Movies That Will Change Your Life, Ranked By How Much They Inspire

Premise: Depressed George Bailey (James Stewart) makes a wish that he'd never been born. He's frustrated over what he sees as a series of circumstances beyond his control that have kept him stuck in the small town of Bedford Falls. Of particular concern is a financial mistake made by his uncle Billy (Thomas Mitchell) that could inadvertently land George in jail for fraud. An angel named Clarence (Henry Travers) stops him just as he's about to jump off a bridge. Clarence then magically shows him what life would be like for his family and friends if he didn't exist. The revelations are stunning, giving George a fresh new perspective on his life. 

Most Inspiring Moment: The most inspiring moment is also the most famous. The townsfolk reveal that they've raised enough to repay the money Billy lost. George expresses newfound appreciation for his family, embracing them tightly. He realizes that his life is pretty blessed, he just couldn't see it before. One of the bells on their Christmas tree rings, leading his young daughter to remark that “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.” Viewers know this means Clarence has fulfilled his purpose in showing him how, as the title suggests, wonderful life is.

How Does It Change Your Outlook On Life?: Director Frank Capra made the ultimate movie about appreciating what you have in life. George thinks he has hit rock bottom. Then he sees how different things would be for his loved ones if he wasn't around. That makes him take stock of how rich he really is. Maybe not financially, but certainly in terms of love and being loved. Watching his adventure is enough to make any viewer take stock of their own riches. The film points out that life might look bad once in a while, but if you count your blessings, you'll certainly realize that the situation is much better than you think.

Premise: John Keating (Robin Williams) is the new English teacher at Welton Academy, a fancy prep school for boys. His teaching methods are unorthodox, which initially confuses his students. Over time, most of them come to appreciate how he prods them to think more deeply. Some of the boys even restart the school's unsanctioned Dead Poets Society that Keating was once part of. They gather in a cave to read and discuss poetry. That comes to an end when one of the students, Neill (Robert Sean Leonard), commits suicide after his parents shut down his desire to become an actor. Keating is blamed for encouraging Neill to pursue his passion, and when one of his pupils convinces several others to point fingers at him, he's fired from Welton. 

Most Inspiring Moment: In the movie's concluding scene, Keating is cleaning out his belongings while the headmaster teaches class. Todd (Ethan Hawke) confesses that the boys were pressured into signing the letter that led to his ouster. When the headmaster threatens to expel anyone who advances discussion of this topic, several students stand on top of their desks, face Keating, and address him as “O Captain, My Captain” - the name of a Walt Whitman poem he previously had them read. It's a sign that they respect Keating and will continue learning as he wanted them to, even if he will no longer be there to do the teaching. 

How Does It Change Your Outlook On Life?: Dead Poets Society uses its story to celebrate learning, outside the box thinking, and loyalty. Life is filled with moments when we're pressured to do something we're not fully on board with. Everyone at some point has caved to such pressure. The story finds Todd and the others in that situation, then, after Keating is fired, realizing how important it is to stand up for what's right. Watching the movie reminds us that following your conscience is key to maintaining integrity. 

Premise: Will Hunting (Matt Damon) is a recent parolee and math prodigy who gets a job as a janitor at the Massachusettes Institute of Technology. After violating his parole, Will is given the option to receive therapy from Dr. Sean Maguire (Robin Williams). He's resistant to treatment at first, but over time his guards come down, and he makes real progress. Maguire helps him understand that the abuse he endured as a child was not his fault. Accepting this sets Will on a better path, one that includes driving cross country to be with Skylar (Minnie Driver), the young woman he's fallen in love with.

Most Inspiring Moment: The most inspiring moment in Good Will Hunting is also the saddest. Maguire confronts Will with the trauma of his past, which included his abusive alcoholic father giving him a choice of three objects to be beaten with. Will admits he picked the worst of the three - a wrench - in an act of pure defiance. Maguire repeatedly tells Will, “It's not your fault,” until the young math whiz finally breaks down in tears. He sobs uncontrollably as the psychologist hugs him. The sequence is a reminder that confronting trauma is the way to get through it, and the walls we build up to protect ourselves can be taken down when keeping them no longer serves a purpose.

How Does It Change Your Outlook On Life?: Good Will Hunting deals with themes of abuse and trauma and how those things can impact our worldview to the point where we hold ourselves back. Will understands math to a degree that could get him a prominent, high-paying job, but the pain in his past has caused him to put his energy into acting out rather than advancing himself. By taking the effort to resolve that trauma, he opens the door for a new tomorrow where better things await. The movie is a powerful story about why it's vital to address your issues rather than bury them. 

Premise: Amateur boxer and loan shark debt collector Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) gets a lucky break when the fighter scheduled to take on heavyweight boxing champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) is injured and can't take part in the bout. Desperate to find a replacement, Creed offers to fight a local pugilist. Rocky is the one who ultimately gets the shot. He trains furiously under veteran trailer Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith). As he preps for the match, Rocky also romances Adrian Pennino (Talia Shire), a shy pet store worker. The movie builds to the climactic fight that finds him squaring off against a true champion. 

Most Inspiring Moment: Everything in Rocky is structured to pay off during the big fight, so that makes it the most inspiring of many moments in the movie. The reason it's inspiring is what's unexpected, though. Creed wins the fight by a split decision, but Rocky manages to last fifteen rounds, getting in just as many blows as he absorbs. It doesn't matter that he didn't win because he proved his mettle, both to himself and to the boxing community at large. He's done what nobody thought he could do. He hugs Adrian after the fight, not even caring about the technical outcome.

How Does It Change Your Outlook On Life?: Most sports movies are about whether the hero or heroes win the big game. Rocky is different. The film has a triumphant ending despite the fact that Rocky loses to Creed. It's okay because he knows Creed isn't his true opponent. He's fighting to prove his skill and his worth. By lasting fifteen rounds against the heavyweight champion, Rocky shows endurance. His victory comes not in winning but in not getting knocked out. The story is a metaphor for life, inferring that we're all really in competition with ourselves, not others, and fulfilling our potential is the true prize. Rocky encourages viewers to define what victory means for themselves. 

Premise: Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) is a man with a low IQ and a big heart. His optimistic world view takes him to places he could never imagine. He becomes an unlikely football star, a ping pong champion, and the captain of a shrimp boat. He serves in Vietnam and meets JFK. Forrest also makes important friends in Lt. Dan Taylor (Gary Sinise) and Bubba Blue (Mykelti Williamson). Then there's Jenny Curran (Robin Wright), the woman he falls in love with. The movie follows Forrest through his life as he has a series of adventures, along with a couple tragedies.

Most Inspiring Moment: While being chased by a group of rednecks in a pickup truck, Forrest starts running as fast as he can. To elude them, he runs onto a football field where a game is taking place. His sprint across the field attracts the notice of the coach, who is baffled by this “local idiot” breezing past the players. From there, the film cuts to Forrest playing a college football game in a stadium full of people. He runs the length of the field, scoring a touchdown. The crowd goes wild. An unexpected talent has brought him success. 

How Does It Change Your Outlook On Life?: When you first meet Forrest Gump, you almost feel pity for him. Frankly, he doesn't seem too bright. That doesn't prove to be a limitation, though. The character's positive perspective wins over everyone around him, while also opening doors that would otherwise be closed. His epic journey is inspiring in how it touts the importance of optimism. If you believe in yourself, the film says, you can go anywhere, even if no one else thinks you can. 

Premise: During WWII, when the men are away fighting, an entrepreneur puts together an all-female baseball league. The film follows the Rockford Peaches, coached by washed-up, alcoholic former player Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks). Sisters Dottie Hinson (Geena Davis) and Kit Keller (Lori Petty) prove to be the stars of the team. They're perpetually in competition with each other, especially when Dottie is selected to be the public face of the league. That's when Kit leaves to join another team. The siblings square off in the World Series, with Kit scoring the winning run, although there's a subtle implication that Dottie may have intentionally dropped the ball. 

Most Inspiring Moment: When Dottie's husband returns home from war, she decides to quit the team and go back to being a housewife. Jimmy chides her, reminding her that baseball is in her blood. She protests that playing got too hard. He says, “It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.” In just three sentences, he reminds Dottie of her talent and her passion.

How Does It Change Your Outlook On Life?: It's hard to deny the power of seeing the Peaches thrive in baseball. They constantly face sexism from men who think women can't be “real” baseball players. The ladies prove those men wrong. We're often told that we can't do things. The reason frequently comes down to mere tradition. It's not that these things can't be done, it's that they haven't been done. A League of Their Own is a tribute to those who fearlessly shatter glass ceilings.