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Page 2
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Top 25 Inspirational Films continued
1-14
15-25
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| On the
preceding page you'll discover the first
fourteen films in our countdown. Below
you'll find the top inspirational films
numbering 15-25. You may be asking,
where are the faith based films?
Though not
included in this list, persons of the
monotheistic faiths will often rank Old
Testament epics including The Ten
Commandments, Spartacus and
Ben Hur as well as New Testament
films including The Passion of the
Christ, and The Greatest Story Ever
Told among their choices for most
inspirational films of all time. Since
Couples Company is international with 35% of
our readers coming from nations that are not
monotheistic, we decided to focus on more
universal ranks. If we chose to include
faith specific films, The Passion of the
Christ and Ben Hur would land in
the top 14 with The Ten Commandments
and Spartacus in 15-25.
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Films are ranked by their level of
inspiration. Star rating
indicate overall QUALITY of the film
without regard to its inspirational rank. |
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Top 25 Inspirational Films 15-25 |
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Perseverance, Dealing
with Prejudice, Overcoming the Odds, Friendship and Life
Lessons
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English |
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BUY |
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Also
Recommended:
We Are Marshall
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Rudy
1993:
PG
Starring: Sean
Astin, Jon Favreau
Director: David
Anspaugh
112 Minutes
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Against all odds including wrong
physical stature, lack of education requirements, dismissive
coaches, poverty, his father's envy, and endless series of roadblocks,
Rudy Ruettiger does the energizer bunny one better and keeps going, and
going and going until at last he gets to play in one game at Notre Dame.
Based on a true story, Rudy shows that it is not the attaining goal that
provides the satisfaction but surviving and growing through the journey
which is the ultimate reward.
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Overcoming the Odds,
Perseverance, Personal Strength, Empathy and Love |
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English |
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BUY |
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A Beautiful Mind
2002:
R
Starring:
Russell Crowe,
Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Christopher Plummer
Director:
Ron Howard
136 Minutes
4 Academy
Awards® including
BEST PICTURE
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Taming the demons inside, in this case genius John
Nash's schizophrenia will take you
into the world of imagined reality and the cruelty
others have towards a disease they don't understand.
A study in mind over matter that can be empathized
by anyone struggling with a disability or addiction, A
Beautiful Mind is complex, heart-wrenching and a
testament to the power of marital love, facing reality,
never giving up and overcoming the odds .
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Surviving Parent's
Disapproval, Hope & Perseverance |
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English |
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BUY |
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October Sky
1999: PG
Starring: Jake
Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper,
Laura Dern, Chris Owen
Director:
Joe Johnston
128 minutes
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If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
Highlighting determination and success this
true story begins in 1957 with the launch of launch
of the Sputnik. The space race goes into high
gear. Homer butts heads with his father's
antiquated blue collar ethic by shunning a life in
the coal mines and pursuing the cerebral paths science.
In the end, with nothing but a makeshift
backwoods launching pad Homer succeeds launching his
rocket and the hopes of an entire town into space. This
is a great movie for introducing children to the aspects
of the cold war and the space race.
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Patriotism, Belief in a
Cause, Overcoming the Odds, Friendship and Life Lessons |
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English |
BUY
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We Also Recommend
Gladiator |
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Braveheart
1995:
R
Starring: Mel
Gibson, Catherine McCormack, Brendan Gleeson, David
O'Hara, Patrick McGoohan, Sophie Marceau & Angus
MacFadyen
Director: Mel Gibson
136 minutes
5 Academy
Awards® including
BEST PICTURE |
| One man can
change the world and Mel Gibson's
Braveheart proves
this. Based upon the true story of Scottish hero
William Wallace, historians will bristle at the facts as
the storyline covers two complete centuries within a few
years of one man's life and contains few historically
accurate events. But who cares! The story is
wonderful and covers all human emotions. Mel
Gibson as Wallace portrays a man both aggressive and
vulnerable. Angus MacFadyen's portrayal of Sir
Robert the Bruce is one of the great performance
illustrating a man caught between passion, morality and
duty. Though very violent and brutally
illustrative of medieval torture and the depths of
horror men can fall to, Braveheart inspires on all
levels leaves each wishing to be a
Scot! |
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Friendship,
Patience and Justice |
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English |
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BUY |
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The Shawshank
Redemption
1994:
R
Starring:
Tim
Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton , James Whitmore
Director: Frank
Darabont
142 Minutes
Nominated
for seven Academy Awards®
including Best Picture, Actor, and Screenplay
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Stephen King's story about hope and friendship
comes alive in The Shawshank Redemption. Incredibly uplifting
despite its dismal setting within a prison, the story follows the story
of framed wife murder, Andy Dufrain (Robbins) and his friendship with
admitted murderer Red (Freeman) within the confines of the maximum
security prison. If you're like us, you'll watch the more than two
hours over and over again just to feel the wonderful sense of
satisfaction the last five minutes of the movie delivers. The sentiment
is pure, rewarding and wonderful. |
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Glory
1989: R
Starring:
Matthew
Broderick
Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes
Morgan Freeman
Director:
Edward
Zwick
118 minutes |
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Two movies best illustrate the struggle and triumph
of African American's in the US Military:
The Tuskegee Airmen of WWII and this movie
Glory, which illustrates the
trials and tribulations of the first fully Black
Regiment during the Civil War.
Based upon a true story this movie shows the
struggle to overcome incredible prejudice and prove
ones self in spite of every roadblock.
Denzel Washington won the Academy Award for best
supporting actor. The most memorable scene in
the movie shoes him being beaten for stealing shoes
in front of the regiment, a single tear falling down
his face. This movie shows how far we've come
as a nation and reminds us that all American's,
regardless of color, faith or origin truly love and
defend this country. |
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Friendship & Determination,
Overcoming the Odds
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English |
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BUY |
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Brian’s Song
1971: G
Starring:
James
Caan, Billy Dee Williams, Jack Warden
Director:
Buzz Kulik
73 Minutes |
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This made for television biopic about the Chicago
Bears' Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers is more than a sports film. 1971
was just a few years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed and
racial tensions in the US were still alive an well. Portraying a
close and caring friendship between men is hard enough. Showing
them to be of different races at the time on TV, was even gutsier.
James Caan is at his
free-spirited best as Piccolo, becomes stricken
with cancer. Billy Dee Williams, first his rival become the rock he
leans on. Piccolo's will to survive inspires Sayers to
stretch his limits and reach his athletic potential as a tribute
to the inner strength of both.
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Love between a Father
and Son, the magic of love The Power of Positive
Thinking and surviving unspeakable horrors. |
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Italian |
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BUY |
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Life is Beautiful
1998: PG13
Starring:
Roberto
Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi
Director:
Roberto
Benigni,
116 Minutes
3 Academy
Awards® including Best Foreign Language Film
and Best Actor.
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Illustrating the Powers of Love
and Humor
"Not realizing the second half
of this film deals with concentration camps during
World War II, I innocently took my 13-year old
Little Sister to see it. I thought we were
going to see a romantic comedy
, which the first half is. Though the actual
film is about the lengths a father will go to
protect his child and the power of humor to create a
barrier against atrocities, the second half deals
with surviving the horror endured by 12-million
people of all faiths in the concentration camps
under Hitler and Mussolini. If a
child is unaware this existed, it can be a major
shock but an important lead to discussion.
The film
is wonderful, endearing reminder that when any
nation uses faith to determine who has value as a
human and who doesn't, fascism and insanity result
and everyone loses.
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Determination, Prejudice,
Overcoming the Odds, Power of Education, Belief in
Self |
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English |
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BUY |
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1989's
Lean on Me
is also Recommended |
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Stand and Deliver
1988:
PG
Starring: Edward James
Olmos, Lou Diamond Phillips
Director: Ramón Menéndez
104 Minutes
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| Immigrant
Latino's can't do Calculus, right? Wrong, but to get the
chance they must first put aside the prejudices of the
school administration, their parents and find within
each of them the courage to do what has never been done.
Did we mention these are poor kids surviving in the
slums of Los Angeles, surrounded by gangs, apathetic
parents and a society that tells them they are second
rate? Talk about a stacked deck of
negativity. Enter Herme Escalante, a simple math
teacher who ignites the passion for
learning in his students and shows
them they do have what it takes and
they can succeed. All they
have to do is put in the time and
stick with it. Yet even when they
succeed, their success is
questioned. One of the best
movies of all time illustrating the
power of personal belief and never
giving in. |
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Friendship, Belief in Self,
Parenthood, Love
English
BUY
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Finding Neverland |
2004: PG
Starring: Johnny Depp, Kate
Winslet, Julie Christie, Radha
Mitchell
Director: Marc Forster
101 minutes
Wonderful story about the author of
Peter Pan and his paternal love
affair with a terminally ill woman
and her children. |
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Overcoming the Odds,
Perseverance, Personal
Strength
French
In Theaters Now
View Trailer |
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Coco Avant
Chanel
2009: PG
Starring: Audrey Tautou,
Benoit Poelvoorde, Marie
Gillian, Alessandro Nivola,
Emmanuelle Devos
Director: Anne Fontaine
110 Minutes
Amazing story of how Coco
Channel, the woman who
changed fashion stayed true
to herself and went from
orphan and dance hall singer
to the top of fashion when
women didn't own companies. |
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Overcoming the Odds,
Perseverance, Personal
Strength, The power of Love |
English
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BUY |
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Coal Miner’s
Daughter
1980:
PG
Starring: Sissy
Spacek,
Tommy Lee Jones, Beverly D'Angelo
Director: Michael
Apted
125 Minutes
Academy Awards®
winner BEST ACTRESS
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Sissy Spacek sings every song in this movie and won the Oscar®
for her portrayal of rags to riches country-music legend
Loretta Lynn. Tommy Lee Jones plays her other half who takes her from
teenage bride to superstar. This is one movie that will make you
believe in the American Dream and the power of talent and perseverance.
It also shows that even superstars have problems, and ultimately we are
all human.
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Runners Up |
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Fatherhood,
overcoming
adversity, taking on
the legal system,
love, hope
English
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BUY
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Evelyn |
2003: PG
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Julianna
Margulies, Aidan
Quinn,
Bosco
Hogan
Director:
Bruce Beresford
95 Minutes
Depicting the true
story of
Desmond Doyle, a man
whose wife abandons
their family on the
day after Christmas.
Unemployed Doyle takes on a
system that defers
to the woman even
though she's unfit
after the state
places his children
in an orphanage.
Determined not to
lose his
children, his
custody battle in
Ireland changed an
entire nation and
gave hope to single
fathers the world
over.
This is a must see
for any father
involved in a
custody battle
and the perfect
Fathers Day,
Christmas or
Hanukkah gift for
any father.
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Overcoming the Odds,
Perseverance, Personal
Strength |
English |
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BUY |
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1983's
Silkwood is also recommended |
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Norma Rae
1979: PG-13
Starring:
Sally Field , Beau Bridges
Director:
Martin Ritt
117 minutes
Academy
Awards® winner BEST
ACTRESS |
Breaking through the status quo,
Sally Field won an Oscar for her portrayal of naive
textile worker, widow, and mother who finally says
"Enough" and rallies her co-workers to unionize the
textile mill.
By standing up for her rights in the
workplace. Illustrating dogged determination at
its best, Norma Rae shows the power even one uneducated
single mother can have once she puts her mind to it.
Another favorite movie with a
similar theme is
Silkwood starring Meryl Streep, Cher and Kurt
Russell.
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Runners Up |
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Friendship,
Challenging the Norm, Pursing your Dreams |
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English |
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BUY |
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The Dead
Poets Society
1989:
PG
Starring: Robin
Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke
Director: Peter Weir
118 Minutes
One of our favorite Robin
Williams movies, Dead Poet's Society focuses on the magic and
freedom education brings to young minds willing to embrace its wisdom.
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Love Between Father and Son
Appreciating Life |
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English |
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BUY |
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Frequency
2000: PG-13
Starring:
Dennis Quaid, James
Caviezel
Director:
Gregory Hoblit
119 Minutes
Frequency
is two different--though completely linked movies:
A father/son story and a crime solving mystery. HAMM
radio fans will love the fact that it is this radio
which reunites father and son through thirty years time
travel.
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