Best Inspirational Film of 2009

View Winners: Best Inspirational Film of 2009

This year we introduce a new category in the Beliefnet Film Awards--Best Inspirational Film. The nominated films may or may not have a spiritual component, but they are all uplifting in some way.

The five movies selected in this category depict characters embracing adventure, fighting corruption, struggling against adversity, uniting for a common cause, and searching for a place to call home. While they vary in scope and tone, they all offer encouragement that there is something we can do to improve life for ourselves and others.

Click through this gallery to learn which film won the Judges' Award (there was a tie this year!) and which received the People's Choice Award, voted on by you. Also watch videos and read about about the other films that were nominated in this category. And the winners of the Best Inspirational Film of the Year are...

Winner of the Judges' Award: 'Up'

A crotchety old man, Carl, puts up a last fight against the developers encroaching on his home by tying thousands of helium balloons to his house and flying up, up, up, and away in search of one last adventure.

He does this partly on principle, but mainly in honor of his recently deceased wife Ellie, a life-long adventure lover who dreamed of going to South America but settled for happily-ever-after with her beloved husband. It's a classic yet surprising Pixar film that takes a fantastical tale and marries it to a beautiful yet simple inspirational and moral message.

Beliefnet Film Awards Judges' Award Along the way, the man grudgingly befriends a young wilderness scout named Russell (who happened to be on his porch when the house floated away) and includes him on this last adventure. Their budding friendship bridges generational gaps and shows what is best about humankind: love, devotion, duty, friendship, loyalty, and happiness. Says Beliefnet editor Patton Dodd, "It's inspirational in the truest sense of the word: It makes you want to create. Better yet, it makes you want to create life—connections with others and with your own deepest aspirations."

--Dilshad D. Ali

Photo: Disney/Pixar

Winner of the Judges' Award (Tie) and Peoples' Choice Award: 'Precious'

The remarkable film "Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire" was also one of the most difficult to watch. Claireece "Precious" Jones (played beautifully by Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe) is an obese 16-year-old who has been physically, emotionally, and sexually abused her entire life. When we meet her, she's pregnant with her second child by her father and still in middle school. Her mother (the brilliant Mo'nique), who only cares about her welfare check, constantly tears her down, saying, "I should have aborted you" and telling her school won't get her anywhere.

When something horrible happens to her--which is often--we see Precious escape into her dreams where she becomes a special person, walking a red carpet, happily signing autographs, or dancing with a hot guy. As she says in the beginning of the film, "Every day I tell myself I'm gonna break through." This is the only thing that keeps her going.

Beliefnet Film Award People's Choice Award Beliefnet Film Awards Judges' Award Although we see Precious falling deeper and deeper into desperation, we also see glimmers of hope provided by an amazing cast of characters: a teacher (Paula Patton) who spends extra time helping her read, encouraging her to write, telling her that she is loved, and ultimately finding her a home away from her abusive situation; a nurse (Lenny Kravitz) who lovingly takes care of her in the hospital; a social worker (Mariah Carey) who pushes her into revealing what's really going on in her life. Although these individuals play small roles in the film, they offer Precious the one thing she needs—the confidence to rise above her dismal situation to fulfill her potential as a worthwhile human being and create a better life for herself and her children.

"…She has choices and power she never realized," says Movie Mom blogger Nell Minow, "and more love than she ever hoped for."

By the end, we see Precious taking steps to change her life. And while the steps are small, we are somehow assured that she will no longer be a product of her tragic environment. Precious will be OK.

--Dena Ross

Photo: Anne Marie Fox

Nominee: 'American Violet'

Based on the real-life story of Regina Kelly, Dee Roberts (played by Nichole Beharie in a role Nell Minow called "luminous") is a young African-American woman raising four children on her own. Living in a small Texas town, Roberts stays out of trouble and works as a waitress in a diner, hoping to save money to go to junior college. She loves and cares for her children and tends to a small potted African violet in her apartment.

Meanwhile the local district attorney has been conducting drug sweeps on the town and in Roberts's housing project in particular. One day, Roberts is dragged from her job and charged with selling drugs. At the time, Texas has a law allowing the word of a single informant as sufficient to indict someone. This is what happened to Roberts, despite not having a single drug arrest on her record.

After days in jail, Roberts's pastor finally arranges for lawyers and members of the American Civil Liberties Union to help her with her defense. While she is urged by many people to take a plea bargain (which would keep her from doing any jail time but would stay on her record), she eventually agrees to fight the powerful, racist D.A., suing him for conducting racially motivated drug raids. She continues with her suit, despite harassment, even after the charges against her are dropped. During this tough time her violet begins to die.

Ultimately she wins her case, which results in major changes to the Texas law. No longer can people be indicted based on insufficient evidence. Dee's violet blooms again.

The courage and perseverance of one young woman undoubtedly saved many black men and women throughout Texas who were being unfairly targeted as drug dealers and users. She is an inspiration to anyone who has ever stood up to corruption. And she gives us hope that as long as there are people willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, the world will slowly but surely become a better place.

--DR

Photo: Scott Saltzman/Samuel Goldwyn Films

Nominee: 'Away We Go'

"Away We Go" follows a loving, thirty-something couple, Burt and Verona (played by John Krasinki and Maya Rudolph), on their journey to find the perfect spot to raise their unborn baby girl. Having no relatives close by, they travel around the country looking for a new place to call home.

Along the way they constantly worry about being "f--- ups" and bad parents, but also discover that none of the friends and family members they visit are living perfect lives either. In their modern-day road trip, they stop in Phoenix where Lily (Allison Janney), Verona's former boss, says horrible things about her children; in Madison, there's LN (the wonderful Maggie Gyllenhaal), a New Agey professor who freaks out at the thought of using a stroller ("I LOVE my babies. Why would I PUSH them away from me?"); in Montreal their friends Tom and Munch have a large adopted family, but are depressed by the fact that they cannot have a child of their own; and in Miami, Burt's brother Courtney, whose wife has just left him, is now forced to raise their daughter alone.

It is in Miami that Burt proposes to Verona for the umpteenth time—Verona, who doesn't believe in the institution of marriage, has always refused. She declines this time too. But, in one of the film's best scenes, they tearfully recite vows to one another (on a trampoline, no less) promising never to leave their daughter and to "let her be fat or skinny, as long as she's happy." Verona also acknowledges that "All we can do is be good for this one baby. We don't have control over much else."

Do Verona and Burt actually find the perfect place to raise their child? The film's happy ending indicates that they do—and underscores the lasting positive effects that parents, even after death, have on kids. Burt and Verona are clear-eyed about the uncertainties that lie ahead, but their love and desire to do the best they can offer the promise of true happiness.

--DR

Photo: Teresa Isasi/ Focus Features

Nominee: 'Invictus'

Sports films have a tendency to overreach for inspiration, often pitting some underdog team against terrible odds to become champions. On paper "Invictus" seems to follow the same trajectory by telling the true story of a South African rugby team with a long shot at winning the 1995 Rugby World Cup. But lucky for us, four elements keep it from becoming a cliché: director Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman (as Nelson Mandela), Matt Damon (as the South African rugby team captain), and the story of an apartheid-torn nation led to unity on the wings of a rugby team.

The film follows the release of Mandela from prison after 30 years of incarceration as he becomes the newly elected president of a country torn by racial strife. But Mandela is not one to hold grudges. He only wants one thing--to unite his country--and he sees a rugby championship as the means to do it.

This story exudes inspiration from every pore. Take the scene when the team captain (Damon) steps inside the jail cell to see how Mandela spent so many years of his life, only to emerge ready to forgive those who imprisoned him. That one moment is the very essence of inspiration: a true leader will forgive those who wronged him for the sake of others, or in this case, an entire nation.

--DDA

Photo: Keith Bernstein/ Warner Bros.