Call me Pollyanna, but I love upbeat movies. Exploding planes and murder plots have never been my cup of tea. Give me a little bit of fairy dust (and a groovy leading man) and I float for days on that pink cloud of happiness.
Here’s why. I am all about the luv. Chills run up my spine for moments of triumph, not moments of scary mayhem. They remind me that the human spirit – my human spirit – is at once invincible and connected and, well, just amazing.
For more heartwarming conscious heart-opening cinema please join me at this year’s Illuminate Film Festival. @ILLUMINATE_FF (Click to Tweet!)
So, here’s my list of float-inspiring films (in no particular order) and what they do for us. Like those rainbow-reflecting prisms that got the original Pollyanna into trouble, this list may get me into trouble, too. But I know how the movie ends, so I’m not too worried.
1. Inspire us to be more and do more. Passion and poetry are a heady mixture, inspiring students in the Dead Poets Society to carpe diem. Teacher John Keating (Robin Williams) awakens his students to the beauty of individuality and self-expression in the face of oppression and stifling authority. Admit it. Weren’t you inspired to seize the day, too?
Runners up: A River Runs Through It shows us our lives have the potential for grace; Facing the Giants shows us we are capable of more than we think; and Awakenings shows us our lives have the capacity for fun.
2. Connect us to each other. The Fisher King is one of my all-time favorites. It is a dark tale of delusion, destiny and fate — overcome. Jeff Bridges plays a self-centered, uncaring cynic while Robin Williams was once happily married and content. They are bound together by a tragedy, its pain, and the destruction that follows. But they find in each other the strength to open their hearts. They show us how to make the most of the emotional connections available to us on a daily basis.
Runner’s up: Mr. Holland’s Opus shows us that even our ordinary lives can make an extraordinary impact on others; Man of Steel asks us: What kind of person do you wan to be? What effects do your actions have on the world and its people?
3. Show us how to love and be loved. There’s no shortage of Hollywood hype about love. However, in Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise we learn that the key to loving more is to take chances. A cautious, closed-minded Celine (Julie Delpy) might have chosen to stay in her comfort zone, but instead she seizes the moment. She chooses to risk her time with a stranger and what follow is joy and the love of her life. In choosing love, she shows us how allow life to choose us.
Runners up: L.A. Story and Beautiful Girls show us how to let love just happen; and in Good Will Hunting, we learn that love is not about being in your head.
4. Teach and help us grow. In Dances with Wolves, the horrors of Civil War have pretty much chewed up and tossed aside the main character, played by Kevin Costner. In nature, however, he listens to his instincts. He learns to hear and trust people once again. He finds his renewal by turning away from prejudice and hate. Movie-goers leave inspired to lead a life filled with such grace.
Runner’s up: Scrooged is a tale of learning generosity; About Schmidt shows us to never underestimate the power of small things; and in The Matrix and Field of Dreams, we are encouraged and shown how to follow our dreams.
5. Guide us to self-worth, value and meaning. In Whip It, the coyly-named Bliss (Ellen Page) discovers she always had the answer to her directionless teenaged angst. Bliss gets it from roller derby teammate Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig). At the beginning of the film, Bliss looks at her in awe and says, “You’re my hero.” With a shrug, Maggie answers, “Strap some skates on. Be your own hero.” Now that is good advice.
Runners up: Jerry Maguire and Pay It Forward show us the power of living by your values; It’s a Wonderful Life shows you why your life is precious; and last but not least, Schindler’s List shows how powerful redemptive values can be as corruption turns to heroism.
6. Help us to persevere. Another of my favorite films is Field of Dreams. (Yes, I had a crush on Kevin Costner.) I love the twists and turns in Ray’s stubborn journey toward his dream. He reminds us to follow our passions. He doesn’t bow to the common denominator but chooses to keep the magic alive in this world through his vision of something greater. We can, too!
Runners up: Grand Canyon reminds us things WILL get better; City Slickers jokes about quitting, but we learn the truth; and The Pursuit of Happyness shows us how to put ourselves out there – despite the pain – to succeed.
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Want more movie love? The ILLUMINATE Film Festival is at the forefront of conscious content movies such as these. It is coming to Sedona, Arizona, May 29 – 31, with 22 world, US and local premieres. Festival goers will see such uplifting films as Landfill Harmonic (a world-wide sensation), Paulo Coehlo’s Best Story about how he came to write The Alchemist, and Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, which uses animation for divine story-telling of this poetry classic.
If Mary Gardner were a film, she would be 30 seconds of fast-shot compilations. You’d glimpse her minding her Ps and Qs as a newspaper reporter, followed by 30-something meanderings among the corporate training world. In her 40s, she got REALLY creative, opening her own jewelry gallery. Latest adventure: becoming a gourmet raw food chef. Pushing plant-based cuisine is now her job, so listen up and eat your veggies (free e-recipe book here). Connect with her on Facebook and her website.
Image courtesy of fauxto_digit.
