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You can jump to the overview of inspirational movies here.
Background
I am often impressed by movies, especially ‘good’ Hollywood movies. As most ‘good’ movies have some kind of message, even though sometimes the message is somehow hidden beyond all the action and stuff that makes movies ‘popular’, that makes movies sell. But most movies confirm to me that in the end only ‘good stuff’, only movies, script and related things needed to make a movie, make it to the box office. And writing and doing research about success, about successful people, about successful ‘stuff’, I am more and more convinced that indeed the movie industry works according to the Principles of Success. And that it must take quite some persistence, teamwork and all that other stuff as described in e.g. Think and Grow Rich to have ‘your’ movie made. And of course every movie starts with an idea, with a thought.
And as to me movies are often inspiring, I wanted to make this page inspiring movies. But I never did as I found out checking the ‘missing pages’ in the Google Webmaster Tools. And as I recently feel a bit more inspired to work on this site, not only writing some daily (inspirational) post ‘because I have decided to do so’, I am working on getting those errors, that missing pages thing, solved.
Inspirational movies according to Guus
So let’s start with a list of movies I consider inspirational. And that is kind of a tough question, because movies I like are not necessarily ‘inspirational’. As right now I can’t think of any movie that would fall in the category ‘inspirational’. So let’s just make a list of movies I like and that I thing have some deeper background, some message.
Movies with a message
Exodus
Just saw the movie Exodus: Gods and Kings and I was impressed, not only because it is a very well told story about the Exodus, but also because it is a story about leadership, something that is very well needed to achieve the success idea that this site originates from.
Law Abiding Citizen
So well, let’s start with movies with ‘a message’. And the first that comes up is Law Abiding Citizen. As that movie makes so much clear about how ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ and ‘law’ are so personal, kind of subjective. And I think every lawyer and judge should see that movie. As ‘just applying the law’ is too simple. And no, I don’t know how to deal with these things in real life, as of course the ending is very ingenious and would never apply in real life. But the message of the movie is grand. I think this movie is at the top of my list of, well, maybe even inspirational movies.
The Shawshank Redemption
The second movie that comes to mind is The Shawshank Redemption. Similar type of issue, something like ‘what is in heavens name the purpose of locking people away for twenty or thirty years, or maybe even ten. Next to this ‘message’ especially noteworthy is the application of some of the Principles of Success, like persistence, as one of the main characters goes on for years and years to get his library filled. And of course the basic theme of the movie is about persistence, as it is unimaginable what that character does to, well, let’s just give part of the plot, escape.