Every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas I force Thom (my husband) to sit with me and watch the most corny holiday movies imaginable on television. Yes I confess, I love the sweet, sappy and heart-tugging stories that cover the airwaves during the month of December. And on this, the final couple of days of my 2014 Third Annual Gratitude Challenge, I took the time to research several of my favorite movies from the past that generate a feeling of thankgiving within me. Perhaps if I can find these on cable, Thom will be saved from what shows up on the Lifetime or Hallmark Channel in the next couple of weeks?
Be assured I’ve seen every single one of these movies at least once and recommend them all. And rather than trying to list them according to preference (I’ve included all sorts of genres), they are arranged by date of release.
It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) —Classic story of discovering how of our individual lives impact the world, and realizing in the end how wonderful our life is in spite of it’s flaws.
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)—This original holiday favorite tugs at our heartstrings and reminds us all to “Believe.”
To Kill A Mockingbird (1962) —Another classic that continues to remind us that it is so important to stand up for what is right and serve as a model for others.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)—This classic odd-couple Thanksgiving comedy reminds us that while travel during a holiday is never fun, there is a big reason we do it anyway.
Dead Poets Society (1989)—Encouragement to us all to triumph over a fear of failure, to live our dreams boldly, and to seize the day!
Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)—A story of women learning the value of friendship and what it takes to love and be true to ourselves.
Ruby In Paradise (1993)–A celebration of heart, courage and persistence by a young woman on a journey of self discovery.
Cool Runnings (1993)—Entertaining, funny and uplifting story of how success comes from hard work and determination.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)—A story that shows that no matter how humble the circumstances we can still rise above them and through friendships, work together to help others.
Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995)—An uplifting story of how a job can be transformed into a soul-satisfying vocation.
The Mighty (1998)—The story of how two very different young men discover the power of friendship and transcend their disabilities.
The Spitfire Grill (1999)—A powerful story about forgiveness, transformation, learning to love, accepting oneself and how we can all turn our lives around no matter what has happened in the past.
Cider House Rules (1999) —Shows that life is about choices and that all of our actions ripple out and affect others.
Music of the Heart (1999) Another story where a young teacher uses music to inspired troubled kids and learns that by helping others she helps herself.
October Sky (1999) —How a group of boys learned to challenge the system, never stop setting goals and to believe in themselves.
Pay It Forward (2000)—An inspirational challenge to us all to come up with an idea to change the world, and then put it into practice.
Life As A House (2001)—A father-son drama about overcoming the miss-steps of the past and that a healing is not always a cure.
About Schmidt (2002)—One man’s journey toward the end of his life to find purpose and meaning—and most especially who he really is.
Rabbit Proof Fence (2002)—A story about Aboriginal children in Australia showing remarkable courage, stamina and spirit.
Love Actually (2003) —Reminds us all heart-warmingly of the importance of love—no matter what.
Whale Rider (2003)—The story of a young Maori girl coming-of-age and learning to be true to herself and the world around her.
Secondhand Lions (2003)—A story of how youth has the ability to inspire us, and that we are only as old as we think we are.
Pieces of April (2003)—A Thanksgiving movie that shares how even a very dysfunctional family still can come together with unconditional love and reminds us to appreciate and love each other in spite of our failures and disappointments.
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)—Based on the true story of how a father overcame tremendous odds to give his son a better life.
The Bucket List (2007)—Another odd-couple story that reminds us that the happiest lives are spent with those we love—and that we should make the most of every single day of our lives.
Freedom Writers (2007)—How a dedicated teacher inspires her students to write in journals and move past their troubled young lives.
August Rush (2008)—A tribute to the soul-stirring power of music and the unwavering belief that miracles do exist.
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)—A story that reaches beyond some horrific circumstances to show that things like friendship, gratitude, love and hope are universal to us all no matter where we live.
Blind Side (2009)—a semi-biographical story about a young man who was nurtured by a foster family and evolved into his realizing his potential.
The Help (2011)—Shows how things are changing, slowly but surely, and why they need to continue until all of us realize that racism and inequality have no place in a compassionate world.
I’ve obviously left out movies like Schindler’s List, 12 Years A Slave and Hotel Rwanda, not because they aren’t movies of selfless sacrifice in the face of tragedy and terror, but because they are difficult to watch and once was enough for me. The rest of the movies I found uplifting and touching enough to recommend them to everyone who appreciates a movie that inspires while it entertains.
One thing I’m learning as I put in time in on Planet Earth is that life is too short to watch bad movies with no redeeming value. At a certain point it is SMART to remember that one of our most precious commodities is our time, and I plan to use mine remembering to be grateful for the love and goodness that exists in the world—and thankfully, some movies help us do just that!
I’m sure there are plenty of other great movies I’ve forgotten. Please share in the comments below any movies you think should be added! Thank You!
I love your list of inspiring movies! It’s a wonderful reminder of how powerful cinema can be in uplifting our spirits. ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ and ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ are personal favorites that always inspire me to never give up on my dreams.
Hello Kathy, thanks so much for the lovely collections of movies. Am a movie freak and i have watched few of the movies you listed. I particularly loved what you said about “life is too short to watch bad movies with no redeeming value.” It summarizes how we must prioritize our time while on earth. Bless your soul Kathy and say me well to the family
Great list of movies, a lot of memories are coming back to me right now. I can’t wait to see them again. thank you for sharing this great movie list with us.
Awesome list of movies, brings back a lot of memories by just seeing the names of the movies. My fav are Planes, Trains, & Automobiles and Cider House Rules. Both awesome movie thank you for share!
Hi Jenni! Thanks for stopping by SMART Living and letting me know you liked my list. If you haven’t seen them all then I’ll bet you would like them. Check them out when you get a chance. ~Kathy
I think you’re right seeing as all the movies that I have seen from the list I love!
So many great movies, I need to watch some of these again especially Cool Runnings, Shawshank Redemption, and the Pursuit of Happyness. I haven’t seen many of these movies but looks like some other good movies for me to watch. Thanks!
Hi Simon! Thanks for stopping by SMART Living and sharing some of your favorites with all of us. I think if you watch those you haven’t seen you will enjoy them as well. ~Kathy
Great list of movies, brings back a lot of memories just seeing the names of the movies. My personal favorites are Planes, Trains, & Automobiles and Cider House Rules. Both great movies. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Ryan! Thank you for stopping by SMART Living and sharing your thoughts. Yes, I think those are both great movies and probably ones that appeal a bit more to men than some of the others! Glad you liked the list! ~Kathy
Don’t you know when a bell rings, an angel gets its wings? 🙂
I love, LOVE a lot of the movies on the first half of your list. Wonderful Life, of course, it’s a classic. And I thought of Planes, Trains when I had to buy a pack of shower curtain rings for our apartment. I don’t know what this means, but the Gideon Bible in hotel rooms always reminds me of Shawshank! (maybe someone dug their way out) And the “Oh Captain my Captain” scene at the end of Dead Poets is my all-time favorite movie scene. It reminds me of my last day at my old job. My students didn’t stand on their desks, but singing “Lean on Me” was a close second! 😉
Hi Bethany! Glad you liked a lot of these….but not the others? I can’t imagine you not liking just about all of them? And would you add others? Now you’ve got me curious! ~Kathy
Great list…….I’ve only seen a few of these, but one of my favorite movies of all time, for all seasons, is Love Actually. Lots of laughs and some happy tears.
Hey Kathy and thanks for the nice list of inspiring movies. I’ve seen a few of the ones mentioned but way behind on the rest.
I tend however, to get sucked into the more inane Hollywood superhero/action blockbusters and find inspiration – somehow – with those vehicles as well.
I guess if you can walk away from any film feeling thoughtful, happy or any other positive emotional response, then that’s a good thing!
Thanks again for the recommendations and take care. My best to all.
Lyle
Hi Lyle! Well sometimes an action-adventure movie is just what you need. Other times, you might take a look at one of these 🙂 About the only ones I refuse to watch on psycho-killers. Not sure there is ANY redeeming quality there. Hope you enjoy one of my selections when you’re in the mood. ~Kathy
How about classics like Fiddler on the Roof or The Sound of Music? I also thought of Life is Beautiful, but I see that you’ve already commented on that suggestion.
It’s a Wonderful Life is my favorite, but I’ve enjoyed many of the films on your list.
Hi Kristi! Yes you are right about Fiddler on the Roof and The Sound of Music being great movies. I really struggled about whether to include ALL the movies that I’ve loved through the years but I was afraid the list would be 100 movies long (at least). I was hoping some of these were not as well known and might actually help others find more to watch. But thank you for your suggestions and for adding them to our list! ~Kathy
I loved your list of 30 inspirational films and the reasons why they inspire you. I also have several movies I can’t watch again because they’re too heartbreaking even as they’re inspiring stories of people embracing the noblest and most humane qualities in the face of the worst of humanity (“Life is Beautiful” being at the top).
Thank you so much. I’ve seen most of these, and I think I’m going to look for them to re-watch or watch for the first time.
Hi Jess! Thanks for coming by SMART Living and sharing your thoughts on this. I so agree about Life is Beautiful. It was another one of those that while I admire and appreciate them they aren’t easy to watch. Maybe I should do a list of just those kind of movies. If I’m in the right “space” I can watch them and really be inspired as well. Thanks again for your comment. ~Kathy
What! No ‘White Christmas’? That’s surely the ultimate feel-good Christmas movie. And WHICH VERSION of Miracle on 34th Street? Yaknow what – they’re both great.
This was a fun way of doing a thankful list 🙂
Shawshank is wonderful and so is Love Actually – never fails to make me laugh.
Hahaha Lizzi! I decided not to go the complete holiday route so White Christmas didn’t make the cut. And I actually prefer the earlier version of Miracle on 34th Street. Nostalgia? Probably. And yes it was a fun way to do a TToT for sure. ~Kathy
I only watched 3 of this list, and always ask for my friend’s recommendations on good movies. I’ll save this list. Thank you.
Hi Nikky! If you’ve only seen 3 off my list then you have some GREAT movies to catch up on. Of course, as I’ve said in other comments, these are heavily biased toward women’s empowerment 🙂 but all of them should make you feel good for having watched them. Let me know what you think! ~Kathy
This is a GREAT movie list!! I’ve seen all of them except Ruby in Paradise, so clearly that will need to be added to my watch list.
Hi Tracie! Thank you for stopping by SMART Living and leaving a comment. I think you will like Ruby in Paradise–I sure did. As you can tell a lot of my movies are tilted toward empowering women and this definitely fits that category. Let me know what you think if you see it! ~Kathy
I have seen most of these on the list. I loved the classic It’s a Wonderful Life. I always think about an angel getting his wings everytime I hear a bell ring. Thanks for sharing. I hope you stop by and link up any literacy or book discussions that you have written about. I would love to read them too!
Hi Mary! Yes, I’m pretty sure most of us have all seen “It’s a Wonderful Life” but I just HAD to put it on the list right? And yes, how could we forget about that angel getting his wings. Such a perfect memory right? And I will definitely pop over and check our your link. ~Kathy
Great list, Kathy. I’ve seen some but now I know what to add to my list. I love watching the classics again and again but there’s always room for more.
Hi Helene! Glad you like the list Helene. There are so many movies out there that it is sometimes hard to catch them all unless they are huge box-office hits. I think it is good for us to share those that have personally touched us along the way! ~Kathy
Such a great list with some of my all time favorites. I recently watched Love Actually and I still love the ending so much. Especially Liam Neeson and the boy. Shawshank Redemption, Fried Green Tomatoes and The Help are amazing. I could go on and on. There are a few I haven’t seen yet listed so thank you for the suggestions.
Hi Sandy. Yes isn’t it nice to know there are some movies out there that we can watch over and over again and feel good about? Thom thought I was crazy for leaving Wizard of OZ off this list because he knows I get happy every time I watch it. But in case you didn’t notice this list offers a lot of women empowerment 🙂 and I was also going for those that weren’t quite as well known. Thanks for your thoughts. ~Kathy
You’ve covered a lot of my favourites there! And several that are on my “To Be Watched” list. Inspiring – thank you!
Hi Laurel. Glad you like my list….and congratulations again on your 100 Happy Days Challenge. If you need more reasons to be happy there are a couple of great movies on this list that should do the trick. ~Kathy
–I’ve watched ALL of these!
My fave. is “Dead Poets.”
FABULOUS!
“Oh, Captain, My Captain” Classic.
Hi Kim! So glad you liked them….and Dead Poets is definitely one of those movies destined to be a classic for so many reasons. Did you have any to add? ~Kathy
The Holiday with Kate Windslet, Jude Law, Jack Black, and Cameron Diaz. Just a cute feel good movie!
Oh yes, I saw that one Jodi. And you’re right, it too is a cute feel-good movie for sure. Thanks for adding it to the list! ~Kathy
Thanks for the list. I’ve seen many of them, but not all. So I’m printing out this list and keeping it handy for those times when we turn to Netflix, or B asks what movie to bring home from the library.
Hi Tom! I hope you enjoy them. You’ve probably seen some of them. And they might be a bit sappy for some people but for anyone looking for a movie with some inspiration there should be something for everyone on my list. Definitely beats watching bad TV any night of the week IMHO! ~Kathy
Great list. I have seen all but maybe two of these. Will have to check out Ruby in Paradise and Cool Runnings. Pieces of April is a great Thanksgiving story, the same writer as Gilbert Grape and Dan in Real Life.
Happy Thanksgiving, Beth
Hi Beth! Glad you liked them and even more glad that I was able to introduce a couple you haven’t seen before. I was hoping that I’d be able to do just that for most everyone who reads this post. Thanks for stopping by! ~Kathy
You have some good movies there. Some of my favorites! Love Actually is probably one of he best movies! I also like Holiday.
Hi Jodi! Yes, Love Actually is such an enjoyable movie to watch isn’t it? Holiday? Is that the Gary Grant movie or did you mean another one? I’m always looking for good movies so let me know. ~Kathy
What I like about your list is the additions. Often a best Holiday list is just the real old ones but you of course are evolving your list to include more recent releases! Bad Santa, just cracks me up.
Hi Haralee! I’m hoping I included enough to surprise just about everyone who reads this list. I was only going to do one with about 10–but I couldn’t decide and there are LOTS of posts out there with 10 so I just kept going. Of course the truth is I could have had about 50 but I decided to stop while before I got too carried away. But Bad Santa? That was just a little over the top for me. 🙂 ~Kathy
Kathy, these are great. A comprehensive list that I am bookmarking and also going to see how many I can stream this weekend!
Hi Carol! I’ll bet you’ve seen a bunch of them but I hoped I’ve included a few surprises for you. Happy weekend! ~Kathy
That’s a list I’m going to bookmark and come back to! I just re-watched Love Actually a couple of weeks ago on the plane on my way down to Vietnam. As if my sinuses weren’t already bungled up enough from being in a tin can, I had to go and add a cry into the mix.
Hi Laura! Oh yeah. I would say anyone who has an already stuffed-up nose should avoid every single one of these! I always have a box of tissues handy when I see any of these coming up on my schedule. 🙂 I hope you are well over “that” and can enjoy all the rest of them when you get the chance. ~Kathy
At some point during the month of December, I will always end up watching each of these:
1. Love Actually
2. Elf
3. Planes, Trains and Automobiles
4. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
5. A Christmas Story
Of course, if I’m flipping channels and stumble across It’s a Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th St, I’ll definitely stop and watch, but the 5 above are my go-to’s for the holidays! 🙂
cheers,
Nancy
Hi Nancy! Okay I can see you’re already in the Christmas mood for sure. I avoided including so many of them but for those who want a hefty does of good Christmas stories your list is wonderful! ~Kathy
I love this list and some I haven’t seen but so many others are favorites of mine. Especially Fried Green Tomatoes which I am actually watching for probably the 500th time but that’s what you do with old favorites. I would add Steel Magnolias to that list though. I think it inspires you to move through the darkness and that even when your world is turned upside down there will be light at the end of the tunnel and you will laugh again.
Hi Rena! Yes a bunch of these are likely ones most everyone has already seen, but by the off-chance someone hasn’t, I just couldn’t leave them off. I too could watch Fried Green Tomatoes over and over again. And yes, thanks for mentioning Steel Magnolias because it too is a great movie. But I did have to cut off my list at some point. Right? Thanks for stopping by! ~Kathy
That’s a really good list. As a binge watcher, I think I’m going to set aside a week and watch them all! There are some that I havent seent yet. I’m excited to see something new to me.
Hi Mary! Thank you so much for stopping by SMART Living and sharing your thoughts! I’m thrilled I was able to offer some “new” movies you haven’t seen. Isn’t that the best? There are a lot of “lists” out there for good movies but I tried to included some new ones for people who enjoy watching. Let me know what you think! ~Kathy
You know how I feel about old movies, and I don’t think it’s corny (well, perhaps a little!) because they are filled with human emotion, giving us chance to see and hope that our world can be made to be better. I love this list and the focus of gratitude. Thanks for writing and sharing it.
Hi Cathy! Yes, I thought you might like a few of these for sure! And obviously I’m the same for appreciating those that touch my emotions OR those that make me think. Hey, now I have other topic for another day! Thanks! ~Kathy
So happy to see this list. I’ve just added a bunch to my Watchlist and can’t wait to get started!
Hi Andee! Welcome to SMART Living. I hope you enjoy the movies as much as I continue to through the years. Many of them were well known, but there are a few that didn’t get the attention I thought they deserved. Let me know what you thought of them when you’re done! ~Kathy
Hi Kathy,
Awesome indeed 🙂
Yes, I’ve seen a few of these and I’d recommend them too. I guess just being together and watching movies has it’s own charm, isn’t it? I’m bookmarking your page and would refer to whenever I get a little time to watch movies.
Thanks for sharing, and have a lovely Thanksgiving weekend 🙂
Hi Harleena! You are so right that just the act of coming together and watching movies that uplift us all can be a huge benefit. I hope if you get a chance to watch some of these that you’ll pop back over and let me know that you thought of them. While all what I consider inspiring, some are a bit controversial (I couldn’t help myself right?) so your thoughts would be welcome. Enjoy your weekend! ~Kathy