INSPIRING
1. To affect, guide, or arouse by divine influence.
2. To fill with enlivening or exalting emotion: hymns that inspire the congregation; an artist who was inspired by Impressionism.
3. To stimulate to action; motivate: a sales force that was inspired by the prospect of a bonus.
4. To affect or touch: The falling leaves inspired her with sadness.
5. To draw forth; elicit or arouse: a teacher who inspired admiration and respect.
6. To be the cause or source of; bring about: an invention that inspired many imitations.
7. To draw in (air) by inhaling.
So, with this many meanings, our choices will likely be very different.
Here are some of mine:
American Beauty - Not in the traditionally inspiring way, but the acting, directing and total movie was an inspired effort during a time when it's really hard to find a great movie. I loved the part with the bag blowing in the wind and the neighbor saying that there really is beauty in everything. I totally believe that. You just might have to squint your eyes to see it. But it's there.
The Breakfast Club - We all may be different on the outside, but most of us have a shared desire to fit in and belong somewhere.
Field of Dreams - If you can dream it, you can achieve it. Ray reconnecting with his father was inspiring.
Forrst Gump - Persistence pays off.
Mad Hot Ballroom - Everyone deserves the same opportunity, regardless. And when you give people opportunities (especially children) you will be amazed by the results.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Always be willing to ask questions; always challenge if you are concerned. I feel like I do this with Emerson's health care, but I can't say it was BECAUSE of this movie.
Parenthood - Families come in all shapes, sizes and personalities and sometimes the craziness of family is the best part. Family can and should always have your back.
A River Runs Through It - First and foremost, the scenery is inspiring - breathtakingly beautiful it instills a sense of calm. The movie also shows the tale of two brothers each on their own path each making mistakes in life and that through those mistakes they grow.
Say Anything - I think almost every straight girl (even the Diane Courts of the world) wanted to go find their LLoyd Dobbler. Also coming of age tale highlighting that we all learn our parents are people too - they are mortal and make mistakes.
4 comments:
I'm still looking for my Lloyd! Great choice!
I would add Spellbound!
Maybe Thelma and Louise is the kind of inspiration where a movie causes you to take in air. Like the air they probably took in as they dropped into the Grand Canyon.
Actually, Lara, I was perplexed about what was inspiring specifically about Thelma and Louise and 2001. I was wondering if Harold and Maude was dissed b/c it did not reflect the typical American Dream and if the list makers had any objective criteria for the list, which is not really possible, b/c rating a movie as inspirational is inherently subjective. So I didn't get - why a list then - why not just ask people about their most inspirational flicks.
That's why I liked the ones you all chose here and on my blog - because they are subjective choices and not meant to sell 3 hours' worth of advertising. Like my brother's choice of Road Warrior. Gotta love that.
American Beauty is inspiring to me - to live in the moment no matter what the cost. Lester actually died happy no matter what crap he went through first while he was living for other people rather than for himself. And yeah - the directing, etc - a first film by a talented guy who even related the music to the Jungian archetypes the characters represented. Truly truly inspirational. And that bag. That bag haunts me. :-)
So much more fun to talk about movies and personal experiences than to watch a lame list show. Thank god I only gave it an hour.
But lame as the list show may be, it sparked discussion. Which I often think is the only purpose of a list like that or at least the only real outcome/meaning.
Back to Thelma and Louise. I think you could classify the film as inspirational for some of the same reasons that you shared for American Beauty: The women both escaped stifling existences and made choices living in the moment (as Lester Banks did).
Now for the end of the movie, I think they honestly thought that being captured was a surefire way to go back to being trapped in lives they didn't want. Their drive off the cliff was their freedom, even if others didn't see it that way.
Now, while I wouldn't likely pick it as a most inspiring film, I can find parts of it that are inspiring. Their friendship, their commitment to living now. Also, the song, Part of You, Part of Me by Glenn Fry which is one of my favorite songs about friendship which played in the film. It inspired me enough to put it on a compilation cd I made for Claudia many moons ago.
What I am getting at, is you may have hated the AFI show, but look at what a great discussion it started!
Yeah, you're right. and there is never enough discussion about movies in my book. ;-)
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