The 20 best motivating and self-improvement films
There are movies to get excited, make us feel afraid, provoke us ... and there are also those that can have an effect on us beyond screens or movie theaters, when the final credits have ended and we move away from these fictional worlds to plunge into the daily life of our lives.
These are the motivating and self-improvement films , that not only tell us inspiring stories but many times they transform our way of seeing things and making decisions. These are pieces of cinema that seem to have been created to motivate all kinds of audiences and fuel the fire of their willpower.
By the way, do not miss our compilation of phrases: "The 30 best motivating phrases"
In this article you can find a selection of 20 motivating and self-improvement films that you can "self-administer" when you think that a small stimulus can be helpful to tackle projects with renewed strength.
Motivating and self-improvement films for all tastes
1. In search of happiness
Will Smith interprets a father who has to face economic ruin and abandonment by his wife to continue procuring good care for his son . The helplessness and the lack of aid provided by the individualistic society in which he is immersed will not make him throw in the towel in his struggle to find a future in which his son and he can live with dignity. A lesson in life that teaches us the importance of continuing to fight even when the circumstances are not very promising.
2. The diving suit and the butterfly
One of our most notable inclusions in the movie article on psychology and mental disorders is also one of the best movies of self-improvement . This film tells the story of a former editor of the magazine Elle, who was locked in his own body because of an accident, being able to move only one eye. That will not prevent you from communicating with a nurse through blinks and write an autobiographical book.
3. The indomitable Will Hunting
Will Hunting is a man with a unique talent who prefers to devote himself to his modest life goals to fully squeeze his full potential. A teacher will help you get out of this blocking situation born of conformism . One of those films of personal improvement especially indicated for those people who believe that they can give more of themselves. If you need an extra dose of motivation, you should know Will Hunting as soon as possible.
4. The good side of things
Acclaimed film in which the character played by Bradley Cooper is learning to cope with the difficulties of living with Bipolar Disorder when he meets Jennifer Lawrence in the role of Tiffany. This improvised duo will discover how mutual support is capable of transforming reality and decisively improving their lives.
5. A wonderful mind
One of the most famous and remembered films of overcoming is the one that deals with the history of how John Forbes Nash He began his successful academic and research career in the world of mathematics and geometry, dealing with their mental problems and their fit in society .
6. Ratatouille
Remy is a rat that dreams of becoming a great chef despite the opposition of his family and the fact that, well, it's a rat. However, all this will not prevent him from associating with a young chef and undertake with him an ambitious project that could cost him his life in case customers or the rest of the kitchen staff discover it. Motivating movie for all audiences: teaches us that everything is within our reach if we propose it .
7. Forrest Gump
I could not miss a compilation of motivating films. The actor Tom Hanks plays a young man with a low IQ Thanks to his good faith and an exemplary desire to overcome, he lives a thousand adventures and gains a place in the hearts of people . A classic among the films of personal improvement; It shows us that an intellectual disability is not an obstacle to make a mark in this world.
8. The club of the dead poets
In one of the roles of Robin Williams Most remembered, this person embodies a teacher who teaches classes at an institute for high class youth and, going far beyond the role expected of him, acts as a true inspiring force for their students to discover for themselves the meaning of their lives through poetry. A moving story told with incredible sensitivity that excites and leads to reflection in equal parts.
9. Untouchable
One of the most successful self-improvement movies, and it's also based on real events . Philippe he is a man of good economic position that stays tetraplegic and happens to need someone to take care of him . This person turns out to be Driss, a sub-Saharan man who lives in a marginal environment and has a criminal record. The cultural clash that occurs between them will be both the spark that will lead them to lend each other mutual support to overcome the different barriers that each one has to overcome.
10. The speech of the king
In this film, the story of the King George VI , who rose to the British throne in the mid-30s and had to face the challenge of being an authority at the height of Windsor House despite its marked stammering . The monarch is not alone in his fight against the blockade in speeches, since he has the help of a brilliant speech therapist called Lionel Logue, which plays a role similar to that of a modern coach.
11. Pi's life
The life of the young Hindu Piscine Patel It takes a great turn when the ship in which it travels is shipwrecked and is left adrift in a boat full of wild animals. On his long journey to nowhere, Piscine will have to manage to share his boat with a tiger using a mixture of wit, hunger for adventure and good faith .
12. Life is beautiful
The film that catapulted the director and actor to world fame Roberto Benigni . Gido He is a Jewish man who is sent with his family to a concentration camp during the decline of Nazism. In these painful conditions of subsistence, will seek to protect the psychological integrity of your child creating a fantasy about everything that happens around him. Exceptional portrait of father-love love despite the most dire circumstances.
13. Rocky
The feature film that made famous Silverter Stallone It is also a great example of what self-improvement films should be. Rocky is a low-income young Italian American box to become heavyweight champion . In addition to being a classic, it tells us one of the most inspiring and motivating stories in history.
14. Billy Elliot
Billy Elliot He feels passion for dancing, and more specifically for the ballet . This energetic hobby is not exactly well seen in the England of the 80s, but Billy will devote all his energies to fighting the social pressure that could lead him to give up his dream. A film that addresses issues such as social stereotypes and identity .
15. The theory of everything
Here is the story of how the famous astrophysicist Stephen Hawking he faced during his youth the diagnosis of the disease that would put him in his wheelchair , and how the complications arising from it did not prevent him from focusing an ambitious journey of learning and discoveries while he began a relationship with his first wife. A biographical film essential to motivate yourself and become what you want to be ... in spite of everything.
16. The pianist
Brilliant movie directed by Roman Polanski . It is the story of a Polish pianist of Jewish origin who lives in a suburb of Warsaw, just at the time of the Third Reich. The Nazis enter the city, so that the protagonist will have to survive hidden and with the sole company of his piano and a constant fear of being discovered and sent to the extermination camps.
17. Million Dollar Baby
A veteran boxing coach interpeded by Clint Eastwood He owns a gym on the outskirts of the city. A good day, Maggie Fitzgerald, a poor but very willful girl, shows up at the gym asking to be trained. A film that shows us an extraordinary capacity for sacrifice of the protagonist, who will have to squeeze herself to the maximum to become a professional boxer and abandon his old and unhappy life. Determination and motivation to fight against a gray life.
18. Invictus
A film that narrates the life of Nelson Mandela , who after spending long years imprisoned for his political ideals, becomes president of South Africa and declares the end of the apartheid. With the excuse of celebrating the Rugby World Cup, reconciliation between blacks and whites is possible and Mandela will do everything necessary to promote values such as respect and peace .
19. Moneyball: breaking the rules
In this curious film, a sports director of an American baseball team (Brad Pitt ) employs a rigorous work methodology with its players. Despite having less economic resources than the rest of the teams in the league, the motivation, the astuteness and the thousands of hours of work invested in improving the team's performance will pay off . A motivating film that will make you enjoy a lot if you like the field of sports psychology.
20. Life imprisonment (Dreams of freedom)
The Shawshank Redemption It is a classic among the classics. A masterful film in every way, starring Tim Robbins Y Morgan Freeman , two prisoners in a US prison in the 50s that will forge a beautiful friendship. An optimistic view of life, even in especially unjust and dramatic circumstances. Robbins can only escape from routine thanks to his determination and his desire to live.
