The Top 100 Inspirational Movies: 40 - 21

39 - In the Name of the Father

As true stories go, this one is a doozy. The Guildford Four were four people falsely accused of a vicious IRA bombing that took the lives of five people and wounded 65 others. They then spent 15 years in prison for crimes they never committed. Jim Sheridan’s incredible account (and Daniel Day-Lewis’ mesmerizing performance) of their incarceration as well as their eventual exoneration is a thrilling battlecry for justice.

There is too much injustice in the world, some of which we encounter on a daily basis – in our families, in our workplaces, in our cities and states and countries – and the weight of it can be overwhelming. What a breath of fresh air to experience a story in which injustice receives its just deserts.

~ Evan Derrick

37 - Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

An innocent tuba player and greeting-card poet from Mandrake Fall, Vermont inherits 20 million during the Great Depression and is lured to New York City by his uncle’s conniving attorney named Cedar. Longfellow Deeds is played by Gary Cooper, who finds himself vulnerable to a female reporter, who masquerades as a damsel in distress (Mary Dawson) to learn more about Deeds for a story. Cedar starts to work on Deeds to attain power of attorney to cover up his mishandling of his client’s money. Deeds sees through this, but falls in love with the undercover reporter and ultimately sinks into despair after learning who she really is. Meanwhile other relatives come together to take part in Deeds fortune, including Cedar and his wife. They file in court that Deeds is insane and can’t oversee his money. However, Deeds speaks up after learning that Mary really loves. The judge dismisses the case and Deeds decides to use his fortune to help the homeless. He donated farms to families to live on if they would work the land.

~ Corine Gatti

36 - Kiki's Delivery Service

It can be difficult to fit in when you're different. Such is the case with Kiki, a young witch who chooses a city (that's what all witches do... they choose a city and make it their home) that is not immediately hospitable to her. Kiki was expecting to be welcomed with open arms, not be ridiculed by unkind children and berated by police officers for "unauthorized flying." Her gift is her flying, so she starts up a delivery service. At first successful, she's ultimately worn down into a dark depression by the cynicism and meanness of those around her. Only when an out-of-control zeppelin places one of her friends in danger does she find the courage to be who she really is and not who others think she should be. "Be yourself" seems like such a cliched sentiment, but it is an invaluable one that Kiki's Delivery Service delivers with real heart.

~ Evan Derrick

34 - Searching for Bobby Fischer

Josh Waitzkin has a gift for chess and his family is determined to cultivate it. They hire a rigid instructor to help Josh cultivate his talents and aid him to become more aggressive in his competition. Bruce Pandolfini desires to see his student reach the drive and aggressiveness of chess player Bobby Fischer. Fischer was considered the greatest chess player of all time and became a legend at the age of 13. He also grew into a person who would win at any cost. Josh’s heart is softer. He meets Vinnie a speed chess player, who inadvertently becomes his instructor and a role model—not Fischer or Pandolfini. Josh makes up his mind to reject Pandolfini’s views and to win with grace.

~ Corine Gatti

32 - Star Wars

It doesn’t seem like there is an end to the list of things that Star Wars has brought to pop culture. “I am your father,” Wookiees, Ewoks, the force, stormtroopers, X-Wings, cinnamon bun hair, lightsabers, and, well, you get the picture. The original Star Wars trilogy is the stuff that movies are made for. The movies are universally loved for their imaginative take on science fiction, and the fantastic stories, costumes, and special effects will continue to fuel the imaginations of millions of children and adults alike.

The inspiring nature of the original trilogy was no more evident than when Lucas and company debuted the newer trio of films. They looked great and modern, had acceptable enough plots (well, maybe not the Clone Wars…), and the same cheesy dialogue as the originals, but they missed a key element – the heart. No longer did the costume and set designers have to work with limited technology and resources. They had it all at their fingertips, but forgot that what made Star Wars special was the very thought of “how in the world did they do this??” The very imagination that fueled the originals was lost.

Perhaps that is ultimately the most inspiring thing about the Star Wars movies – they show us that there is a lot more to life than what meets the eye. As the saying goes what glitters isn’t always gold, and what something looks like doesn’t mean much if it has no heart.

~ Stephen Russ

31 - Lawrence of Arabia

An inordinately complex man labeled everything from hero to charlatan to madman, T.E. Lawrence blazes his way to glory in the Arabian desert of World War I, achieving what centuries of Crusades had not – British possession of the Holy Land.

This Academy Award-winning epic tells how an English intelligence officer is assigned behind enemy lines to investigate, then capitalize on the Arab revolt against the Turks. He goes native in the vast, beautiful Saudi, Syrian, Israeli, Iraqi and Jordanian wastelands, organizes a guerrilla army of Bedouins and leads them on camelback to bring down the tottering, corrupt, 1,000-year-old Ottoman Empire through desert raids, railroad sabotage and ambushes.

This inspiring, four-hour classic is an unsettling, troubling tale with unparalleled cinematography. It grips the viewer with its panoramic camel treks across the wilderness, dramatic battles, then Lawrence’s capture, torture and humiliation.

No other film reaches such heights of greatness or such lows of self-doubt. Lawrence of Arabia has been called the greatest film of all time, not only in terms of style, but in content and breathtaking visuals – the tale of a tortured genius who defied all odds to achieve unexpected greatness.

~ Rob Kerby

30 - Undefeated

Undefeated, a documentary about high school football, is the real deal. It’s one of those perfect, real life underdog sports stories that are only captured on film once in a long while (ala Hoop Dreams). It follows the hopes and dreams of the Manassas Tigers, an underfunded, underprivileged, innercity high school football team in Memphis, Tennessee. They’re so bad, in fact, that they’ve never won a playoff game in their 110 years of existence. Bill Courtney, their volunteer coach, hopes to turn that record around.

The film has heart, kids you come to care about, and the kind of 4th quarter, nail-biting football moments that only show up in fictionalized Hollywood films. It easily deserved the 2012 Oscar that it won for Best Documentary.

~ Evan Derrick

29 - Billy Elliot

Sometimes dreams are foolish. Such is the case with Billy Elliot, the son of an English coal miner who wants him to take up boxing. When Billy accidentally stumbles into a ballet class, he’s hooked and dreams of becoming a dancer. His father and brother, unsurprisingly, want him to have nothing to do with it, afraid that he’ll become a “poof.” But Billy, despite the incredible pressure against him from his family, continues to dance anyways.

The world will often tell you not to pursue your dreams. “Be safe. Be complacent. Don’t make waves,” it says. “Get good grades. Go to college. Get a steady job.” But that way lies the death of one’s soul. Billy understands this in the film and, despite the world being against him, he goes after his impossible dream. It is an act of bravery and it is something all of us should do more often.

~ Evan Derrick

28 - Rain Man

Charles Sanford "Charlie" Babbit is an egocentric hustler at war with himself. As a rebellious teenager, he drove his authoritarian, millionaire father's spotless 1948 Buick Roadmaster convertible without permission and, as a result, sat in jail for two days when his father reported it stolen.

Charlie learns that his aloof father has died and left him only a flower bed and the detested car. The remaining millions go into a trust fund to care for Raymond, Charlie's autistic brother who lives at a private hospital in a world of his own. Feeling bilked out of his birthright, scheming to get the money, Charlie kidnaps Raymond and takes him on a wild ride across the California desert and then into the casinos of Las Vegas – a mad odyssey in which two strong wills soften and a bond forms between two vastly different brothers separated far too long.

Their cross-country journey in the Roadmaster is poignant, annoying, funny, and deeply moving, particularly as the increasingly tender Charlie learns why the “Rain Man” was sent away so many years ago.

~ Rob Kerby

27 - Forrest Gump

“I may not be a smart man, but I know what love is” I’ll never forget the first time I watched Forrest Gump. I’m not sure that I’ve ever felt so simultaneously delighted, confused, sad, and happy all at the same time. Given that I was in my early teens I had little understanding of the historical and emotional significance of most of the plot, which is thick with worldwide conflict and fascinating commentary on humanity. What I did know was pretty simple:

Forrest Gump is easily one of the most inspiring characters in film.

Movies often live off stacking the deck high against the protagonist, but Forrest runs through (“I was running!!”) that deck with such a child-like innocence that it is a joy to see. The simple joy he expresses, played by Tom Hanks in one of the best roles of his career, makes the moments of emotional impact hit that much harder. The audience is broken out of the fantasy along with Forrest, ripped from the whimsy of ping pong tournaments, Dr. Pepper, and shrimping by the realities of racism, AIDs, and drug use. What makes Forrest so inspiring though, is how he keeps moving forward and loving those around him, no matter whether they do the same in turn. Forrest Gump dares us to dream sure, but it also shows us how to love each other.

And of course, it shows us that life is just like a box of chocolates.

~ Stephen Russ

26 - The Sound of Music

I can't tell you how many times I've watched The Sound of Music. The 1965 Oscar-winning film starring Julie Andrews was a staple in my home growing up. Andrews plays Maria, a free-spirited nun who becomes a governess to seven rambunctious children. She brings life in the form of music to the household and wins the affection of the children's father, the stern Captain von Trapp, played by Christopher Plummer. So many great songs came from this musical that were not only peppy and fun, but also taught you something. "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" inspired us to rise above circumstances. "My Favorite Things" helped us not be afraid. “Do-Re-Mi" taught us how to sing, and to this day, whenever I'm nervous, I sing "I Have Confidence" to boost my self-esteem.

~ Jennifer Jones

25 - Up

He is shy, unsure and in need of a hero. A young Carl Frederickson found his idol in famous explorer Charles F. Muntz, who was renowned for the discovery of a huge bird he found in South America. Muntz was accused of fabricating the findings and was subsequently fired and was determined to return to Paradise Falls and clear his name. The young Carl would meet and wed Ellie, another big fan of Muntz. She confided as a kid that she dreamed of moving her clubhouse to Paradise Falls and wanted to see that before she died. Both over the years dipped into the saving account for other necessities and Ellie died of old age before her dream of living in Paradise Falls came into fruition. Carl is forced to leave his home after being pegged a nuisance by the city and forges a plan to make his house an airship made up with thousands of balloons with wind sails made from shower curtains. Here comes Russell, a child determined to gain his badge for helping the elderly. Russell embarks on the adventure accidently getting swept up in the darkened-yellow Victorian house strung up with the assorted-colored of helium fun. The adventure proves that the bird was indeed a reality and Muntz was a raving madman, too (he tried to capture our heroes). Ellie’s wish of her house set on a cliff near Paradise Falls is fulfilled. Russell receives his badge for assisting the elderly and adopts Carl as his surrogate grandfather where they share new dreams together.

~ Corine Gatti

24 - Lord of the Rings

An ancient ring of enormous power thought to be lost for centuries turns up in the possession of a small “hobbit” named Bilbo. The wizard Gandalf discovers it to be the One Ring of Power and urges Bilbo’s nephew Frodo to destroy it in the distant, enemy-held fires of Mt. Doom. Frodo’s odyssey stretches across director Peter Jackson’s three epic Lord of the Rings movies: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, lasting 11 hours and 21 minutes in the Extended Edition.

But every minute is spell-binding to those of us who grew up captivated by Oxford University myth-spinner J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic trilogy. What an incredible hero is this “halfling,” described to the banished Riders of Rohan by Aragorn, self-exiled king of Gondor, as “but a child in your eyes,” and played by former child actor (Free Willy, Radio Flyer, Huck Finn, Forever Young, The War) Elijah Wood.

And such memorable companions: Sam, played by former child actor Sean Aston (The Goonies, Toy Soldiers, Rudy), fearlessly willing to sacrifice all; Gollum (Andy Sirkis), their slimy 1,000-year-old, loincloth-clad computer-generated guide, twisted and warped by the ring, which he lost, but lusts after and longingly calls “My precious”; Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), the feisty, medieval axe-wielding, warrior dwarf who battles evil alongside Legolas (Orlando Bloom), the fearless archer elf prince. Together, they charge fearlessly the most malicious of opponents in haunted swamps, corpse-filled mines, treacherous mountains, enchanted forests and seemingly doomed citadels.

Tolkien’s fantasy world, Middle Earth, is filled with goblin-like “orcs,” lumbering tree-like “ents,” giant spiders, massive trolls, 10,000 fearsome uruk-hai fighters, airborne dragons, undying wraiths, rescuing eagles – and unspeakable malevolence serving a great, all-seeing eye – the dark lord, Sauron, who desires to impose his evil on the world.

Oxford legend has it that C.S. Lewis, Tolkien’s fellow professor, poured over his friend’s 20 notebooks of fantasy and encouraged him in the 1950s to develop one short tale of a evil ring discovered by childlike creatures lacking guile or malice. Tolkien first wrote a children’s bestseller, The Hobbit, then the darker three-book classic that Jackson turned into one of the greatest films of all time – of good triumphing over evil and of greatness achieved by a modest and unassuming hero.

~ Rob Kerby

23 - The Thin Blue Line

In 1976, a Dallas police officer was murdered at a routine traffic stop. The boy who murdered him, 16-year old David Harris, pinned the crime on Randall Adams, an itinerant worker who was subsequently sentenced to death. He sat in prison, waiting for his execution, for 13 years. That’s when documentary filmmaker Errol Morris came along, dove into the case, and released a documentary called The Thin Blue Line. The documentary was so compelling, so meticulously researched, that Adams’ case was reopened. A year after the documentary came out, Adams was released from prison, a free man once again.

Morris got an innocent man off death row with his film. Could there possibly be anything more inspirational than that?

~ Evan Derrick

22 - Apollo 13

Based on the true story of the ill-fated 13th Apollo mission bound for the moon, this film directed by Ron Howard tells how astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert survive America’s failed attempt at a third moon landing.

It's 1970, and America has already achieved two lunar missions, winning the space race against the Soviets, so there's declining national interest in this "routine" flight – that is until things go very wrong. Fuel and oxygen tanks rupture, forcing the crew to use the Lunar Lander as a makeshift lifeboat.

Apollo 13 details the drama of the astronauts, their families and mission control, after a mission that couldn't get TV airtime suddenly grips the American public. This is a tale of human spirit, averted tragedy, heroism and American ingenuity. For example, the astronauts avoid asphyxiation by duct-taping their carbon-dioxide scrubbers to use square filters meant for a round device.

Stranded 205,000 miles from Earth in a crippled spacecraft, the astronauts fight a desperate battle to survive as America holds its breath. Truly an inspirational tale – that just happens to be true.

~ Rob Kerby