As we look ahead to a new year, most of us want to make a positive change. Maybe you want to work less and spend more time with family. Or maybe you have a goal in mind that you're finally ready to conquer. Or it could be that you aren't sure yet, but feel certain that you will do great things in 2025.
Whatever your resolution for this upcoming year, a good movie can be just the thing to inspire you. I've compiled some of my favorite inspirational movies based on a true story. These films will urge you to take that first step toward making your dreams a reality. Plus, what I love about some of these movies is that they'll remind you that, even if you don't have a goal in mind, sometimes your life's mission falls right in your lap.
'Rudy'
Sean Astin shines in his role as the title character, Rudy. Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger has one goal in his life: to play for the Notre Dame football team. It's what he's wanted to do since he was a child watching games with his family. Except there's one problem: He's short and of a generally diminutive stature. Yet that doesn't stop him from trying. to make the team.
In this biopic of Rudy's time attending and eventually playing for Notre Dame, we watch his struggles, from losing his best friend to constant rejections from the college to always remaining a bench player. It's hard to say what I love most about this movie: Sean Astin's dedication to playing Rudy to perfection or the incredible music by Jerry Goldsmith. I'll let you decide.
►Rent/buy on Amazon or Apple
'Patch Adams'
If you don't have much love for the United States medical care system, you don't want to miss this 1998 film starring Robin Williams as Hunter "Patch" Adams. The film begins when a suicide attempt lands Patch in the psychiatric ward. While there, he discovers his gift for connecting with other patients, and he feels inspired to attend medical school. (It's worth noting that the real Patch Adams just volunteered at a psychiatric ward and attended medical school right after college.)
Despite this deviation from the true story, the film remains inspiring. While in medical school, Patch and other students decide to fight the system and create his dream: a hospital designed to offer medical care to patients without charge. While some creative liberties are taken in this movie, it's an inspiring film that will leave you wanting to join the cause yourself.
►Rent/buy on Amazon or Apple
'Erin Brockovich'
Julia Roberts received an Academy Award for her role as the title character in "Erin Brockovich." The 2000 film focuses on Erin's investigation into Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and their scheme to hide the presence of chromium-6 in the community's water supply. What's inspiring is that Erin was only a legal clerk at the time and found documents that triggered her to do more research.
Roberts is as passionate and dedicated as I imagine that Brockovich was (and still is) when fighting for the families most affected by PGE's actions. Her heated arguments with her boss, Ed Masry (Albert Finney), and creative ways to get the information she wanted showcase a woman determined to expose the truth and fight for justice. All the while, she balances it alongside being a single mom of three kids, showing us that it's possible for anyone to become a hero.
►Watch on Netflix
'50/50'
Most of us don't expect to get very sick when we're younger than 30, except that's exactly what happened to Adam Lerner (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) in this tear-jerking drama. He learns of a rare cancerous tumor in his spinal cord and the the surgical procedure to remove it has just a 50 percent survival rate. His friend Kyle (Seth Rogen) is well-meaning but often misses the mark in knowing how to support his buddy. Meanwhile, Anna Kendrick plays Adam's therapist, Katherine, which eventually leads to romantic tension, adding complexity as she helps him navigate this serious situation.
This is more than just a movie about someone fighting a disease; it's about facing our own mortality. By the end of the film, you will feel inspired to take stock of your own life and gain renewed appreciation for the ones who love you and stick with you through thick and thin.
►Watch on Max
'The Straight Story'
At 73, Alvin Straight (Richard Farnsworth) lives life on his own terms. He smokes, drinks and refuses to give up his old ways. Yet, his outlook changes when he learns that his brother Lyle has suffered a stroke. He's determined to make amends and embarks on a journey to see him, using his 1966 John Deere riding lawn mower.
Based on a true story, this movie is a hidden gem and one that hasn't gotten the level of attention it deserves. It's far more than just a silly movie about a guy traveling on his tractor. It's also about life, family, getting older, living life on your terms and knowing that it's never too late to make things right. No matter your age or stage in life, this is one you don't want to miss.
►Watch on Disney Plus
'The Pursuit of Happyness'
There's an expression that says if you hit rock bottom, there's no place to go but up. Chris Gardner (played by Will Smith) begins his journey to the top from the lowest of lows. Struggling to make ends meet selling medical scanners, he takes a chance and goes for an unpaid internship at Dean Witter Reynolds brokerage firm. Then, things go from bad to worse when his wife, Linda, leaves him and his son, and the two of them end up homeless.
Based on a true story, there are so many rises and falls in this movie that you will feel you've gone on an emotional roller coaster. Will Smith earned an Oscar nomination for his powerful performance. He brings to life a man who refuses to let go of his dream, even in the face of losing it all.
►Rent/buy on Amazon or Apple
'Breaking Away'
Life after high school can seem complicated. In "Breaking Away," we see things change for four teen graduates who don't feel they have much going for themselves. In the case of Dave (Dennis Christopher), outside of his love for all things Italian, he doesn't know what he wants for his future. And students from the nearby university make it worse by calling him and his three friends "cutters" because of their parents' jobs as stonecutters in the local limestone industry.
After a disappointing meeting with a visiting Italian cycling team, Dave forms a team with his three friends for the university's Little 500 bicycle race. This unconventional foursome works together to prove themselves against those who look down on them and earn both victory and respect.
►Rent/buy on Amazon or Apple
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