and I could probably do an entire blog for just Disney movies alone.
I’m 100% positive we all have our own opinions about movies! And you may disagree with me on some, most, or all! These are just movies I’d add to my list and would sort into the "feel-good" category. Again...don't bash it if you haven't watched it!
So, without further ado, get ready to pop some delicious popcorn, nibble on your favorite movie-snackin’ candy, put your coziest socks on, and enjoy!
Feel-Good Films
(in no particular order)
The Prince of Egypt (1998)
Enchanted (2007)
The Princess Bride (1987)
The Little Rascals (1994)
Tangled (2010)
The Sandlot (1993)
Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998)
Ratatouille (2007)
Remember the Titans (2000)
The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Cinderella (2015)
How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
It Takes Two (1995)
Tarzan (1999)
Peter Pan (2003)
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)
Aladdin (1992)
The Lion King (1994)
Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
Hidalgo (2004) (PG-13)
The Avengers (2012) (PG-13)
Roman Holiday (1953)
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
Elf (2003)
National Treasure (2004)
The Princess Diaries (2001)
Seabiscuit (2003) (PG-13)
The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005)
Glory Road (2006)
While You Were Sleeping (1995)
The Hundred Foot Journey (2014)
Julie & Julia (2009) (PG-13)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) (PG-13)
Shrek (2001)
Shrek 2 (2004)
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011) (PG-13)
The Incredibles (2004)
The Greatest Showman (2017)
Night at the Museum (2007)
The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) (PG-13)
The Blind Side (2009) (PG-13)
The Mask of Zorro (1998) (PG-13)
Little Women (2019)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018) (TV-14)
Leap Year (2010)
Return to Me (2000)
Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken (1991)
I hope these are some good suggestions for you + your next movie night! Share this with a friend or a few! Plan a movie night!
Here's a fun Instagram template to share on your story :)
Comments