2023 is almost upon us, and, with the season to be jolly coming to an end, ‘tis the season to be anxious about all the things you didn’t do this past year and all the things you wish to accomplish in the year to come. By this point, chances are you’re setting up your New Year’s resolutions. Maybe you’re just making a mental list of things you want to do, or, if you’re truly organized, you’re jotting it all down in a little notebook to keep track of everything you want to achieve. But how to even begin sorting your New Year’s resolutions for the year ahead? Is 2023 the year in which you will finally go for your dream job, or is it the year for spending more time with family and friends? Is the time ripe for personal improvement, or is it best to focus on collective action? Should you strive to become a better version of yourself, or vow to find beauty in the imperfect person that you currently are? In case you’re struggling with these kinds of questions, why not look to the movies for a little assistance? Here’s a list of ten inspirational films that will certainly help you get your priorities straight for the new year.
The House (2022)
Released in the early days of 2022, Netflix’s anthology film The House never got the attention it truly deserves. A beautifully animated movie chronicling three generations of people obsessed with the same old building, The House is extremely creepy and disturbing, but it ends with a surprisingly uplifting message about leaving the past behind and not letting yourself be dragged down by material possessions. Directed by Emma de Swaef and Marc James Roels, the first segment “And Heard Within, a Lie Is Spun” tells the story of a family destroyed by the promise of a life of luxury inside a famous architect’s new pet project. Segment 2, Niki Lindroth von Bahr’s “Then Lost Is Truth that Can’t Be Won,” chronicles a young architect’s fall into despair as he tries to renovate that very same house. Both of these stories are cautionary tales about not getting too attached to things lest you forget about the people around you. But the real icing on top of the cake is Paloma Baeza’s “Listen Again and Seek the Sun,” a charming story about a landlady who refuses to leave the dying house behind as the world crumbles around her. But, in the end, the choice she faces is quite simple: what is more important, clinging to old things or going out into the future with the people she loves?
Lady Bird (2017)
By far one of the most honest movies about adolescence ever made, Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird stars Saoirse Ronan as Christine McPherson — or, rather, Lady Bird McPherson —, a somewhat pretentious teen trying to find her own voice amid conflicts with her mother, class struggles, and the religious sensibilities of her catholic high school. Eventually, she manages to become the person she always wanted to be the same way that most teens manage to reach this goal: by leaving home and moving to the big city. But is the person she wanted to be truly the person that she is? Does the past really hold nothing but trauma and regret? Or is there also beauty to be found in the memories of her family home, of school, and even of church? In its touching ending, Lady Bird packs a powerful message about letting yourself become who you’re supposed to be, but without forgetting the people and the things that made you the person you are today.
Karate Kid (1984)
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
“You trust the quality of what you know, not quantity.” Seriously, is there even a more inspirational movie than John G. Avildsen’s Karate Kid? Okay, maybe there is, but the story of Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) puts up one hell of a fight against any worthy adversary. Since the 80s, Karate Kid has been reminding various generations of important lessons about respect, knowledge, kindness, and effort. Most of these lessons are delivered verbally by Mr. Miyagi, but there’s also a lot of valuable wisdom to be found in the film’s own action. When Daniel is scared away from the Cobra Kai dojo by Johnny (William Zabka) and his friends, that’s your reminder that a person being better at something than you doesn’t make them a better person. When Mr. Miyagi shows Daniel everything he learned while sanding the floor and painting the fence, that’s your reminder that there is no such thing as useless knowledge. And when Daniel finally wins the All Valley, that’s your reminder to keep on trying and trust what you know, because you will make it even if the odds are stacked against you.
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
However, not everyone makes it, and, sometimes, that’s okay. In many ways, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris’ Little Miss Sunshine can be seen as a diametric opposite to Karate Kid. Little Olive (Abigail Breslin) never becomes Little Miss Sunshine, no matter how hard she tries, and her father’s (Greg Kinnear) winners-only mentality proves to be useless, at best, and prejudicial, at worst. But is winning in life (or at a child beauty pageant) truly what’s important? Or is it more significant to accept your shortcomings and find value in your own weirdness? Look, no one will judge you for setting productivity goals as part of your New Year’s resolutions or for promising yourself that you will finally make that seemingly unattainable dream come true. That’s precisely what New Year’s resolutions are made for. But if you’re tired of trying with no results, how about taking some inspiration from Olive and her family and vow to make peace with the person that you are? I bet there’s a lot of beauty to be found right inside that strange little mind of yours!
Ratatouille (2007)
Brad Bird’s animated comedy about a street rat that wants to become a chef is truly one of the most motivational movies ever made. Both Remy (voiced by Patton Oswalt) and Linguini (Lou Romano) had everything stacked against them when they first entered the door to Gusteau’s restaurant. An elitist, toxic work environment? Check. A boss determined to see them fail? Check. A life of being told by their families, their so-called friends, and society as a whole that they would never amount to anything? Check, check, check. And, yet, with the words of Auguste Gusteau (voiced by Brad Garrett) guiding them, the two eventually opened up the hottest restaurant in all of Paris. Just remember that anyone can be a chef — or a painter, a musician, even a successful accountant — provided that you try hard enough and keep your dreams in focus. Do that and not even the most dedicated public health inspector will be able to stop you.
Pride (2014)
Okay, let’s divert our eyes from personal matters for a little bit and take a look at collective concerns. Based on a true story, Matthew Warchus’ Pride follows a group of gay and lesbian activists in the 80s who decide to raise money to help the families of striking miners in Margaret Thatcher’s England. Met initially with prejudice and suspicion, the activists are slowly accepted, and out of their gesture is born an unlikely alliance capable of shaking the world of politics to its core. Pride is a charming movie about reaching out to unexpected allies in a fight for a better world and a definite must-watch for anyone who wants to devote their New Year’s resolutions to building bridges and making some real change in the world. It is also a reminder that change isn’t easy, but that through collective action and perseverance, there still might be a chance for all of us.
The Mole Agent (2020)
Directed by Maite Alberdi, Chilean documentary The Mole Agent is a charming, but infinitely sad movie about how easily people are abandoned once they are no longer considered useful for society. Sergio Chamy stars as an undercover agent investigating claims of mistreatment in a care facility for the elderly. He does find a lot of cause for concern, but not exactly for the reasons he was expecting. The real mistreatment is not in anything done by the facility’s staff, but in the abandonment faced by the institution’s patients, who are left alone by their families and friends, and must fend for themselves in a world that doesn’t take their thoughts and emotions into account. It’s a painful reminder that we should spend more time with the people we claim to love, as well as that we should make sure that those who came before us are treated with care and respect as they age. After all, we will all be old one day.
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Based on the novel of the same name by Harper Lee, Robert Mulligan’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic for many reasons. Not only is the film expertly shot and amazingly acted, it is also a powerful story about fighting for justice no matter the costs. When Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) took over the case of a Black man falsely accused of raping a white woman, he did it not because it would make him famous or rich, but because it was the right thing to do. His struggle to get Tom Robinson (Brock Peters) a fair trial at the expense of his own peace of mind and that of his children is truly a lesson to each and every one of us. Set and shot in a time in which Jim Crow laws were still being upheld, and in which lynchings were still a common occurrence, To Kill a Mockingbird also reminds us that justice and the law don’t always coincide.
Lion (2016)
I’m going to get personal with you guys for a quick second, here: I’m kind of a tough cookie when it comes to films, and Garth Davis’ Lion is one of the few movies that has ever made me cry. Based on the real story of Saroo Brierley (played on screen by Dev Patel), Lion is a beautiful, incredibly acted, and heartfelt tale about reconnecting with your roots and finding out who you truly are in the process. As Saroo leaves Australia to find the family from which he was separated from in India, we leave our emotional comfort zones to discover a world that is much more complex and full of overlapping feelings than we ever imagined. After all, Saroo still loves his adoptive parents, and they love him back, but there’s something broken inside of him that will only become whole again once he retrieves what he lost when he was still a child. If you feel separated from your origins, either literally or figuratively, watch Lion and consider making one of your New Year’s resolutions to reconnect with where you came from.
Clueless (1995)
.jpeg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
To finish off our list, let’s take a second to consider that making plans and New Year’s resolutions is perfectly healthy and fine, but that we shouldn’t let ourselves get lost in our little personal projects. Otherwise, we might end up forgetting to live and even driving away the people we love the most. Amy Heckerling’s classic 90s retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma is all about a girl who is so obsessed with creating the perfect life for everyone around her that she ends up hurting her closest friends and not paying attention to the things that are really important. Thankfully, young Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) learns her lesson by the end of the movie. However, in the real world, people don’t often get second chances, so pay attention not to let your New Year’s resolutions take over your entire life. Focus on your goals, but don’t forget to breathe and enjoy the moment from time to time.
Credit: Source link
