What's good movie that has changed your life or your outlook on life?

Dan in Real Life

There are plenty of films that have made me think but one film stands out, surprisingly not one of my favorite filmmakers and certainly not a masterpiece, but the film Chasing Amy has a scene in it that encouraged me to stop pretending to be something that I wasn’t. It was so emotionally challenging that I had to walk away from the television and process the feelings I experienced, because of it.

@gsiener – I’ve been meaning to see that, but what about it made you think?

well the first thing that comes to mind is the movie “an inconvenient truth”... really helped me to realise that we need to start taking better care of our planet

2 movies coming to my mind:

1.) I must say that Matrix 1 did have a huge impact on me at the time it came out. I was walking the streets for weeks and weeks thereafter, thinking that there really HAD to be some way to, say, “BEND” time… :)

2.) Falling Down with Michael Douglas.

I’m not sure any one movie has changed my life, although seeing the German movie Christiane F in school (yes it was part of our curriculum) probably helped make sure I didn’t take any very wrong turns as a kid.

@makemo: “There is no spoon” That one line had me thinking for a long time…

The opening shot from “Contact”. The travel shot starting with one person and zooming thru space past the moon, planets, solar system, and beyond….. Made me realize just how insignificant everything we do is. What it said visually to me truly change who I am and how I perceive the World around me.

“It’s a wonderful life” to appreciate what I have.

@upward, ya that scene was pretty intense.

I can’t really think of any “Hollywood” movies that have had any sort of lasting impression on me, but there are many documentaries. Incovenient truth, as mentioned before, is certainly one. Super Size Me. The TV series 30 days. The recent Frontline documentary “Bush’s War” had me reeling for days. And “The War”, about world war II had me really questioning if humanity has any right to live.

I would defintely have to say “the persuit of happiness” starring will smith. Its an amazing movie about doing what it takes to be successfull and fullfilling a dream. Its also based on a true story of a man down on his luck alone in the world supporting his son.

Yeah, there was a somewhat similar discussion on this not too long ago here, and I posted my response there as “Into the Wild.” I’d also like to add to that a film I caught on cable recently- Jarheads. It was in many ways similar to other war films, but the currency and relevance to the current situation in Iraq had a particular ‘grit’ to it that was remarkable. Also, not to be biased about war films, but Werner Herzog’s film “Rescue Dawn” was pretty amazing.

For me it would have to be El Topo by Alejandro Jodorowsky. This movie goes far beyond the classic theme of revenge and delves deep into the world of Eastern philosophy. When the main character in this psychedelic spaghetti-western succeeds in his endeavor, by means of guile, to eradicate all the gunfighters (or dueling gurus) he realizes that what he has achieved is, in a sense, futile. El Topo then goes into seclusion and seeks redemption from within.

One movie that made me think (hate it when that happens) was Thank you for smoking. I admired the main character’s outlook.

As goofy as it sounds, Click. Just the fact that we don’t always take advantage of the time we are given and how short life really is.

Dan in Real Life made me realize that we need to own up to our actions and do the right thing even when it’s that much harder. It also made me appreciate how un-messed up my life is :)

Lord of the Rings. Thanks to that movie I can always remind myself that no matter how bad my day gets, at least my jewelry isn’t cursed.

I’m with Babo on that one, only for me its that no matter how tired my feet are they still look better than hobbit-feet :)

I totally have those, hair and all.

mental note to self: buy peedub a pedicure for his birthday…

Haha, it will totally be Jim Carrey-style, from Dumb and Dumber.

Crash.

yes…that movie definately changed my life. We are all racist or prejudice at some point, and that movie just really made me think… were all normal people that just need to all get along.

My apologies for not being able to narrow it down further…

Alfie starring Jude Law
Notting Hill starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant
I am Sam and 21 grams starring Sean Penn
Shawshank Redemption and Feast of Love starring Morgan Freeman
About a Boy starring Hugh Grant
As Good as It Gets and About Schimdt starring Jack Nicholson
The Notebook and Half Nelson starring Ryan Gosling
Garden State starring Zach Braff
Donnie Darko starring Jake Gyllenhaal

@ TheHaight – nice choice. Man that movie really made you think.

@mcbealer- Have you seen the original Alfie, with MIchael Caine? It’s one of my favorites.

@mcbealer as reason those movies made you think about life?

(shawshank, donnie darko, and garden state are in definitely in my top 10 favorite movies, I haven’t seen the rest, except the notebook book but… no comment on that, haha)

@ peedub~ Yes, I have. It was very good also.

@ Fallstand~ Let’s just say I could relate to the plight of the characters. Some of those it’s just far too personal to post online, knowwhaddamean? :0)

Life is beautiful- It’s an Italian sub-titled film about a humerous father and his young son’s experience at a Nazi concentration camp in Germany. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118799/ INCREDIBLE