When a film makes me feel alive, it deeply moves and inspires me. I feel like I could or should get up and do something. My body and brain tingle with possibilities, and the movie and new ideas turn over in my mind for weeks or months after viewing. Here are ten films that give me those feelings when I watch them.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
This one is for the dreamers. It is an amazing underdog story, and one that I find endlessly inspiring. Walter needs that extra to push to see that real life can be just as good as his daydreams. The backdrop of Iceland in this film is just so stunning. It leaves me wanting to book that trip there sooner rather than later to see the northern lights. I feel like I can climb and conquer those Himalayan Mountains that I’ve been avoiding. The soundtrack and score add that extra boost as well to the already amazing cinematography. Ben Stiller did an excellent job at directing.
Stranger Than Fiction
What if you discovered you were made up, just a character in someone’s novel? Everything you did in life, your personality, likes and dislikes were all a figment of someone’s else’s imagination. That’s what Harold Crick must face. It really digs into what it is to be human and how we all experience life and the tougher things that come with it, like death, differently. I think it is Will Ferrell’s best role to date. It displays how fragile we humans are and how strange reality can be, but that’s why it is so extraordinary. Those small, odd, and sometimes serendipitous occurrences can set you on a completely different path without you even realizing it.
Wild
I know I’m being repetitive, but it has to be said that the scenery alone in this one is beautiful. Reese said this film was a passion project of hers, and it shows. She gets dirty and gritty. It is based on Cheryl Strayed’s book detailing her hike on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). She had to hike this trail in order to go through the dark, seemingly bottomless depths of grief, so she could come out on the other side and find herself and the woman her mother always wanted her to be. I will admit I’ve researched the PCT a few times since watching this one. After seeing this woman’s journey, you’ll want to grab your own hiking boots and hit some trails.
Interstellar
This is my favorite Christopher Nolan film, and you can’t change my mind! The cinematography and effects are sublime. I think this film is just beautiful, and it really leaves me appreciating life and Earth. The fleeting seconds we have in this life are exactly that: fleeting. Love transcends dimensions; it transcends space and time. Isn’t that enough to make you feel alive?
The Peanut Butter Falcon
I was looking forward to seeing this film, and it far exceeded my expectations. It is so sweet, funny, and heartwarming. I love films that have that element of choosing your own family where it is often misfits finding one another. Shia and Zack’s characters’ relationship is a joy to watch blossom throughout the film. They build each other up.
Free Solo
This film is one of the most visceral theater going experiences I’ve ever had in my life. I was literally on the edge of my seat with sweaty palms. It is astounding to see what the human body, mind, and spirit are capable of, and Alex Honnold is a fascinating person. I think this is one of the better documentaries to have ever been made. The shots of El Capitan are breathtaking, and the work the crew had to put in was impressive. The second hand adrenaline rush alone from this film will leave you feeling alive.
Little Women (2019)
Little Women is absolutely stunning. Greta Gerwig’s use of non-linear storytelling was perfect. The pacing, scenery, and music are a rush of emotion that are matched by the gripping performances of the whole cast. Gerwig’s modernization of this adaptation makes it resonate so well with me. My heart aches throughout the whole film, and I feel invigorated by these strong female characters and their thoughts and relationships.
Pleasantville
This is another film about the human condition and almost learning to be human in a way. It’s about the beauty of humanity and how we love and need to express ourselves–what happens if we don’t. The painful aspects of life are put on display as well by drawing parallels to racism in our society, showing the ugliness that occurs with senseless hate. Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon, and Joan Allen’s performances are all stunning and will leave your heart aching but replenished.
Frances Ha
Greta Gerwig strikes again! She and Noah Baumbach make a solid team for this one. Her performance in this encapsulates that kind of anxiety ridden and uncertain period of your late twenties very well. She feels like she is stuck while everyone else is moving forward. The scene where Greta is dancing through crosswalks alone makes me feel better. The growing pains of this character slow my existential dread at times, and I feel like I’m going to be ok after watching it. It is a refreshing look at how friendships change and evolve as well.
Whiplash
I know this one isn’t exactly upbeat (sorry), but it is fast paced and almost manic at times. It’s another one that shows just how strong the human spirit is. It leaves me wanting to punch J.K. Simmons in the face but also wanting to play the drums or any instrument for that matter. Music moves us as humans and is just another component in feeling that rush of life.
Movies are meant to move us, and to let us live vicariously through others. They open our eyes to new worlds and experiences, so go forth and watch movies and feel alive. Are there any that I missed that you think I should have included? Let me know.
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When I’m not busy daydreaming or having an existential crisis, I can usually be found watching a movie or TV, listening to music or a podcast, or with my nose in a book.
