By Andrés Muñoz
While therapy is a major tool, and I strongly recommend it to anyone, regardless of their state of well-being, there are moments when life throws us a free therapy session in the form of a movie. A window is opened to us based on the experiences and stories the characters live on screen. The glacier in our mind melts, and our thoughts run freely once more.
“You walk past people in streets, or they serve you in shops, and you know nothing about the horrors they may be living with. “ Paddy Considine.
Here is a list of films that, one way or another, will coach you into opening your mind and hopefully lift barriers that prevent you from moving forward. Make sure to check your local streaming platform to confirm available titles.
Good Will Hunting
This Academy Award winner for Best Original Screenplay is a timeless classic that explores the concepts of self-discovery and confronting our inner traumas.
Will Hunting (Matt Damon) is a young janitor at MIT with a hidden talent for mathematics. Despite his intellectual brilliance, Will is stuck in a dead-end job and struggles with emotional baggage from a rough childhood. When a therapist (played by the iconic Robin Williams) discovers his talent, he challenges Will to face his past and embrace his potential.
With powerful performances throughout, Good Will Hunting will always be a movie that cracks open your perspective on who you are and who you are destined to be.
The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty
I shared this title several years ago, but it keeps resonating. One would think that this 2013 film, directed by Ben Stiller, is another one of his trademark comedies, but it’s a heartfelt ode to exploration and discovery.
As the iconic LIFE magazine prepares to publish its last printed issue, Walter Mitty (Stiller) is the negative archivist responsible for producing the final cover photo. He must contact the famous photographer Sean O’Connell (Sean Penn), who claims to have taken an image that captures the “quintessence of life”. A daydreaming individual in a 9-5 job, Walter must get out of the LIFE offices in New York City and track O’Connell down on a quest that takes him all over the world.
I watched this movie as I wondered daily what would become of me. Several years and wonderful journeys later, I look back fondly on this film and remind myself to never stop exploring.
Captain Fantastic
Many people long for parenthood, and while some will have a very clear and structured idea of how they’d like to raise their children, the characters in this film show us that not everything must fit the mould our society has created for raising kids.
Ben Cash (played by Viggo Mortensen) raises his six children deep in the wilderness, cut off from modern society. They live off the land, are homeschooled, and are highly proficient in survival skills and intellectual endeavours. When tragedy strikes, Ben and his kids must return to the world he’s shielded them from, leading to a clash of ideals and an exploration of the concept of family.
The film shows us a very different way of raising children. Watching the Cash family navigate their off-the-grid life makes us reflect on whether we’d like to have kids and how tied to societal norms they should be.
The Shawshank Redemption
This classic prison drama, directed by Frank Darabont, tells the story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a man wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Despite the harshness of his surroundings, Andy never gives up hope and finds purpose in helping his fellow inmates and creating a better life for himself and his friends within the prison walls.
Shawshank covers powerful themes like hope and the resilience of the human spirit, which can be a source of comfort and inspiration for viewers facing their own challenges.
The Bucket List
Since this 2007 film was released, the phrase “Bucket list” has seeped into the modern vernacular and is a mantra that motivates us to embrace life. Who doesn’t have a bucket list nowadays?
It stars the iconic duo of Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman in a story of two terminally ill men from entirely different backgrounds. Forced to share a room at a cancer ward, they create a list of things they want to do before they “kick the bucket.”
Their list includes wild adventures like riding camels in Egypt and visiting the Great Wall of China. The film follows their journey as they tick off the experiences and develop a deep bond in the process.
These are just a few of the films that have the potential to shift your mindset. What movies have had a profound impact on your life? Share your experiences and recommendations in the comments below.