Wonderful, Wonderful
This is absolutely NOT a list of the greatest feel good movies of all time. Others have already covered that subject brilliantly. These are just some really nice films I've stumbled across here & there. This list is a work in progress. I can't say much for my review writing skills, but if you're looking for sweet natured, feel-good, movies, films that are plot & character driven, & laced with humor you'll enjoy these. They're not listed in order of "greatness", or any other logical order, just as they came to mind. I'll add more as I think of them.
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- DirectorMike JittlovStarsMike JittlovRichard KayePaige MooreA Hollywood filmmaker (Mike Jittlov) makes a short for an evil film studio. Unbeknownest to him, the producer has placed a bet of $25,000 that he won't come up with anything with a use. Luckily, our film creator gets the help of his friends.If someone were to hold a gun to my head & force me to choose just one (why anyone would do that I don't know) I'd have to say this is my favorite movie. Ever. It's silly, & charming, & campy. It's innocent & hopeful. It's full of magic. It's wonderful. It's not out on DVD so you'll have to dig out your old VCR to even watch it, but it's worth the struggle. Maybe if enough people fall in love with it and start bugging whoever has to get bugged, an "official" DVD ( w/ many, many wondrous extras) will finally be made.
"A Hollywood filmmaker (Mike Jittlov) makes a short for an evil film studio. Unbeknownest to him, the producer has placed a bet of $25,000 that he won't come up with anything with a use. Luckily, our film creator gets the help of his friends." (Written by Magnus Y Alvestad) - DirectorChristine LahtiStarsAlbert BrooksLeelee SobieskiRutanya AldaA 17-year-old girl has a troubled relationship with a 49-year-old man."Jennifer does not fit in. A total misfit, she's as wacky as a teenager can be. Goth-ed out with multiple piercings, tattoos, and dyed hair, she listens to strange music, watches vintage TV, eats primarily chocolate, and [inflicts herself with] injures. But now high school is over and she needs a job. Can she possibly have anything in common with the overweight middle-aged man in the haberdashery window? He gives her a job, not to mention a real friendship." (Written by Martin Lewison)
- DirectorPercy AdlonStarsMarianne SägebrechtCCH PounderJack PalanceA lonely German woman ends up in the most desolate motel on Earth and decides to make it brighter.I love this movie. You may have to watch it a few times to get it all. There's all this interesting, mystical, romantic, whimsical, philosophical, stuff going on, but it's a subtle, show-not-tell kind of thing. And that song by Jevetta Steele (CALLING YOU), running thru the whole thing, playing a cool counterpoint to those hot Mojave winds. So good.
"Out of Rosenheim (Bagdad Café) is a look into the minds and lives of some people most of us have met but few of us know much about. This movie exemplifies how one person in the right place can affect a community of lives. The Adlons seem to express the view that all change and "magic" comes from hard work and mutual acceptance. A well-crafted view of the lives of tourists everywhere and the difficulties they can face. A Whimsical and lovingly Photographed look at the vast wasteland that is too often ignored by much of humanity." (Written by The Kid in Bellevue) - DirectorDavid SwiftStarsHayley MillsMaureen O'HaraBrian KeithTeenage twin sisters swap places and scheme to reunite their divorced parents.Do yourself a favor and watch this, the original Parent Trap. The set decorations & costume designs alone are worth the view. I mean, the house & property in California are "simply to die for". And Maureen O'Hara, be-gowned and often barefoot, is radiant.
"Hayley Mills plays twins who, unknown to their divorced parents, meet at a summer camp. Products of single parent households, they switch places (surprise!) so as to meet the parent they never knew, and then contrive to reunite them." (Written by Stewart M. Clamen) - DirectorMilton KatselasStarsGoldie HawnEdward AlbertEileen HeckartA blind man moves into his own apartment against the wishes of his overprotective mother and befriends the freethinking young woman next door.Anyone who knows & loves this movie will tell you, the two apartments (especially Donny's) are major characters in the film. The montage of establishing, or location shots (or whatever they're called) that open the movie (I guess they're "vintage" now) are wonderful, & see how many famous-then faces you can identify in the street scenes.
"All Don Baker wants is a place of his own away from his over-protective mother. Don's been blind since birth, but that doesn't stop him from setting up in a San Francisco apartment and making the acquaintance of his off-the-wall, liberated, actress neighbor Jill. Don learns the kind of things from Jill that his mother would never have taught him! And Jill learns from Don what growing up and being free is really all about." (Written by A.L.Beneteau) - DirectorSusannah GrantStarsJennifer GarnerTimothy OlyphantKevin SmithA woman struggles to accept the death of her fiancé and the secrets he kept from her as she rebuilds her life.I love Kevin Smith! Among other things I love his raunchy irreverent, boisterous humor. I love the largeness & loyalty of his public persona. I love the great generosity he shows w/all the "Special Features", he offers on all his DVDs, such as all the mischievously placed "Easter eggs", & the hours of badinage & commentary he goes in for w/all his long-time cronies (cronies he's stuck by thru thick & thin, & who he always keeps giving work to). And yet... He's not the main male lead in this quiet, lovely little film. He's not even the director or anything, but this is my favorite Kevin Smith role. He entirely & easily steals every scene he's in. Juliette Lewis (one of my favorite actresses) plays a quirky & endearing counterpoint to Mr Smith's bashful charms as his romantic interest here. This is not all that can be said in favor of this movie, maybe someone else already has, or will. I wish I could be more eloquent in describing it, but suffice it to say it really is a NICE film.
"After the sudden death of her fiancé, Gray Wheeler finds comfort in the company of his friends: lighthearted and comic Sam, hyper-responsible Dennis, and, oddly enough, his old childhood buddy Fritz, an irresponsible playboy whom she'd previously pegged as one of the least reliable people in the world. As secrets about her supposedly perfect fiancé emerge, Gray comes to see new sides of the man she thought she knew, and at the same time, finds herself drawn to the last man she ever expected to fall for." (Written by Columbia Pictures) - DirectorDavid KoeppStarsRicky GervaisGreg KinnearTéa LeoniBertram Pincus is a man whose people skills leave much to be desired. When Pincus dies unexpectedly, but is miraculously revived after seven minutes, he wakes up to discover that he now has the annoying ability to see ghosts.Ricky Gervais, always irresistibly funny, is also entirely endearing in this.
"Bertram Pincus is a man whose people skills leave much to be desired. When Pincus dies unexpectedly, but is miraculously revived after seven minutes, he wakes up to discover that he now has the annoying ability to see ghosts. Even worse, they all want something from him, particularly Frank Herlihy who pesters him into breaking up the impending marriage of his widow Gwen. That puts Pincus squarely in the middle of a triangle with spirited result. (Written by Studio Approved Synopsis) - DirectorChristopher GuestStarsChristopher GuestEugene LevyMichael McKeanMockumentary captures the reunion of 1960s folk trio the Folksmen as they prepare for a show at The Town Hall to memorialize a recently deceased concert promoter.I'm definitely a fan of Christopher Guest movies. This is my personal favorite so far.
"When folk icon Irving Steinbloom passed away, he left behind a legacy of music and a family of performers he has shepherded to folk stardom. To celebrate a life spent submerged in folk, Irving's loving son Jonathan has decided to put together a memorial concert featuring some of Steinbloom's best-loved musicians. There's Mitch and Mickey, who were the epitome of young love until their partnership was torn apart by heartbreak; classic troubadours The Folksmen, whose records were endlessly entertaining for anyone able to punch a hole in the center to play them; and The New Main Street Singers, the most meticulously color-coordinated neuftet ever to hit an amusement park. Now for one night only in New York City's Town Hall, these three groups will reunite and gather together to celebrate the music that almost made them famous." (Written by Sujit R. Varma) - DirectorMichael CorrenteStarsPeter FacinelliJaimie AlexanderMichael MadsenA young pickpocket in the New York subways, living a fast, free, lifestyle is confronted by a woman with whom he had a one night affair.This movie holds true to the theme of this list. A good time will be had by all. Peter Facinelli stars as Bobby, a young pickpocket without a purpose, suddenly facing a dilemma that he couldn't see coming a mile away. I was rooting for him from minute one. You will be too. Joe Pantoliano, in a supporting role, is (as always) great to watch. "The writing is tight, the characters are well cast, there is humor, drama, intrigue, and romance..." (by Ghenghy (Charlotte North By God Carolina).
"A young pickpocket in the New York subways, living a fast, free, lifestyle is confronted by a woman whom he had a one night affair with, she informs him that she is pregnant with his child, he must choose between continuing the lifestyle he lead or take responsibility for his actions." (Written by Anonymous) - DirectorTom McCarthyStarsPeter DinklagePatricia ClarksonBobby CannavaleWhen his only friend dies, a man born with dwarfism moves to rural New Jersey to live a life of solitude, only to meet a chatty hot dog vendor and a woman dealing with her own personal loss.This is an amazing movie that will take you, quietly, by storm.
"Thomas McCarthy's 'The Station Agent' is a joyous and wondrous tale of five rather unique and quirky individuals whose lives intersect at an abandoned train depot in rural New Jersey." "A note-perfect little film that draws you in with the slightest of touches" "a...film that ends as quietly as it begins"
"When his only friend and co-worker dies, a young man born with dwarfism moves to an abandoned train depot in rural New Jersey. Though he tried to maintain a life of solitude, he is soon entangled with an artist who is struggling with a personal tragedy and an overly friendly Cuban hot-dog vendor." (Written by Anonymous) - DirectorChristine JeffsStarsAmy AdamsEmily BluntAlan ArkinIn order to raise the tuition to send her young son to private school, a mom starts an unusual business -- a biohazard removal/crime scene clean-up service -- with her unreliable sister."A family. Rose and Norah, in Albuquerque, lost their mother when they were young. Rose is responsible - a housecleaner, raising her seven-year-old son Oscar. She's also having an affair with Mac, a married cop, her high-school sweetheart. Norah can't hold a job. Their dad, Joe, is quirky. When Oscar is expelled for odd behavior, Rose wants to earn enough to send him to private school. Mac suggests she clean up after crime scenes, suicides, and deaths that go undiscovered for awhile. Rose enlists Norah, and Sunshine Cleaners is born. Norah bonds with the dead, Rose finds out that it's a regulated business, and complications arise. Can a family marked by tragedy sort things out?" (Written by "Natalie")
- DirectorPeter CattaneoStarsRobert CarlyleTom WilkinsonMark AddySix unemployed steel workers form a male striptease act. The women cheer them on to go for "the full monty" - total nudity."Six unemployed steel workers, inspired by the Chippendale's dancers, form a male striptease act. The women cheer them on to go for "the full monty" - total nudity." (Written by Jon Reeves)
- DirectorMargaret WhittonStarsRachel NicholsJackson HurstAnjanette ComerA man in search of his past, and a woman who lives in the moment, are brought together when they pursue the origins of a stray parrot in this comedic and romantic drama."A sassy parrot and a free-spirited librarian upend the well-ordered life of a solitary man. Lyman (Jackson Hurst) is a loner, working the graveyard shift for the Courtesy Patrol. Orphaned by a car wreck that killed his parents when he was four years old, he knows only his last name and approximate year of birth. When a green parrot flies in to his trailer and announces, 'Shut up!" and "I'm an eagle!" he becomes obsessed with finding its owner, which leads him to FIONA (Rachel Nichols). She has been eying Lyman from a distance and decides to help with his parrot search, whether he wants her to or not. Along with her basset hound, they set out on a quest to find the bird's previous owners and Fiona begins to unravel the mysteries of Lyman's past. But when Fiona joins Lyman on his nightly rounds, she witnesses a reality more intense than the romantic version she had envisioned..." (Written by Anonymous)
- DirectorJames ClavellStarsSidney PoitierJudy GeesonChristian RobertsIdealistic engineer-trainee and his experiences in teaching a group of rambunctious white high school students from the slums of London's East End."Engineer Mark Thackeray arrives to teach a totally undisciplined class at an East End school. Still hoping for a good engineering job, he's hopeful that he won't be there long. He starts implementing his own brand of classroom discipline: forcing the pupils to treat each other with respect. Inevitably he begins getting involved in the students' personal lives, and must avoid the advances of an amorous student while winning over the class tough. What will he decide when the engineering job comes through?" (Written by Ed Sutton)
- DirectorNora EphronStarsAmy AdamsMeryl StreepChris MessinaJulia Child's story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with blogger Julie Powell's 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child's first book."Julia Child and Julie Powell - both of whom wrote memoirs - find their lives intertwined. Though separated by time and space, both women are at loose ends... until they discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible." (Written by Columbia Pictures) "...This film is all the more remarkable in that it is so rare to see a film these days that just revels in joie-de-vivre..." (by nycmec (New York))
- DirectorDavid WainStarsPaul RuddSeann William ScottElizabeth BanksWild behavior forces a pair of energy drink reps to enroll in a Big Brother program."Danny and Wheeler, well into their 30s, lack something: Danny feels stuck; he's sour and has driven away his terrific girlfriend. Wheeler chases any skirt he sees for empty sex. When they get in a fight with a tow-truck driver, they choose community service over jail and are assigned to be big brothers - Danny to Augie, a geek who loves participating in a weekend Medieval reenactment society, and Wheeler to Ronnie, a pint-size foul-mouthed kid. After a rocky start, things start to go well until both Danny and Wheeler make big mistakes. Can the two men figure out how to change enough to be role models to the boys?" (Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>)
- DirectorPenny MarshallStarsDanny DeVitoGregory HinesJames RemarA failed businessman is hired by the army to teach a group of underachieving recruits in order to help them pass basic training."A down-on-his-luck businessman desperately takes the only job offered - a teacher in the U.S. Army. His mission: keep a ragtag bunch of underachieving misfits from flunking out of basic training! Be on alert as this unlikely new teacher and his underdog class unexpectedly inspire each other to be all they can be!" (Written by Anonymous')
- DirectorGabriele MuccinoStarsWill SmithThandiwe NewtonJaden SmithA struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional career.The following is an inadequate review of this moving & heartwarming movie. Maybe I'll try to write a better one myself in a few days. For now suffice it to say this film belongs on this list! "Based on a true story about a man named Christopher Gardner. Gardner has invested heavily in a device known as a "Bone Density scanner"...However, they do not sell as they are only marginally better than the current technology, but a much higher price. As Gardner tries to figure out how to sell them, his wife leaves him, he loses his house, his bank account, and credit cards. Forced to live out in the streets with his son, Gardner is now desperate to find a steady job; he takes on a job as a stockbroker, but before he can receive pay, he needs to go through 6 months of w/o pay training..." (Written by John Wiggins)
- DirectorJonathan DaytonValerie FarisStarsSteve CarellToni ColletteGreg KinnearA family determined to get their young daughter into the finals of a beauty pageant take a cross-country trip in their VW bus.Yet another inadequate review, for yet another extraordinary little movie. Again, maybe I'll write a better one myself when I'm not so sleepy. Certainly it deserves it! "In Albuquerque, Sheryl Hoover brings her suicidal brother Frank to the breast of her dysfunctional and bankrupted family. Frank is homosexual and expert in Proust, and tried to commit suicide when he was rejected by his boyfriend and his great competitor became renowned and recognized as number one in the field of Proust. Sheryl's husband Richard is unsuccessfully trying to sell his self-help and self-improvement technique using nine steps to reach success, but he is actually a complete loser. Her son Dwayne has taken a vow of silence as a follower of Nietzsche and aims to be a jet pilot. Dwayne's grandfather Edwin was sent away from the institution for elders Sunset Manor and is addicted in heroin. When her seven years old daughter Olive has a chance to dispute the Little Miss Sunshine pageant in Redondo Beach, California, the whole family travels together in their old Volkswagen Type 2 (Kombi)..." (Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil )
- DirectorAgnieszka HollandStarsKate MaberlyMaggie SmithHeydon ProwseA young, recently-orphaned girl is sent to England after living in India all of her life. Once there, she begins to explore her new, seemingly-isolated surroundings, and its secrets."A young British girl born and raised in India loses her neglectful parents in an earthquake. She is returned to England to live at her uncle's castle. Her uncle is very distant due to the loss of his wife ten years before. Neglected once again, she begins exploring the estate and discovers a garden that has been locked and neglected. Aided by one of the servants' boys, she begins restoring the garden, and eventually discovers some other secrets of the manor." (Written by Ed Sutton <esutton@mindspring.com>)
- DirectorJay DuplassMark DuplassStarsJason SegelEd HelmsJudy GreerDispatched from his basement room on an errand for his widowed mother, slacker Jeff might discover his destiny (finally) when he spends the day with his unhappily married brother as he tracks his possibly adulterous wife."Jeff, at 30, lives in his mom's basement, unemployed, looking for signs about what to do with his life. He answers a wrong-number call for "Kevin". Later, on a bus, he sees someone wearing a jersey with "Kevin" on the back. Jeff follows him. Meanwhile, Jeff's brother, Pat, a tone-deaf salesman, upsets his wife by buying a Porsche they cannot afford; Pat runs into Jeff soon after and they see Pat's wife with another man. At her job, Jeff and Pat's mom receives e-mails from a secret admirer; she tries to figure out who it is. Misunderstandings, errors, and confrontations abound. A backup on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway brings things to a head." (Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com)
- DirectorRob ReinerStarsMorgan FreemanVirginia MadsenMadeline CarrollMonty Wildhorn, an alcoholic novelist of Westerns, has lost his drive. His nephew pushes him to summer in quiet Belle Isle. He begrudgingly befriends a newly single mom and her 3 girls who help him find the inspiration to write again."In an effort to tap into his original talent, a wheelchair-bound author moves to a rural town, where he befriends a single mother and her three kids, who help reignite his passion for writing."
- DirectorJason ReitmanStarsElliot PageMichael CeraJennifer GarnerFaced with an unplanned pregnancy, an offbeat young woman makes a selfless decision regarding the unborn child."A tale told over four seasons, starting in autumn when Juno, a 16-year-old high-school junior in Minnesota, discovers she's pregnant after one event in a chair with her best friend, Bleeker. In the waiting room of an abortion clinic, the quirky and whip-sharp Juno decides to give birth and to place the child with an adoptive couple. She finds one in the PennySaver personals, contacts them, tells her dad and step-mother, and carries on with school. The chosen parents, upscale yuppies (one of whom is cool and laid back, the other meticulous and uptight), meet Juno, sign papers, and the year unfolds. Will Juno's plan work, can she improvise, and what about Bleeker?" (Written by J Hailey)
- DirectorFina TorresStarsPenélope CruzMurilo BenícioHarold PerrineauAfter being cheated on by an insecure man, Brazilian chef Isabella Oliveira moves to San Francisco and finds success as the host of a cooking show."Isabella is a great cook, making her husband's restaurant in Bahia, Brazil, a success. To control her motion sickness, she must do the driving and be on top during sex, which drives her macho husband, Toninho, to infidelities. Heart-broken, she leaves for San Francisco... To mend her heart, she makes an offering to Yemanja, the goddess of the sea. The goddess responds: Isabella no longer loves and the fish in Bahia no longer bite. Stricken, Toninho heads north to get her back; he finds her hosting a popular TV show, Passion Food, courted by its producer. Can he learn humility? Can she find happiness without him?" (Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com)
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsRussell CroweAbbie CornishAlbert FinneyA British investment broker inherits his uncle's chateau and vineyard in Provence, where he spent much of his childhood. He discovers a new laid-back lifestyle as he tries to renovate the estate to be sold."After years of no contact with his Uncle Henry, London banker and bond trader Max Skinner learns that Henry has died intestate, so Max inherits a château and vineyard in Provence. Max spent part of his childhood there, learning maxims and how to win and lose, and honing his killer instinct (at chess, which serves him well in finance). Max goes to France intent on selling the property. He spends a few days there, getting the property ready to show. Memories, a beautiful woman, and a young American who says she's Henry's illegitimate daughter interrupt his plans. Did Max the boy know things that Max the man has forgotten?" (Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com)
"As a longtime fan of Russell Crowe, I do know that he can be funny, charming, sweet and romantic, not only on film but in real life. His recent appearances on the TV promotional circuit have proved this once again. Those who only know his films since LA Confidential for the most part focus on his ability to capture and project power, strength and inner turmoil. Those who have seen his films such as Proof, For the Moment, Love In Limbo and The Sum of Us have seen his ability to show the gentler, funnier and often more uncertain sides of the human experience. (I would also argue that these are readily seen in his films such as The Insider, A Beautiful Mind and Cinderella Man.) A Good Year is a wonderful return to the Russell of those earlier films. Like a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie, you know just where it's likely going to take you, but with such lovely, engaging people in such a wonderful setting you just want to enjoy the trip. And so you shall. What a refreshing change from the overheated, oversexed, over special "effected" and over bloodied fare that Hollywood usually dishes out. Thank you so much Mr. Crowe and Mr. Scott for my little vacation in the South of France!" (Written by lostein Washington, DC) - DirectorCameron CroweStarsMatt DamonScarlett JohanssonThomas Haden ChurchSet in Southern California, a father moves his young family to the countryside to renovate and re-open a struggling zoo.We Bought A Zoo delivers a hopeful message about taking chances, gambling on life, loving people, adventurousness, unadulterated joy, & the life-changing power of 20 seconds of insane courage
"Benjamin has lost his wife. In a bid to start his life over, he purchases a large house that has a zoo. This is welcome news for his daughter, but his son is not happy about it. The zoo is in need of renovation and Benjamin sets about the work with the head keeper, Kelly, and the rest of the zoo staff. But, the zoo soon runs into financial trouble. The staff must get the zoo back to its former glory, pass a zoo inspection, and get it back open to the public." (Written by Kad)
"And the 2011 best feel-good movie goes to WE BOUGHT A ZOO. It's one of the most heartwarming, delightful, pleasant family films you'll see this year...As the single dad, Benjamin Mee, Damon channels a certain vulnerability that comes with fatherhood. And Damon shows the sorrow and exhaustion of a newly single parent...The movie is about difficulties of moving on. The loss of his wife, the mother of his children, leaves a wound that can't easily be healed by the appeal of an unconventional new home. But as the film suggests, sometimes plans change, and all of a sudden it's not about you anymore. And if you're still asking why you should watch this movie, just say to yourself.. why not?!" (Written by by www.ramascreen.com) - DirectorColin TrevorrowStarsAubrey PlazaMark DuplassJake JohnsonThree magazine employees head out on an assignment to interview a guy who placed a classified advertisement seeking a companion for time travel.Safety Not Guaranteed, but I can promise you'll have a delighted smile on your face as the closing credits begin to roll.
"Darius is a young intern at a Seattle-based magazine and jumps at the chance to investigate the author of a classified ad seeking someone to travel back in time with. Along with Jeff, the staff writer, and Arnau, a fellow intern, the three go on a road trip to a coastal town. While Jeff just wants to chase after his high school crush and Arnau wants some kind of life experience, Darius spends her time with Kenneth, a man who believes that he has built a time machine. The closer they become and the more they understand about each other, the less clear it becomes if Kenneth is just crazy or if he actually is going to successfully travel back in time." (Written by napierslogs)
"I enjoyed every minute of this movie. Every character was memorable and superbly portrayed. It was sweet and at the same time had a cutting edge especially if you read between the lines.
The story was incredibly well crafted and will stand the test of time because it left just the right amount to the imagination. It was a fairy tale, but a beautifully told and very human one.
This was a movie crafted with care from both the mind and the heart..." (Written by Glenn Soltes (Guelph)) - DirectorMarleen GorrisStarsJulia StilesShirley MacLaineAlessandro NivolaA young woman escapes her wildly eccentric family in search for a life of normalcy.
- DirectorNora EphronStarsTom HanksMeg RyanRoss MalingerA recently widowed man's son calls a radio talk-show in an attempt to find his father a partner.
- DirectorJohn HustonStarsHumphrey BogartKatharine HepburnRobert MorleyIn WWI East Africa, a gin-swilling Canadian riverboat captain is persuaded by a strait-laced English missionary to undertake a trip up a treacherous river and use his boat to attack a German gunship.