One of probably the most low-key Best Picture Oscar winners ever, The King’s Speech is an exquisite interval drama that is excellent for individuals who like their movies actually dialogue-heavy. It’s the story of King George VI, his surprising rise to the British throne in 1936, and the speech therapist who helped the monarch guarantee he overcame his crippling stutter.

One of the highest-grossing unique British films of all time, The King’s Speech is elegant, surprisingly profound, and emotionally rousing. It’s not uncommon for biopics like this one to permit themselves to be inspiring and uplifting — bordering on tacky —, but it surely’s not widespread for them to take action with this a lot type and energy. It’s additionally definitely not widespread to see these sorts of movies get Oscar gold. Predictable although it could be, this is among the finest feel-good movies of the 2010s.

8 ‘The Sound of Music’ (1965)

Directed by Robert Wise

It’s not daily that musicals cope with advanced subjects like WWII. It’s not daily that they are capable of stability darkness and pleasure with grace and poise. It’s not daily that they are as stuffed with terrific performances as The Sound of Music, Robert Wise‘s masterful biopic centered on the von Trapp household. It’s a few younger novice despatched by her convent in Nineteen Thirties Austria to change into a governess to the seven youngsters of a widowed naval officer.

The Sound of Music by no means shies away from the grim layers of its material as a movie about WWII set in Austria; but it surely additionally flawlessly manages to be an exquisite household movie stuffed with hope, love, and pleasant tunes. Movies like this one are usually overwhelmingly saccharine, however Wise imbues the film with a lot coronary heart and complexity that its sweetness turns into simply one other nice element in a terrific movie.

7 ‘Moonlight’ (2016)

Directed by Barry Jenkins

Tragically, it would most likely all the time be remembered because the deuteragonist of the Best Picture fiasco on the 2017 Oscars, but it surely’s all the time price having a reminder that whatever the scandal, Moonlight is among the finest indie films of the 2010s. It’s the touching story of a younger African-American man grappling along with his id and sexuality whereas experiencing the on a regular basis struggles of childhood, adolescence, and young-adulthood dwelling within the sidelines of society.

There’s quite a lot of darkness and ache and disappointment in Moonlight, too, so it is undoubtedly not a feel-good film. And but, it manages to be admirably sobering and uplifting on the similar time. Where different movies might discover shock worth, it finds nice magnificence; the place different filmmakers might even see a shot at making a gut-wrenching trauma-porn drama, Barry Jenkins sees an opportunity to craft one of the vital tender, hopeful, empathetic coming-of-age movies of the twenty first century.

6 ‘Rain Man’ (1988)

Directed by Barry Levinson

One of the perfect — and these days, additionally one of the vital underrated — films of the Nineteen Eighties, Rain Man might have a portrayal of autism that is admittedly a bit dated, but it surely greater than makes up for that with its unbelievable performances, enjoyable script, and amusing humorousness. It’s a highway journey dramedy a few egocentric L.A. white-collar employee who learns that his estranged father left a fortune to a brother with autism and Savant syndrome that he did not know existed. So, he takes his brother throughout the nation within the hopes of gaining a bigger inheritance.

Tom Cruise and particularly Dustin Hoffman are terrific within the lead roles, serving because the emotional and tonal anchors of the film. The film’s constructive portrayal of autism and its participating themes of household and progress make it an expertise that is inconceivable to not smile at. Clearly, the Academy thought in order nicely, since they gave it 4 Oscars, together with Best Picture.

5 ‘CODA’ (2021)

Directed by Sian Heder

Some might name it the weakest Best Picture winner of the 2020s up to now, however the truth is that CODA is among the best-made purely feel-good household films of latest years. It’s a few Child of Deaf Adults (CODA) who’s the one listening to member of her household. When the household’s fishing enterprise comes below risk, she finds herself torn between pursuing her ardour for music and her concern of abandoning her mother and father.

CODA has an endearing ensemble of characters (performed superbly by a proficient solid), a mellow-but-not-super-corny tone, and quite a lot of deeply touching moments, which makes it among the finest coming-of-age movies of the last decade. Whether it was Best Picture materials or not is up for debate, however what’s laborious to disclaim is that its constructive messages and transferring household dynamics make it an irresistibly uplifting movie.

4 ‘It Happened One Night’ (1934)

Directed by Frank Capra

It speaks volumes concerning the timeless energy of movies that the seventh-ever winner of the Best Picture Oscar, practically a century previous, continues to be remembered as one of many best rom-coms ever made. It’s Frank Capra‘s It Happened One Night, a pleasant little gem that critiques the Hays Code as a lot because it mocks and pokes holes in it. It’s a few reporter trailing a runaway heiress for an enormous story, becoming a member of her on a bus from Florida to New York. When the bus leaves them behind at one of many stops, although, they’re caught collectively and should discover a method out of their predicament.

It’s nothing if not commendable that every one these years later, It Happened One Night nonetheless feels as revolutionary and transgressive because it did again in its time — which it was nicely forward of. There’s one side, although, the place it (fortunately) does not deviate from the rom-com norm: It’s superbly uplifting and full of snickers, pleasure, and joyful endings.

3 ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ (2003)

Directed by Peter Jackson

For a very long time, it was believed that J.R.R. Tolkien‘s Legendarium might very nicely be inconceivable to adapt into a movie worthy of its identify. Then got here Peter Jackson and obliterated these expectations. His Lord of the Rings trilogy is among the finest film trilogies ever, and the Oscars acknowledged that with a whopping 28 nods for the entire sequence. Those nods translated into 11 wins for Return of the King, the ultimate installment, the place the cut up Fellowship makes its ultimate effort to destroy the One Ring and defeat the tyrannical Sauron.

One would not usually consider a rousing fantasy epic stuffed with monsters, large-scale battles, and legendary heroes as “uplifting”, precisely, however that is one of many fundamental methods to explain Return of the King. Whether it is due to the various spirit-raising sections of its ending (house of one of many LotR franchise’s finest quotes), its many moments of hope and triumph, or the satisfying arc of every of its fundamental characters, that is simply probably the most uplifting epic fantasy movie ever made.

2 ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ (2022)

Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

On paper, one would by no means have imagined that the apparently over-ambitious Everything Everywhere All at Once might ever work. Certainly not in addition to it did: Its recognition ended up main it to an admirable 7 Academy Award wins. Even nonetheless, the Daniels proved naysayers incorrect with this equal-parts-hilarious-and-exhilarating-and-poignant story of a middle-aged Chinese immigrant who discovers that to be able to save actuality, she should join with the lives she might have led in parallel universes.

Those extra vulnerable to debilitating existential crises would possibly discover Everything Everywhere horrifying. On the opposite hand, these on the lookout for a philosophically advanced motion sci-fi story about household, generational trauma, the which means of life, taxes, and every little thing bagels will uncover on this idiosyncratic journey one of the vital superbly uplifting movies they’re going to ever be capable of discover.

1 ‘Rocky’ (1976)

Directed by John G. Avildsen

The final uplifting Best Picture winner and possibly the perfect sports activities film of all time, Rocky is a legendary boxing drama a few small-time Philadelphia boxer who will get the prospect of a lifetime to battle the world heavyweight champion, wherein he strives to go the space for his self-respect. This just about turned the template for all sports activities movies that got here after, and it is not laborious to see why.

What makes the movie much more inspiring and empowering is the story of how Rocky acquired made, itself a robust rags-to-riches story for the hyper-dedicated Sylvester Stallone, author and lead of the movie. The boxing scenes are nail-biting, the coaching montage is iconic, the characters are deeply endearing, and the performances are top-notch. Ultimately, there is not any humanly attainable method of watching Rocky and never desirous to change into a greater particular person by the point its credit roll.

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