Feelgood movies

Carsten and I arranged a feel-good movie night last week. It’s simple: Get some nice people together and watch a movie that makes you feel good. We saw Field of dreams, which to me epitomizes the genre. It contains every single element that makes a good feel-good movie: It’s a quiet, touching movie with a positive theme, it shows people acting selflessly and it has a happy ending (essential to a feel-good movie). Also, Field of dreams is about forgiveness, redemption and second chances – themes which often figure in feel-good movies. Other excellent examples of the genre are:

A wonderful life
Amelie
Russian pizza blues
Eat drink man woman
Pane e tulipani
The fisher king
Out of Rosenheim (Bagdad Cafe)
Pleasantville
Down by law
Forrest Gump
Mifunes sidste sang

Some movies are not really feel-good per se, but still contain the feel-god factor. A few examples of these are:
Good Will Hunting
The snapper
Hable con ella
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Mitt liv som hund
Royal Tenenbaums
Shawshank redemption
Smoke
La vita e bella
What’s eating Gilbert Grape

And some movies are just so exuberant and joyful, that they can deliver that feel-good kick, through sheer pizzazz and energy:
Much ado about nothing
Moulin Rouge
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Oceans eleven

If you know a movie that should be on this list, let me know.

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Comments

8 responses to “Feelgood movies”

  1. Ralph Avatar
    Ralph

    I’m thinking "Family Man".

  2. George Avatar
    George

    Definately Busty Blondes 2, always puts a smile on my face

  3. Christian Dalager Avatar

    The Straight Story (@imdb.org)
    by David Lynch.

  4. Christian Dalager Avatar

    The Straight Story (@imdb.com)
    by David Lynch.

  5. zack Avatar

    the station agent. simple movie, simple theme, absolutely brilliant.

  6. Alexander Avatar

    The Station Agent rocked!

  7. Kris Avatar
    Kris

    I say you’ll want to be a better person if you see, Angels in America.
    Nice one is , Stealing Beauty. the atmosphere and light is beautiful.

  8. daniel Avatar
    daniel

    id add astronaut farmer and big fish to the list

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