Sep 16, 2011

Movies that Inspire


Reading: Lover Mine by J.R Ward
Watching: Xfactor
Listening to: Breaking Benjamin (so cold)
Making me Smile: being a grandma again!


Sometimes when my creative energy has run dry I turn to movies to inspire me. Movies that make me laugh or cry, movies that have me on the edge of my seat or chewing my nails, movies that move me or grip me from the opening scene to the last.

Avatar: I absolutely love this movie. The world building and images alone were enough for me to absorb. Simply amazing! This one really filled my creative well.

The Notebook: A hero who loved and stood by the heroine through thick and thin, this story was beautiful and heart-warming. And the ending—if that didn’t put a tear in the eye, then nothing can.

Titanic: Yes, an oldie but a goody. This movie still has the power to make one of my daughter’s cry every single time she watches it. Death is the ultimate sacrifice for love. A-happily-ever-after? Not in my eyes, but to me it’s one of the all time best romance stories.

Pretty Woman: I absolutely adore this movie, have watched it so many times. What’s not to love about a Cinderella type story, with the rich man sweeping the poor girl off her feet? And what’s not to love about opposites attracting and falling for each other?

Here's some of the list of movies considered to be the best (most inspiring?) according to Wikipedia:

Romance

Science fiction

War

Comedy

Crime/Gangster

Comicbook/Superhero

Epic

Fantasy

Horror/Thriller

So what movies have inspired you, and why? I'd love to hear about them! =)

15 comments:

  1. Ahh, Mel, I suspect you and I could have a movie-a-thon and I bet we'd agree on watching a heap of the same movies - LOL!!!

    Terminator:Salvation & the Matrix series are inspiring stories of sacrifice (more action orientated than Titantic, of course) but along the same vein.

    While a lot of people canned this one, I quite liked Waterworld (with Kevin Costner). While Dennis Hopper was a bit of a corny villain, I just liked the apocalyptic concept and the evolution/adaptations Costner's character had. While he came across as a bit of an isolationist and pragmatic I loved his compassion and eventual (reluctant) acceptance of the heroine and the child. He mightn't have been "human" in some people's eyes but those actions made him human.

    10,000BC - this is Romeo and Juliet before they even existed! A hero discovering his path and a love story along the way.

    Pathfinder - Karl Urban, so I need to say more? Hmm, OK, Vikings meet Indians - love this storyline and again it's about a hero finding his destiny and who gets the girl in the end.

    I could go on but I think I might stop there. :-) Thanks, Mel, this has made me want another movie marathon with some of my favorites!

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  2. Kylie, I think you might be right =)

    Terminator and Matrix are one of my all time fav movies! =) And Waterworld, I'd forgotten about that one, and yes I quite liked it too.
    10 000BC and Pathfinder are two I have jotted down to get out =))

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  3. Mel, great topic. Some of these are movies and some are mini-series, but I go back to Jane Austens: Pride & Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Persuasion in particular, and Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South. These are my fail-safe inspirational, feel-good movies.

    Others I have on dvd that I've watched quite a bit: The Kevin Costner Robin Hood; Love Actually, and Dirty Dancing.

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  4. Rach you made me see the light with North and South, totally love that series now =)))

    Oh, and you've got some oldies but goodies listed there as well!

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  5. I'm a movie addict. I love watching movies to inspire me, and nearly every film does. Whether they are big box office hits, or a TV movie, there are few that I have turned off because they are that bad. Even bad movies educate me - what not to do.

    I've loved the Lord of the Rings films - such fantastic imagery and a fantastic ensemble cast. The movies really brought the story to life for me. And who couldn't be inspired looking at Aragorn, Boromir, Eomir and Faramir. :))

    Star Wars original trilogy - though I have a soft spot for The Return of the Jedi as I watched that on the big screen as a kid and the theatre and my classmates disappeared and I was totally suckered in.

    Titanic was an amazing story.

    The Terminator - the original. Absolutely loved it. I think I wore out our video tape by watching it so much. Fate of the world, action, love story.

    Elvis - yep, growing up I loved the Elvis films that were almost every weekend on TV. Those and Jerry Lewis films. See a wide range.

    The Blues Brothers - one of my favourite comedies of all time. The music and laughter is a fantastic pick me up. Again watched it over and over again.

    I think that's enough. See different genres, different styles. All inspiring for one reason or another.

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  6. Rachel - North & South - absolutely!! Robin Hood another one that was amazing.

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  7. Eleni I agree, the Lord of the Rings was amazing - the effects even more so!
    The Blues Brothers, wow, we're going back. And it's just made me think of Grease, another classic =)
    As for North & South - I bought the dvd set for mum, and now every time I go down there one of us will inevitably say, "Should we watch John?" LOL!!

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  8. ps - why has the gorgeous Richard Gere got black hair in this cover?? Looks dreadful!!

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  9. Ooh, Mel, I can feel a movie marathon or ten coming up!

    I'm a sucker for romantic comedies: When Harry Met Sally, Love Actually, Mumma Mia, Lars and the Real Girl, Bread and Tulips, Fever Pitch (which has some of my favourite lines ever).

    But is there anything better than settling down with popcorn, chocolate and a packet of jelly snakes to watch the BBC's Pride & Prejudice? (the Colin Firth one, naturally) :-)

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  10. LOL - go the movie marathons!! And I agree, munching on popcorn and engrossed in a movie - don't you love it!)

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  11. I still love The Exorcist. Recently they included some scenes that had previously been labelled too spooky. They were right. My daughter's teeth were literally chattering!! Great book too.
    A recent movie I love is Valkeri. Tom Cruise is a decorated German officer who plans to assasinate Hitler. True story. Such bravery! Love Shutter Island too. Extremely clever. I die to write a book like that!
    Robbie

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  12. PS I like Richard with silver hair. Heck, I'd like him with no hair!!

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  13. Oh Robbie - the exorcist - spooky!!!!! I could barely watch Poltergeist I was so scared LOL!!!
    And I really enjoyed Shutter island too - Leonardo is one great actor =)

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  14. My hand's up as another movie fan, Mel! Especially since the TV coverage where we are can be very average!

    We've recently watched "Moon" which was really thought provoking - and a bit unsettling too because it's the sort of movie that makes you wonder where we're heading with our scientific abilities. And another movie along that line is "Attaca".

    And The Illusionist and The Prestige are chilling and brilliant.

    But for sheer comfort viewing, I can't go past my old movie "friends", Love Actually and Notting Hill!

    :)
    Sharon

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  15. hey Sharon!

    Oh, haven't heard about Moon! Sounds like some more goodies to hire out on the weekend!

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