A new year’s first light ushers in optimism, chances, and fresh beginnings. We get a chance to think things over before moving on with renewed focus.
The ability of film to profoundly affect viewers is one of its best qualities; excellent films with inspiring tales of bravery and tenacity may actually change our perspectives and inspire us. We’ve put together a list of encouraging and inspirational films that you can watch right now on HBO Max to help you kick off 2023 on a positive note.
Some of these feel-good choices are lighter and simpler to watch than others. They all inspire us with their potent teachings about the tenacity of the human spirit. We hope that watching these highly regarded movies will cheer you up and inspire positive, useful thoughts.
Inspirational and Uplifting Movies on HBO Max
Casablanca (1942)
As time passes, Casablanca continues to rank among the most lauded and universally loved films ever made. The fact that the adapted screenplay by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, and Howard Koch is usually hailed as the cleverest, most quotable script ever written, is not the least of the reasons why. Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart have a strong romantic chemistry. Your heart leaps when you hear it. How pleased we are of the characters by the conclusion is another important factor in why we all adore this movie so much. Rick and Ilsa put the greater good first and give the wartime sacrifices—even those that are made off the battlefield—a human face. Indeed, the greatest generation. The themes of Casablanca—seeing things bigger than oneself and acting morally—will always ring true with viewers. Never miss up the chance to witness one of Hollywood’s greatest successes again.
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Good Will Hunting was a funny, heartwarming, and emotional movie that sent Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s careers into the stratosphere. The subject of the team’s Oscar-winning screenplay is a mathematician with mental health problems who also has a woman love and small-town accoutrements. The worldwide success of Good Will Hunting allowed it to make roughly 20 times its original investment. For his iconic performance as a heartbroken psychotherapist, Robin Williams was awarded the Best Supporting Actor Oscar.
Hoosiers (1986)
David Anspaugh’s drama, which is a mainstay on any list of the greatest sports movies ever made, stars Gene Hackman in an all-time great performance as a failed college coach who receives a second chance in a small Indiana town. For his performance in this, Dennis Hopper won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar (the same year Blue Velvet was released).
Rain Man (1988)
The highest-grossing movie of 1988, Touching Road by Barry Levinson, stars Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman. When his late father leaves him out of his inheritance, Cruise’s unscrupulous character discovers the presence of his autistic brother (Hoffman). In addition to winning four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Hoffman, Rain Man also won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.
Secrets & Lies (1996)
It’s simple to be amazed by a small-scale drama that generates excitement, emotion, and empathy—simply by the power of damn great writing, direction, and performance—in an era of $250 million and up blockbuster tentpoles that occasionally deliver and occasionally underwhelm. Secrets & Lies, one of British filmmaker Mike Leigh’s most iconic movies, starring Brenda Blethyn and Marianne Jean-Baptiste as a mother and daughter who have been estranged for a long time and are dealing with various family issues in East London. Five times nominated for an Oscar and Palme d’Or winner at Cannes.
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
This gritty, emotionally-charged film, directed by Danny Boyle, is about a young man (Dev Patel) from Mumbai who, as a result of extraordinary life experiences, has a hot streak on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Slumdog Millionaire was nominated for 10 Oscars and won eight of them, including Best Picture and Best Director. It was a crossover international blockbuster that was well-liked by many when it was first released and is perhaps a little underestimated today.
Temple Grandin (2010)
A radiant Claire Danes plays the titular supporter of autism awareness and the humane treatment of farm animals in one of the most lauded TV movies of the last ten years. Temple Grandin, an HBO original, received seven Emmys, including a prize for acting for Danes. If celebrating this victory doesn’t make you sob, make sure to check your pulse.
The Great Dictator (1940)
In one of his most famous pieces, Charlie Chaplin mocks racism and fascism. The Great Dictator, which Chaplin starred in in two different roles—one as a persecuted Jewish barber and the other as a dictator akin to Hitler or Mussolini—was shot and released at the beginning of World War II, before either the filmmaker or his audience were fully aware of the horrors of Nazi Germany. This is one of the key pieces of cinematic satire, brimming with Chaplin’s masterful humour and concluding with a message of hope, unity, and support for democracy. Five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor, were nominated for it.
In a famous scene, Tom Cruise’s character Charlie drives his brilliant brother Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) to Las Vegas to practise card counting. Four Oscars were won for Rain Man: Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Hoffman’s Best Actor.
In “Rain Man”
The Green Mile (1999)
The Green Mile, one of several outstanding Frank Darabont films based on Stephen King’s writing, starring Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan in a tale of paranormal occurrences on a death row during the Great Depression. The Green Mile has a running time of almost three hours, yet it doesn’t feel too long; it’s engaging and full of personality. In addition to Duncan’s nomination for Best Supporting Actor, the drama also got nods for Best Sound, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Picture.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Even though it received high praise from critics and received seven Oscar nominations, Frank Darabont’s 1994 adaptation of a Stephen King novella failed to compete with the success of Forrest Gump and Pulp Fiction in terms of box office take. The Shawshank Redemption has gained popularity over time and currently holds the title of highest-rated film of all time on IMDb.
The kinship between Andy (Tim Robbins) and Red (Morgan Freeman) is particularly riveting since it begins in such a terrible place (inside prison walls), finally giving the men hope, and propelling them to better days. It’s uncommon enough to see a totally cinematic movie about friendship between guys. Many times bleak, brutal, and unrelenting, Shawshank rewards us with one of the most touching, well-deserved happy endings in film history.
