Robin Lee Hatcher

Official Website of Award Winning Novelist Robin Lee Hatcher

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • Books
    • All Novels & Novellas
    • Genres
      • Contemporary Romance
      • Historical Romance
      • Novella: Contemporary
      • Novella: Historical
      • Women’s Fiction
    • Series
      • A Year of Weddings 2
      • Burke Family
      • Coming to America
      • Hart’s Crossing
      • Kings Meadow Romance
      • Sisters of Bethlehem Springs
      • Where the Heart Lives
    • Story Trailers
    • Printable Book List
  • About
    • About Robin
      • Bio
      • Media Assets
      • Literary Representative
    • My Faith Story
    • Awards
      • Major Writing Awards
      • Lifetime Achievement Awards
      • Full Awards Listing
    • Why Christian Fiction?
    • When I’m not writing
      • Boo Bear Hatcher
      • Essential Oils
      • Illustrating My Faith
  • Blog
    • Blog
    • Subscribe to Blog Posts via Email
  • For Readers
    • Newsletter Sign-Up
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Free Book Offer
    • Skype Your Book Club
    • Discussion Questions
    • Free Bookplates
    • Speaker Info
    • Website Terms & Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Email Me
    • Snail Mail

most inspiring movies

June 15, 2006 By Robin Lee Hatcher

91m
The American Film Institute revealed their 100 Most Inspiring Films of All Time in a three hour special on CBS last night. I tuned in late as I had a telephone meeting with a book club that was discussing Ribbon of Years, so I missed seeing clips and hearing comments on the first 40 or so films.

In glancing down the list, there are only three films which I may not have seen. I say "may not" because it is possible/even probable that I saw them (at least on TV) and they didn’t have much impact on me, for good or for bad. I certainly know the titles. I just can’t be sure I’ve seen them. Maybe I’d better see if they are available on Netflix.

The one movie on this list of inspiring films that caused me to stop in my tracks was #78, Thelma & Louise. T&L inspiring? Let’s see. Two women leave boyfriend and husband, commit crimes including shooting an attempted rapist, run from the police, and then drive off a cliff rather than get caught. Sorry. I think of inspiring as being something uplifting and encouraging (even if the movie has lots of hardship, such as Schindler’s List). But how is committing murder and suicide uplifting? Thelma & Louise has loads of fans, and it can be called well-acted, exciting, dangerous, titillating. But I don’t consider it an inspiring film by any stretch of the imagination. It isn’t a film that makes me want to be a better person. Just my opinion.

Here’s the Top Ten, all terrific and inspiring:

                                                         

1 IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE 1946
2 TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD 1962
3 SCHINDLER’S LIST 1993
4 ROCKY 1976
5 MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON 1939
6 E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL 1982
7 THE GRAPES OF WRATH 1940
8 BREAKING AWAY 1979
9 MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET 1947
10 SAVING PRIVATE RYAN 1998

To see the full list, visit the AFI site.

What would be on your Top 100 list of most inspiring films that didn’t make this list? And are there any that you would remove?

-rlh-

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Share on Skype (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Entertainment Tagged With: film

Subscribe to Blog Posts via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Be sure to complete the subscription process.

Comments

  1. pam says

    June 15, 2006 at 8:44 am

    How about “To Sir With Love,” “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” “Goodbye Mr. Chips” (the original), “Brian’s Song,” (maybe that was a TV movie), “Keys of the Kingdom” (Gregory Peck), “Random Harvest,” (Greer Garson), “A Tale of Two Cities,” (Ronald Coleman), “The Bishop’s Wife,” (Cary Grant version)to name a few classics… I’d get rid of ET and definitely “An officer and a gentleman” (more depressing than anything!)and move a few others up into the top ten spot – like Sound of Music, Seabiscuit, Mrs. Miniver…

  2. Flo says

    June 15, 2006 at 9:24 am

    Yes to everything Pam said, and I want to add “Radio”, a fantastic movie with Ed Harris and Cuba Gooding, 2003. Great acting, great story. A high school coach takes a mentally handicapped young man, who isn’t even in school, under his wing and he becomes beloved in the town (old South, 1970’s setting.) Warms my heart just thinking about that movie and that there are people like that out there.

  3. Katy Raymond says

    June 15, 2006 at 2:27 pm

    Too new to make the list might be “Akeelah and the Bee.” Fantastic!
    And I love, love, love “Finding Forrester.” What about the Italian film, “A Beautiful Life”? So bittersweet in its inspirational qualities. Along the same lines, “The Hiding Place.”
    I had a VERY hard time being inspired by Erin Brockovich. Well, I mean, PARTS of her were inspiring, but probably not the parts I should have been aspiring to! 🙂

  4. Camy Tang says

    June 16, 2006 at 1:45 am

    Oh, “A Beautiful Life” was really good, although so SAD!
    And I LOVED “Radio.” I bawled an ocean when I saw that.
    Camy

  5. Kansas Bob says

    June 18, 2006 at 6:38 am

    Hard to believe that “The Sound of Music” came in at 41 and “Chariots of Fire”, one of my all time favorite movies, barely made the list at 100. Maybe the list somewhat shows the biases of the “jury of 1,500 film artists, critics and historians” 🙂

  6. Valerie says

    June 18, 2006 at 4:52 pm

    Ahhhhh…..so, so many movies!! To pick 100 would be extremely difficult for me to do and I am sure I would omit more than 50 that I should have considered. But when it gets right down to it; most inspiring movie of all time is “It’s A Wonderful Life”! What better inspiration to know that your life DOES matter to someone, somehow, somewhere. After all, it matters to GOD and the awesome but suttle inspiration of the power of prayer revealed near the end!

Subscribe to My Newsletter

I send out a newsletter a few times a year, announcing specials and new releases. When you subscribe, you will be provided a link to a free copy of my short story, The Huckleberry Patch. I hope you enjoy it.

Posts by Month

Posts by Categories

For more information:

  • Books
    • Printable Book List
    • Story Trailers
  • Blog
    • Subscribe to Blog Posts via Email
  • About Robin
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Email Me

Free Short Story!

Free Short Story!

Disclosure

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links on this site are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, RobinSong, Inc., will receive an affiliate commission. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Copyright © 2018 Robin Lee Hatcher | Website Design by Robin |

Header Images: © enterlinedesign © gustavofrazao © serbogachuk / Dollar Photo Club

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.