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topic: I'm searching for something inspirational |
ChiyoDad
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post #1
on December 27, 2004 - 4:34 PM PST
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Someone beat me out for an internal job that I had applied for. It was only a 7% increase in pay and it would have required commuting almost an hour each way for four days a week (instead of working in the comfort of home for five days a week) but it was a high-visibility position and a good stepping stone to larger things.
I know. I know. One could reasonably argue that I'm better off with my present job. But it's still no fun when you don't "make the cut".
I'm looking for some inspirational "comeback" titles for my queue. Titles similar to Seabiscuit (which I thought was one of the best that I've seen in the past year). I'm avoiding the Prozac-inducing titles that are along the lines of Seven (which was a great movie but terribly depressing). Can anyone recommend the former (or advise of any of the latter to avoid)? |
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RWaller
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ChiyoDad
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post #3
on December 27, 2004 - 6:27 PM PST
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> On December 27, 2004 - 5:18 PM PST RWaller wrote:
> ---------------------------------
> Some personal-triumph classics:
>
> The Rookie
> Billy Elliot
> Dragonfly
> October Sky
> Girlfight
> ---------------------------------
Thx! I saw the first two but added the last three to my queue! |
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Bahamut
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post #4
on December 28, 2004 - 1:52 AM PST
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Toyko Godfathers?
http://www.greencine.com/webCatalog?id=97526&element=tokyo+godfathers |
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Bahamut
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post #5
on December 28, 2004 - 1:52 AM PST
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> On December 28, 2004 - 1:52 AM PST Bahamut wrote:
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> Toyko Godfathers?
>
> http://www.greencine.com/webCatalog?id=97526&element=tokyo+godfathers
> ---------------------------------
Oh, and avoid Grave of the Fireflys. |
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KPman1
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post #6
on December 28, 2004 - 4:42 AM PST
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Inspirational:
Shine
Better Off Dead
Band of Brothers
Scent of a Woman
Initial D
Fighting Spirit
Singin in the Rain
Whale Rider
North Shore
Cool Runnings
Field of Dreams |
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markhl
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post #7
on December 28, 2004 - 5:54 PM PST
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| Rudy~ Rudy~~ Rudy~~~ |
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AFleming
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post #8
on December 29, 2004 - 10:46 AM PST
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| Avoid "Wolf's Rain"- the most depressing and hopeless anime series ever made (IMO). I guess it inspired me to want to slit my wrists, but after a three day funk, I managed to pull out of it. |
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rmarkd
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post #9
on December 29, 2004 - 2:35 PM PST
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How about:
Stand and Deliver
Lean on Me
And, of course, if you haven't seen Office Space, then that should be #1 on your list.
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ChiyoDad
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post #10
on December 29, 2004 - 3:34 PM PST
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Saw most of KPman1's suggestions but have never watched Field of Dreams.
Office Space sounds very interesting. May wind up recommending it to some of my former coworkers that got RIF'd six months ago.
Thanks for the warning about Wolf's Rain. I've been curious about this series but I think I'll postpone watching it for a while. |
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DBooher
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post #11
on December 29, 2004 - 5:48 PM PST
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Mr. Hollands Opus
The Shawshank Redemption
A Beautiful Mind
A League of their Own
Oh and Empire of the Sun always makes me cry. It's a good flick but if you're feeling down u may want to put it right before an upper Disney style movie. But I found it inspirational myself.
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ChiyoDad
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post #12
on December 29, 2004 - 7:53 PM PST
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> On December 29, 2004 - 5:48 PM PST DBooher wrote:
> ---------------------------------
> Mr. Hollands Opus
> The Shawshank Redemption
> A Beautiful Mind
> A League of their Own
> Oh and Empire of the Sun always makes me cry. It's a good flick but if you're feeling down u may want to put it right before an upper Disney style movie. But I found it inspirational myself.
>
>
> ---------------------------------
Ah! Mr. Holland's Opus is a good one. The Shawshank Redemption is one that I own (one of the best that I've seen).
I have mixed feelings about A Beautiful Mind. I'll give A League of Their Own a try.
Ummm. I'll pass on Empire of the Sun. ;-) |
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KPman1
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post #13
on December 30, 2004 - 4:14 AM PST
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Movies to Avoid:
A League of their Own
The Shawshank Redemption
Mr. Hollands Opus
A Beautiful Mind
Almost forgot, especially avoid Empire of the Sun. |
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talltale
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post #14
on December 30, 2004 - 5:27 AM PST
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Listen: Most of the movies mentioned over this entire conversation are of the inspirational-twaddle type: easy, feel-good, and somewhat simple minded (yes, yes, and I enjoyed a lot of them, too). But EMPIRE OF THE SUN is inspirational in a different way. It favors endurance and compromise, pain and learning over feel-good simplicity. It's probably Speilberg's best, and if you have the strength and fortitude, you'll gain from watching it. In comparison, most of these other films are like Hallmark Cards going up against a strong novel.
Anyway, good luck job-wise. There will be other opportunities, and you'll take advantage of them.
> On December 30, 2004 - 4:14 AM PST KPman1 wrote:
> ---------------------------------
> Movies to Avoid:
>
> A League of their Own
> The Shawshank Redemption
> Mr. Hollands Opus
> A Beautiful Mind
>
> Almost forgot, especially avoid Empire of the Sun.
> ---------------------------------
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DBooher
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post #15
on December 30, 2004 - 9:42 AM PST
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> On December 30, 2004 - 5:27 AM PST talltale wrote:
> ---------------------------------
> Listen: Most of the movies mentioned over this entire conversation are of the inspirational-twaddle type: easy, feel-good, and somewhat simple minded (yes, yes, and I enjoyed a lot of them, too). But EMPIRE OF THE SUN is inspirational in a different way. It favors endurance and compromise, pain and learning over feel-good simplicity. It's probably Speilberg's best, and if you have the strength and fortitude, you'll gain from watching it. In comparison, most of these other films are like Hallmark Cards going up against a strong novel.
> Anyway, good luck job-wise. There will be other opportunities, and you'll take advantage of them.
> > On December 30, 2004 - 4:14 AM PST KPman1 wrote:
> > ---------------------------------
> > Movies to Avoid:
> >
> > A League of their Own
> > The Shawshank Redemption
> > Mr. Hollands Opus
> > A Beautiful Mind
> >
> > Almost forgot, especially avoid Empire of the Sun.
> > ---------------------------------
>
>
> ---------------------------------
Thank you talltale!!
KPman1, you're already on my list... |
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KPman1
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post #16
on December 30, 2004 - 11:41 AM PST
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| Christmas list? Are you my secret Santa? |
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AFleming
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post #17
on December 30, 2004 - 4:10 PM PST
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> On December 30, 2004 - 4:14 AM PST KPman1 wrote:
> ---------------------------------
> Movies to Avoid:
>
> A League of their Own
> The Shawshank Redemption
> Mr. Hollands Opus
> A Beautiful Mind
>
> Almost forgot, especially avoid Empire of the Sun.
> ---------------------------------
Ohhh..... KPoopman strikes again! He actually agreed with me on another post.....scary!
LOL |
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underdog
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post #18
on December 30, 2004 - 5:00 PM PST
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> On December 30, 2004 - 4:10 PM PST AFleming wrote:
> ---------------------------------
> > On December 30, 2004 - 4:14 AM PST KPman1 wrote:
> > ---------------------------------
> > Movies to Avoid:
> >
> > A League of their Own
> > The Shawshank Redemption
> > Mr. Hollands Opus
> > A Beautiful Mind
> >
> > Almost forgot, especially avoid Empire of the Sun.
> > ---------------------------------
>
>
> Ohhh..... KPoopman strikes again! He actually agreed with me on another post.....scary!
>
> LOL
> ---------------------------------
I really think, for this category of film, it depends on an individual's threshold to treacle, to sentimentalty - and of course how much a given film pushes in that direction in the first place. For me, I like A Shawshank Redemption (although don't go as ga-ga for it as some do) because I think the screenplay is so well structured it's like a clinic in screenwriting and useful for my area of interest, and it also gives a lot of room for actors to act -- and the fine cast does just that. It does get a little misty-eyed in places, but not too bad for my taste. A Beautiful Mind also pulls on heartstrings a few times but was interesting to me as a study of mental illness and again as an example for a film leaving room for acting.
I usually hate maudlin, overly schmaltzy films, too so I think I have a low threshold for this sort of thing, but don't know if it's fair to pick on those films.
(God, did anyone ever sit through What Dreams May Come? Barf.)
I hate most sports inspirational movies, at least recent ones, because they are so calculated and predictable, BUT can still be a sucker for one if the right one strikes me at the right time -- Breaking Away (you should see that Chiyo if you haven't already), for one, or Bad News Bears, when I was a kid.
I can get inspired by films that many wouldn't consider "inspirational" -- classic war movies for example.
Hmm, this topic would make a good member list wouldn't it?
C |
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AKrizman
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post #19
on December 30, 2004 - 5:16 PM PST
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I have a hair-trigger gag-reflex for most inspirational movies; they tend to be manipulative and contrived. Either it's about retards overcoming adversity, or Diane Keaton dieing of cancer, or scrappy underdog sports teams (I think Hallmark is currently making a movie about a baseball league for retarded moms with heart cancer).
I have no patience for a movie if I detect even a faint scent of cheese, but there are a few inspirational films that passed my sniff test (in order of my favorite):
1. Strictly Ballroom - Campy enough to be fun, but not so cartoonish that it detracts from it's message: "A life lived in fear is a life half lived"
2. Babe - Could have coasted by on being cute and kid-friendly. Fortunately they bothered to tell a great story, and tell it well. It managed to make it's simple message: "be nice" seem profound.
3. Mask - What lifts this overcoming-adversity tale above other disease-of-the-week movies is that the protagonist is refreshingly pity-free. In an inspired departure from formula, it's his mother who is the inspirational figure.
4. Remember the Titans - I'm a sucker for football movies. Even though this movies has a lot of same predictable scrappy-underdog elements that I dislike in other movies, the convincing acting and 'based-on-a-true-story' credibility redeem it.
5. School of Rock - A curmudgeon less misanthropic than me could pick apart the flaws in this shamelessly formulaic movie and I wouldn't be able to argue with him. Let's just call it a guilty pleasure that I indulge because I love the music.
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KPman1
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post #20
on December 30, 2004 - 5:32 PM PST
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@Underdog:
Dbooher likes to be smacked around a lot. (It's a chick thing.)
Shawshank is even a personal favorite...
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Gattaca has a similar theme to Sea Biscuit and Garden State is the best of the new releases. It's more uplifting than inspirational, but in any event, rent it. Hell, rent 'em both.
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