Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

1More Film Blog

Home
Religious Music & Entertainment
“Feel Better” Movies — Josh Wartel’s List

“Feel Better” Movies — Josh Wartel’s List

Last updated on: December 17, 2015 at 9:17 am by Josh Wartel

“Feel Better” Movies — Josh Wartel’s List 2015-12-17T09:17:05-05:00 Josh Wartel

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

As a college student, I watch most of my movies late in the evening, after a day reading Holocaust literature, 60-page papers on early Christian almsgiving and Freud. As much as I would like to lie in my bed and watch American History X or 12 Years A Slave, I find myself reaching for simpler, lighter and less violent films. At least until final exams are over, I’ll be watching movies that make me laugh and remind me of my friends and family hundreds of miles away. As I formulated this list, there was no unifying theme or principle that defines a “Feel-Better Movie.” However, it does help to have memorable scenes (I’ve watched the bar scene in Good Will Hunting dozens of times) and a good soundtrack. Evan already selected two recent films, Moonrise Kingdom and Frances Ha, that I love. If only real life could be so whimsical. My recommendations, without further ado:

5) Bend It Like Beckham

I considered lots of sports movies for this list: Hoosiers, The Rookie, and Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. I settled on this delightful 2002 soccer film, starring Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley and Jonathan Rhys Meyers, about a teenage girl in England who just wants to score goals over the objections of her traditional Indian family. My favorite fun fact about Bend It Like Beckham? The film won a music award at the 2004 Pyeongchang Film Festival. With “Atomic” by Blondie, Curtis Mayfield’s “Move on Up” and the very catchy song “Inner Smile” by Texas, this film’s soundtrack belongs on your Spotify. The joy of Bend It Like Beckham is the ease with which the film presents its multicultural, feminist view while giving us soccer matches, a wild Indian wedding, and a love triangle between Coach Joe (Rhys Myers) and two of his players, Jess (Nagra) and Jules (Keira Knightley). Will Jess be able to play in her league championship game despite the objections of her parents? I won’t spoil the movie, except to say that David Beckham makes an appearance at the very end. No matter how many times I watch this movie, I never tire of hearing Keira Knightley shout “Santa Clara” with a British accent.

4) Good Will Hunting

The movie that launched Ben Affleck’s and Matt Damon’s career (and won them an Oscar) is a love letter to Boston. Good Will Hunting has seen a resurgence of interest in recent years due to an Oscar-winning performance by the late Robin Williams. As Dr. Sean Maguire, Williams serves as the therapist (and father figure) to a screwed-up boy genius, Will Hunting (Damon). Delightful performances by both of the Affleck brothers, Stellan Skarsgard as a pretentious math genius, and Minnie Rider as Damon’s Manic-Pixie Dream Girl, anchor the film. However, the best reason to watch Good Will Hunting is the hilarious, memorable script. This movie was made to be digested via YouTube clips. Who could forget when Damon upbraids an obnoxious Harvard graduate student for plagiarizing his readings to pick up girls before Damon tells him “you dropped a hundred and fifty grand on a fuckin’ education you coulda’ got for a dollar fifty in late charges at the Public Library?” And Ben Affleck’s speech to Damon at the end of the film, as they do construction work and discuss the future (“Hanging around here is a fuckin’ waste of your time”) is unforgettable. If Good Will Hunting doesn’t put a smile on your face, it’s not your fault. You just were born without a heart.

3) School of Rock

Richard Linklater has directed better films (The Before trilogy, Boyhood), but never has he had more fun than in this 2003 movie starring Jack Black as a washed-up rocker who steals his roommate’s substitute teaching position. Black doesn’t know the first thing about math or history, so he teaches a bunch of fourth-graders how to rock-and-roll for the local Battle of the Bands. School of Rock came out just as the implementation of No Child Left Behind began and the film wonderfully anticipates and mocks the high-stakes testing and helicopter-parenting that still defines America’s education system today. Linklater’s films always have great soundtracks; School of Rock is no exception, with tracks from AC/DC, The Who, and Led Zeppelin. Plus the climactic performance is four wonderful minutes of Jack Black shredding guitar, singing goofy lyrics (“Maybe we was makin’ straight A’s / But we was stuck in a dumb daze.”) and crowd-surfing. Tragic that plans for a sequel fell through.

2) Short Term 12

Short Term 12 was critically beloved when it came out in 2013 (it has a 99% on Rotten Tomatoes!), but no one bothered to see it. What a shame. Brie Larson plays Grace, a young supervisor at a foster-home for teens. Although Larson is now getting lots of deserved awards buzz for Room, I’d argue that she is even better in Short Term 12. Larson plays Grace with such pure empathy, vulnerability and responsibility that you wish this movie kept going well after its 96-minute run time is over. The foster-home isn’t just a setting; it’s a living, multidimensional community that draws the viewer in and remind us that sometimes crying is just healthy catharsis. Short Term 12 also soars on the backs of a beautiful score by Joel West, a likable performance by John Gallagher Jr. and it’s clear, naturalistic looks. Short Term 12 (along with Good Will Hunting) is also currently streaming on Netflix, so you should start to feel better at a click of a button.

1) Lost in Translation

The 2003 Sofia Coppola film Lost in Translation sets up a simple concept, two lonely lost Americans bonding with Tokyo as a backdrop, and executes it to perfection. Bill Murray plays his best character (himself) and a young Scarlett Johansson gives a performance of equal depth and only slightly less humor. Part of the appeal of Lost in Translation is that its own characters feel better not through plot mechanics, but by doing the hard work of connecting with each other. I’ve grown to also love film’s intimacy, the iconic closing scene, where Murray whispers inaudibly to Johansson, and the dreamy, dazed tour of the city Coppola gives us as The Jesus and Mary Chain’s “Just Like Honey” blares in the background. For me*, Lost in Translation* speaks to the power of what a “Feel-Better Movie” can do. Yes, these films should be enjoyable and a distraction from the grind of daily life. But they can be emotionally earnest and allow to see the world with new, more optimistic eyes. Nothing makes me feel better than the truth, and in their own ways, all five films that I chose are refreshingly honest. Now get the popcorn ready and enjoy!

Reviews

Top 10s and Other Lists

Previous Post

November 26, 2015

Big Eden (Bezucha, 2000)

Next Post

December 1, 2015 "Feel Better" Movies -- Rachel Davis's List

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 10 Years Later 1999 Top 5 2007 Top 10 2008 Favorite Discoveries 2008 Top 10 2009 Favorite Discoveries 2009 Top 10 2010 Favorite Discoveries 2010 Top 10 2011 Top 10 2012 Top Ten 2013 Top Ten 2014 Top Ten Best Picture Winners Christian Spotlight on Entertainment Christianity Today Coming Soon Disclosure Disclosure--AS Disclosure--Book Disclosure--DVDS Disclosure--SEOL Disclosure--Travel Dissenting Opinion Elsewhere Emergenetics Essays Featured Film Fest DC--2014 Film Festivals Full Frame Documentary Film Festival 2010 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival 2011 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival 2012 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival 2013 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival 2014 Headline Interviews Laura on the Oscar Winners Podcasts Quick Impressions Reviews RiverRun Film Festival 2014 Television The Criterion Collection The Thin Place To Stream or Not to Stream? Top 10s and Other Lists Toronto International Film Festival 2009 Toronto International Film Festival 2010 Toronto International Film Festival 2011 Toronto International Film Festival 2012 Toronto International Film Festival 2013 Toronto International Film Festival 2014 Uncategorized Video Virginia Film Festival 2011 Virginia Film Festival 2013 Women's Film Festival 2012

Select a Month February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What was the first miracle performed by Elisha?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Parting the Jordan River Multiplying oil Healing Naaman’s leprosy Raising a boy from the dead