Our selection of the best cheery movies like The Pursuit Of Happyness will make the toughest, stonehearted people cry like babies. Have you loved watching The Pursuit of Happyness and are looking for more feel-good movies to watch? Don’t worry! We have it all sorted out for you.
Based on a novel of the same name by Chris Gardener and Quincy Troupe, The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) is directed by Gabriele Muccino. Columbia Pictures released it in December 2006. The movie stars Will Smith and Jaden Smith in the lead roles.
The plot of the movie circles around a San Francisco salesman, Chris Gardner. Having put all of his savings into endorsing portable bone-density scanners, he struggles to meet the ends of his increasing financial burdens. His wife abandons him, leaving their young son behind. The movie takes us to his life’s lowest and highest points, inspiring his son to reach greater heights.
5 Inspirational Movies Like The Pursuit Of Happyness That Are Enough To Make A Grown Man Cry!
Are you looking for uplifting movies and struggling to find some good ones? No worries! Everything comes sorted on our selection of feel-good movies like The Pursuit of Happyness. So, grab some popcorn and let those endorphins work it out.
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1# The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994) is based on Stephen Kings’ novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. Niki Marvin produces it. It’s a new age prison drama with less violence and more hope. The Shawshank Redemption‘s cast includes Tim Robbins, Bob Gunton, William Sandler, Morgan Freeman, and Gil Bellows.
The Shawshank Redemption tells the story of a falsely accused man, Andy Dufresne. Sentenced to life in the Shawshank State Penitentiary, Andy is alleged, convicted of murdering his wife and daughter. He befriends a fellow prison inmate who deals with smuggling and starts to help people around and in the jail with their financial matters. Over two decades, their friendship blossoms into something very beautiful. They pledge to meet each other again after they have finished their sentences. They plan on making a new and better life for themselves with new hope and endeavor.
The United States Library of Congress selected The Shawshank Redemption as a “culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant” film in 2015. And with high critical acclamation and reviews, it secured a place in the ‘Top Ten Feel-good Movies’ of 2015. This movie has an approval rating of 91% based on 82 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. In a list of movies like The Pursuit of Happyness, the Shawshank Redemption is the one you cannot afford to miss.
The Shawshank Redemption is available to stream on Netflix.
Director: Frank Darabont
Duration: 2 Hour 22 Minutes
IMDb Rating: 9.3/10
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2# Forrest Gump (1994)
The comedy-drama film Forrest Gump (1994) is based on a 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. Produced by Wendy Finerman, Steve Tisch, and Steve Starkey, Forrest Gump was a huge success at the box office.
The story of Forrest Gump takes place over several years. The protagonist, Forrest, is a slow-witted but kind-hearted man. He lives in Alabama City, USA, and is survived by his ailing mother. He encounters many historical and politically significant events of the 20th century throughout his journey. His simple-mindedness doesn’t stop him from achieving success in his life.
Forrest Gump was nominated for six categories in the Academy Awards and won all. It, too, got selected as a “culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant” movie by the Library of Congress. This movie on our selection of movies like The Pursuit of Happyness is a great feel-good movie for all times.
Forrest Gump is available to stream on Netflix.
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Duration: 2 Hours 22 Minutes
IMDb Rating: 8.8/10
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3# Good Will Hunting (1997)
Good Will Hunting (1997) opens up as a psychological drama. It’s written by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon and produced by Lawrence Bender.
Good Will Hunting opens up in South Boston. A twenty-year-old, Will Hunting, is an undiscovered genius who works as a janitor at the prestigious MIT. His talents are discovered by the university Professor Gerald Lambeau, who finds him solving a mathematical problem meant for his students.
He decides to help Will pursue a better life for himself. But his plans derail when Will gets arrested for attacking a police officer. Nonetheless, the professor does everything possible and pleads for leniency if he starts seeing a therapist. When Will’s life turns, he learns to manage his past with the present.
Good Will Hunting is a touching tale of a genius left undiscovered. With an approval rating of 98% based on 82 reviews, Good Will Hunting has an average rating of 8/10 on Rotten Tomatoes. This movie on our list of heart-touching movies like The Pursuit of Happyness is sure to leave to with a full heart.
Good Will Hunting is currently streaming on HBO Max, Google Play, Vudu, and Amazon Prime Video.
Director: Gus Van Sant
Duration: 2 Hour 6 Minutes
IMDb Rating: 8.3/10
4# Dead Poets Society (1989)
Though not based on a true story, Dead Poets Society (1989) takes inspiration from the writer Tom Schulman’s personal experiences at Tennessee’s Montgomery Bell Academy. The movie was filmed at the St. Andrew’s School in Delaware.
The movie opens up in the autumn of 1959 in an all-male conservative educational institution, Welton Academy. An English teacher, John Keatings (played by Robin Willaims), joins the all-boys institution. He wishes to inspire the kids using unorthodox methods of teaching. In this quest for inspiration and spreading love, he motivates the boys to come out of their shells and stand against the pressures of society.
Dead Poets Society made a place for itself as a coming-of-age teen drama in 1989. The movie was very ahead of its time. Dead Poets Society also won the BAFTA and Caesar Award for the Best Film of 1989. This movie on our selection of movies like The Pursuit of Happyness is a must for any poetry lover.
Dead Poets Society is available to stream on Google Play Movies and Apple TV.
Director: Peter Weir
Duration: 2 Hour 8 Minutes
IMDb Rating: 8./10
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5# Into the Wild (2007)
Adapted from a book (written by Jon Krauker), Into the Wild (2007) is produced and directed by Sean Penn. The cast of Into the Wild includes Marcia Gay Harden, Emilie Hirsch, William Hurt, Jena Malone, and Vince Vaughan. Premiering at the Rome Film Festival of 2007.
After discovering that he was born out of wedlock, a high honors graduate from Emory University, decides to leave all of his material wealth behind and make way for a new life living in the wild. He cuts out all of his credit cards and identification proofs and donates his savings to charity. And without informing his friends and family, he decides to move away to the wilderness to live a life of full contentment. The movie takes us through his journey from living in an abandoned ‘magic bus’ to discovering the wilderness in all its glory.
With an 83% approval rating based on 200 reviews, Into the Wild has a rating of 7.50/10 on Rotten Tomatoes. This movie on our list of heartwarming movies like The Pursuit of Happyness will make you feel close to mother nature.
Into the Wild is available to stream on Netflix.
Director: Sean Penn
Duration: 2 Hours 28 Minutes
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
Final Words
Every now and then, we encounter the overwhelming feeling of stepping away from the stress and monotony of our busy lives and going away for some time. While that is not possible for all of us, watching a feel-good movie could help you with that in some way or other. Our selection of movies like The Pursuit Of Happyness will leave you feeling inspired and motivated to face the challenges in the near future.
