:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/sing-sing-colman-domingo-sylvester-stallone-rocky-reese-witherspoon-legally-blonde-050225-89f0deeacad949779248805b3e8fc41d.jpg?w=780&resize=780,470&ssl=1 "The most inspirational movies of all time")
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Inspiration is a slippery concept — what resonates deeply with one person might barely register for another. It might arrive as a creative jolt, a quiet sense of wonder, or an unexpected burst of motivation, prompted by a jaw-dropping true story, simple act of kindness, or showcase of unflinching resilience.
When we call a film “inspirational,” we’re often referring to the stories that lift us up — ones that tap into strength like Rocky; stretch the bounds of possibility like Everything Everywhere All at Once; or prove that perseverance pays off like Legally Blonde. Whether you need that boost, a release, or a reminder of what’s attainable, these 26 films are here to light the spark.
Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
Christine Parry/Fox Searchlight
This coming-of-age soccer movie (or, rather, football in England, where it’s set) catapulted Keira Knightley to movie star status, but Bend It Like Beckham‘s cultural perspective and commentary make it special. The story follows Jesminder “Jess” Bhamra (Parminder Nagra), a teen girl obsessed with soccer (and with David Beckham, who gave the film permission to use his name because he wanted to promote girls’ soccer).
Feeling suffocated by her strict Indian parents (Anupam Kher, Shaheen Khan) and their hope that she’ll someday become a homemaker and devoted wife, Jess secretly joins a soccer team and must juggle responsibilities for both her family and her coach (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). The film resonates with anyone who knows the acute angst of pretending to be someone they’re not. The result is director Gurinder Chadha’s supremely watchable sports film about gender, culture, sexuality, diversity, and love. —Sophie van Basteleaer
Where to watch Bend It Like Beckham: Disney+
CODA (2021)
Apple TV+
This Academy Award winner for Best Picture is one of a kind. CODA‘s dialogue is mostly delivered in American Sign Language, and three of its lead actors — Troy Kotsur (who won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar), Marlee Matlin, and Daniel Durant — are deaf. The fourth, Emilia Jones, plays Ruby, the one hearing member of the Rossi family. She works mornings to help with the family fishing business, but finds her passion for singing when she joins her high school choir, leaving her torn between family and personal ambitions.
It’s a common coming-of-age theme, but what’s uncommon is the unique perspective the film gives us. Ruby’s family can’t hear her talent, at least not in the traditional way. But as director Sian Heder lets us watch her through their eyes, we realize it’s possible to “hear” without sound. —S.V.B.
Where to watch CODA: Apple TV+
The Color Purple (1985)
Warner Bros.
An adaptation of Alice Walker’s classic novel, The Color Purple spans 40 years in the challenging existence of a Southern Black woman named Celie (Whoopi Goldberg). Through all the seasons of her life, she quietly and resolutely weathers abuse, prejudice, and unfair treatment, and ultimately survives these through the strength of her friendships.
Though Steven Spielberg — then known for action/fantasy flicks like Jaws (1975), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) — may have initially been considered a curious choice to direct, he still adapted an emotionally unforgiving story with skill and grace. But the film’s real tour de force is Goldberg, who touches audiences with a vulnerable and triumphant representation of a woman’s enduring resilience in the face of trauma. —S.V.B.
Where to watch The Color Purple: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)
Cool Runnings (1993)
Everett Collection
In Cool Runnings, a professional sprinter from Jamaica (Leon Robinson) just misses the cut for the 1988 Summer Olympic qualifiers, thus setting his sights on the Winter Olympics instead. He throws together a motley crew of men as a makeshift bobsled team despite complete unfamiliarity with snow, ice, or anything remotely related to the sport.
Their ray of hope comes with convincing a reluctant former bobsled medalist (a luminous John Candy, in what would be one of his last onscreen performances) to train them, and obligatory hijinks, setbacks, and triumphs ensue. Loosely based on a true story, and with a proud focus on national pride, Jon Turteltaub’s film is light, fun, and cheesy — but in the kind of way that just might make you choke up through your smile. —S.V.B.
Where to watch Cool Runnings: Disney+
Erin Brockovich (2000)
Everett Collection
Julia Roberts is a joy to watch in just about everything she does, and Erin Brockovich is no exception. In an Oscar-winning performance as the title character, Roberts plays an unemployed single mother who begs Ed Masry (Albert Finney) — the attorney she’d been working with following a car accident — to hire her for a secretarial position at his firm. When Erin stumbles upon a potential story, she convinces Ed to let her investigate, unearthing a massive criminal cover-up involving a power company and a mysterious illness in a local community.
Though the story, which is based on Brockovich’s real life, is fascinating on its own accord, Roberts is the true soul of Steven Soderbergh’s movie, portraying Erin with equal parts warmth and tenacity. —S.V.B.
Where to watch Erin Brockovich: Starz
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
David Bornfriend/A24
Another Best Picture winner, the Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All at Once is a delight that needs to be seen to be believed. It begins fairly innocuously with a Chinese immigrant named Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh), who deals with the stressors like running a Californian laundromat, her father’s (James Hong) visit, her impending tax audit, the state of her marriage with her husband/business partner (Ke Huy Quan), and her daughter’s (Stephanie Hsu) sullen attitude. Before long, there’s a glitch in Evelyn’s reality, an interdimensional rupture, wherein Evelyn encounters alternate versions of her family members who require a degree of heroism from her that she didn’t think she had in herself.
The technical aspects here are beautifully chaotic — from the editing to the mind-blowing action sequences and performances — but the film’s emotional insistence on cherishing our lives and our loved ones is what will strum your heartstrings and make you want to rewatch. —S.V.B.
Where to watch Everything Everywhere All at Once: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)
Forrest Gump (1994)
Everett Collection
Arguably one of the most obvious candidates for this list, Robert Zemeckis’ Forrest Gump is the very definition of an inspirational film in more ways than one. Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) is pitied for his low IQ by many of his town’s denizens, but he has never considered himself lacking in any way.
With a good heart and almost painfully earnest innocence, he lives an extraordinary — and borderline fantastical — life that overlaps with some of the most significant events of the 20th century, including college football stardom during the Civil Rights movement; earning a Medal of Honor for his service in the Vietnam War; training as a world-famous ping-pong champion; and running across the country. But, despite his many accomplishments, love is at the center of Forrest’s journey, with his affection for his mother (Sally Field) and his childhood love, Jenny (Robin Wright), propelling him forward. —S.V.B.
Where to watch Forrest Gump: Paramount+
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
Everett Collection
The Grapes of Wrath stars Henry Fonda as Tom Joad, a flawed but determined man seeking a better life for his family after losing their farm in the Great Depression. Based on the seminal novel by John Steinbeck, this John Ford film is the tale of their difficult, eye-opening trek West to what they believe will be a happier, more comfortable existence.
Tom and his family are palpably and consistently disheartened with what they see and experience on their travels, and the hollow dismay of false promises looms, but they combat it with grit, resilience, and hope. The black-and-white film is visually impressive and strikingly exemplifies one of life’s timeless realities: the inevitability of loss and the hope that awaits us on the journey to fulfill our dreams. —S.V.B.
Where to watch The Grapes of Wrath: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)
Hidden Figures (2016)
Everett Collection
Hidden Figures is astonishing not just for the storytelling by its actors and director, Theodore Melfi, but also for the true story about three Black women — Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) — who are the NASA mathematicians behind John Glenn’s (Glen Powell) launch into space in 1962. Amid skepticism, derision, sexism, and racism from all sides at NASA, they keep their heads level and eyes up to the skies.
Heartfelt, convincing performances give the film’s audience an investment in their outcomes, both professionally and personally. Hidden Figures‘ inspirational intent is clear and strong, reminding us of the brilliance of Black women that history had otherwise overlooked. —S.V.B.
Where to watch Hidden Figures: Amazon Prime Video
High Noon (1952)
Everett Collection
A daring and hard-headed former marshal (Gary Cooper) grapples with bullies, murderers, and the ever-complicated concept of responsibility in the classic Western drama High Noon. The marshal is preparing to leave his small New Mexico town in the dust, but when a criminal he turned in years ago is released from jail with a vengeance, the man of the law opts to stand his ground instead.
The story itself is simple — a clock tensely ticks down as the good guy attempts to rally the numbers (and the courage) to face the bad guys — but is told exquisitely by director Fred Zinnemann, who marries a high-strung plot with a man coming to terms with his morals. It serves as a reminder that even for the best of us, life isn’t always as simple as right or wrong; most of our choices come from a stubborn, bittersweet conviction somewhere in between. —S.V.B.
Where to watch High Noon: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)
The Intouchables (2011)
Thierry Valletoux
The Intouchables, directed by Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano, was the template for 2019’s The Upside, but whether or not you’ve seen its buzzy successor, the original is well worth a watch. Lupin‘s Omar Sy plays Driss, a thief out on parole who accidentally stumbles into a job as the caretaker for Philippe (François Cluzet), who is paralyzed.
The two men couldn’t be more dissimilar: Philippe is an older white man, and Driss is a youthful Black man, but beyond that, the two come from vastly different economic backgrounds and have lived very different lives. Their outlooks, their opinions, and their priorities are completely misaligned…until they’re not. Uproariously funny and gently vulnerable, with natural, multilayered performances from its leads, this French-language box office hit is as uplifting as they come. —S.V.B.
Where to watch The Intouchables: Amazon Prime Video
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Everett Collection
In this Frank Capra classic, Jimmy Stewart plays overwhelmed and overburdened family man George Bailey, who is resentful about all the dreams and opportunities that have passed him by. He feels hopeless and pessimistic about his life, but, at his lowest point, a guardian angel arrives to show him how awful life would be for the people he loves — and his beloved town — had he never existed.
Bailey’s presence made a world of positive difference for everyone he would come to meet, and upon learning that truth, his perspective drastically shifts toward gratitude…because sometimes all we need is to know that we’re valued. You’ll feel the warm and fuzzies aplenty with It’s a Wonderful Life, which has been a holiday season favorite for decades for its focus on faith, family, and belonging. —S.V.B.
Where to watch It’s a Wonderful Life: Amazon Prime Video
A League of Their Own (1992)
Everett Collection
It was definitely an inspirational few years for Geena Davis, who, after her turn in Thelma & Louise, starred in this female-centric sports drama from Penny Marshall. Set primarily during World War II, A League of Their Own follows a ragtag female baseball team led by Davis’s Dottie Hinson and coached by an ever-endearing Tom Hanks as washed-up former ballplayer Jimmy Dugan.
What distinguishes it from other sports films is its bittersweet tug-of-war between the societal expectations of women (marriage, family, supporting a husband) and the realities of their true potential (independence, ambition, athletic talent). It reminds us that, sometimes, women make the unexpected choice — and that it’s the ability to choose that matters. —S.V.B.
Where to watch A League of Their Own: AMC+
Legally Blonde (2001)
Everett Collection
It’s unlikely anyone knew at the time of its release just how much of a success Legally Blonde would become. This oft-quoted flick from Robert Luketic follows pink-clad sorority sister Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) as she applies (and gets accepted) to Harvard Law School — not because she wants to be a lawyer, but because she wants to prove her intelligence and ambition to her ex-boyfriend (Matthew Davis), who dumped her for not being “serious” enough.
Her genuine passion for law progresses as the film does, amid iconic one-liners (“What, like it’s hard?”) and richly saturated pinks contrasting with Cambridge’s drab grayscale. The film’s message is obvious — don’t judge a book by its cover — but it’s told so winningly by Witherspoon and the rest of the cast that it’s a satisfying payoff nonetheless. —S.V.B.
Where to watch Legally Blonde: Amazon Prime Video
Lion (2016)
Mark Rogers
Stunning visuals and intense emotions are two of the many elements that characterize Garth Davis’ Lion, which follows a disadvantaged 5-year-old named Saroo (Sunny Pawar) who gets lost on his train in his native India, and, 25 years later, now living in Australia, tries to find his way back home. The story throws Saroo into incredible circumstance after incredible circumstance — so much so that it’s almost hard to remember it’s based on true events — until he ends up as Nicole Kidman and David Wenham’s characters’ adopted son.
As an adult, Saroo (Dev Patel) finds himself desperate to return to his birthplace, but has to delve deep into memory to find clues about where he came from. The cast, with emotionally devastating performances, deftly manages themes like identity crisis and adoption, and the powerful resolution (including footage of real-life Saroo) is one of the most satisfying payoffs on this list. —S.V.B.
Where to watch Lion: Netflix
Rocky (1976)
United Artists/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock
Rocky is iconic for introducing the world to Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa and being one of the best sports movies. Directed by John G. Avildsen and written by its breakout star, the 1976 film is a classic David-and-Goliath tale: A small-time boxer with big dreams gets thrown into the ring opposite the heavyweight champion of the world, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers).
The memorable movie is timeless not only for its grit but also for its heart, featuring legendary training montages and fight sequences, as well as tender moments of romance and sportsmanship. It’s also rife with crises of confidence; we see Rocky grapple with highs and lows in his self-image as he learns to trust his talent. More than a run-of-the-mill sports story, Rocky is ultimately about a man who is taught to believe in himself on a journey that matters more than the destination. —S.V.B.
Where to watch Rocky: AMC+
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Eric Lee/Fox Searchlight
Little Miss Sunshine, directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, gives new meaning to “dark comedy” with an excellent script from Michael Arndt and an astounding ensemble cast (Greg Kinnear! Toni Collette! Steve Carell! Paul Dano! Alan Arkin!). It follows the mostly melancholy members of a dysfunctional family as they road trip from New Mexico to California to take 9-year-old Olive (Abigail Breslin in an Oscar-nominated performance) to compete in a beauty pageant.
Equally peppered with absurdly funny moments and genuine instances of rage and grief, the film doles out reckonings to each of its cynical adults and also to naïve, optimistic Olive, who realizes only once she arrives at the competition that she may not be the stereotypical definition of a beauty queen. The outpouring (and outrageous) support from her family that follows might inspire tears, but their dancing to Rick James’ “Superfreak” prompts all smiles. —S.V.B.
Where to watch Little Miss Sunshine: Hulu
Milk (2008)
Phil Bray/Focus Features
Sean Penn is at his very best in Milk, a drama directed by Gus Van Sant about the true story of Harvey Milk, who, in the 1970s, became the first out gay man to be elected to public office in the United States. As a 40-year-old researcher at a securities firm, a then-not-out Harvey becomes dissatisfied with his life and decides to move to San Francisco with his lover (James Franco).
Distressed and angry about the systemic persecution of the homosexual population, Harvey evolves into a fixture for gay rights in the city. He campaigns, he gives a speech, and is eventually elected into a seat on the Board of Supervisors — until a tragic turn of events changes everything. Winning the Best Actor Oscar, Penn portrays a multidimensional man whose impact on the LGBTQ+ community can’t be understated, and who serves as a reminder of the positive impact an everyday person can achieve. —S.V.B.
Where to watch Milk: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)
October Sky (1999)
Everett Collection
October Sky follows a teenage boy from rural West Virginia named Homer Hickam (Jake Gyllenhaal) who decides his destiny is not to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a miner, but instead to build homemade rockets in his backyard. Naturally, his dad (Chris Cooper) disapproves of his son’s ambitions, but a kind schoolteacher (Laura Dern) encourages his passion.
Based on a true story, director Joe Johnston mainly focuses on Homer’s awe-inspiring engineering feats and his struggles to break free of his town’s expectations. However, the most interesting tension is Homer’s struggle for his father’s respect, proving that by breaking out of his shell, he is becoming exactly the kind of person his old man would be proud of. —S.V.B.
Where to watch October Sky: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)
Rudy (1993)
TriStar Pictures/Everett Collection
In David Anspaugh’s fish-out-of-water drama, Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger Jr. (Sean Astin) dreams of playing football for the University of Notre Dame, but he doesn’t have the grades for an academic scholarship or the stamina for an athletic scholarship, and his working-class family certainly can’t cover the tuition.
Like most great underdog stories, Rudy is sentimental and a bit formulaic. But that doesn’t diminish the emotional payoff of watching its determined hero tackle (no pun intended) one obstacle after another. Astin’s performance as Rudy is part of what makes the film so memorable; he’s grounded and natural enough that the plot’s more predictable elements come off as fresh and unexpected. Every viewer can relate to elements of Rudy in some way or another, so much so that even the toughest viewers may find themselves reaching for the tissue box. —S.V.B.
Where to watch Rudy: Netflix
Selma (2014)
Atsushi Nishijima/Paramount
Selma is inspiring in its call to action. Directed by Ava DuVernay, the film follows Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) and his followers on their epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., protesting racial discrimination. Black people in the South were having a very difficult time registering to vote, despite the Civil Rights Act of 1964 implementing legal desegregation. So, in 1965, King took matters into his own hands.
While it chronicles events from nearly 60 years prior, DuVernay takes specific care to remind audiences that things are not so different now from how they were then. The film doesn’t try to minimize the terror and powerlessness of that time, but instead offers a poignant warning about history’s repeating cycle. Given that uneasy reminder, the small victory ultimately won by King and his followers is even more extraordinary and potent. —S.V.B.
Where to watch Selma: Paramount+
Sing Sing (2023)
Courtesy of A24
Many of these films ask what gives life meaning, but Greg Kwedar’s Sing Sing proposes that art — whether consumed, studied, or created — is what sets the spirit free. Inspired by the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison, the A24 film follows a group of incarcerated men who find their voices through theater.
With searing performances from Colman Domingo and formerly imprisoned actors playing versions of themselves, Sing Sing avoids the flashier histrionics of a typical prison drama and instead illuminates the transformative, cathartic power of art. In finding freedom through confinement, these men begin to unseal the emotional walls they’ve long locked themselves in. —James Mercadante
Watch Sing Sing: HBO Max
Thelma & Louise (1991)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Getty
We’re certainly not supposed to emulate Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon’s law-breaking personas in the ever-poignant Thelma & Louise, but we are enthusiastically encouraged to admire them. In this offbeat road-trip movie by Ridley Scott, Davis and Sarandon star as the titular duo who tear off into the desert after finding themselves entangled in a complicated crime.
With law enforcement on their tail, Thelma and Louise contend with fascinating characters (including a thoroughly rakish drifter played by Brad Pitt), misogynistic biases, and their own impending fates. Saucily funny and tenderly heart-wrenching at once, it’s an empathetic, bittersweet story about friendship, self-discovery, and love — for one another and for oneself. —S.V.B.
Where to watch Thelma & Louise: Amazon Prime Video
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Everett Collection
It might have been impossible for To Kill a Mockingbird to live up to the poignant, school-curriculum staple novel it’s based on, but this Robert Mulligan masterpiece rose to the challenge with grace. The blend of courtroom drama and coming-of-age story is rife with thematic messaging about racial injustice, gender roles, compassion, and loss of innocence.
Gregory Peck, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for this role, compassionately represents the friction between lawyer Atticus Finch’s Southern roots and his moral values as he defends a Black man (Brock Peters) accused of raping a white woman (Collin Wilcox) in 1930s Alabama. His performance, and the film as a whole, serve as a heartwarming — and heartbreaking — example of what it means to be a good attorney, a good father, and a good human. —S.V.B.
Where to watch To Kill a Mockingbird: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)
Whale Rider (2003)
New Zealand Film Comm/Kobal/Shutterstock
Whale Rider was one of the early 2000s’ most gorgeous films, both visually and sentimentally. Set in New Zealand, director Niki Caro tells the story of Pai (then-13-year-old Keisha Castle-Hughes, who became one of the youngest Best Actress Oscar nominees ever), a young tween who desperately wants to prove that she is capable of anything and everything the boys are.
Raised by her traditional grandparents, and next in line for chiefdom in her Māori village, Pai’s grandfather (Rawiri Paratene) is entirely opposed to the idea of her being in charge, reminding her frequently that she is “only” a girl. She spends the film aching for his approval and trying to prove him wrong, turning to the sea to prove her might. It’s an unpredictable and awe-inspiring ride — and it’s one of the most moving films on this list. —S.V.B.
Where to watch Whale Rider: Tubi
Wild (2014)
Anne Marie Fox/Searchlight Studios
In Jean-Marc Vallée’s Wild, Cheryl Strayed (Reese Witherspoon) spirals into self-destruction after the death of her mother, and decides — without any deep thought or former hiking experience — to trek the 1,000-plus-mile Pacific Crest Trail. There, she weathers wild animals, predatory men, and dwindling supplies as we see through flashbacks the moments of grief and trauma that led her to begin the journey.
What makes Wild special is that, while it’s based on Strayed’s real-life memoir, it’s not a sweeping tale of redemption or success. Cheryl doesn’t finish the film feeling healed or at peace; rather, she has undergone an extraordinary physical feat while having an emotional and spiritual reckoning with herself and her place in the world. The movie is beautifully realistic in that it refuses to tie up all the loose ends neatly. —S.V.B.
Where to watch Wild: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)
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