# AFI's choices for most inspirational movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 15, 2006, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afis-choices-for-most-inspirational-movies/360773 "2006-06-15T04:08:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afis-choices-for-most-inspirational-movies/360773/41 "2006-06-15T19:56:03Z")
[QUOTE=Eve] I avoid those asinine, short-sighted AFI list shows like a puppy in a burning building. I assume such tearjerkingly inspirational movies as The Crowd (1928), Pollyanna (1920), Sparrows (1926), The Thief of Bagdad (1924) and The Iron Mask (1929) were not included? [/QUOTE] The AFI’s obligatory “we have to include one silent movie to establish our legitmacy” pick was _City Lights._ Commenting on the film was Marlee Matlin. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afis-choices-for-most-inspirational-movies/360773/42 "2006-06-15T20:40:38Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] So? It’s not inspirational just because some big people who give out shiny gold awards think it is! [/QUOTE] Yes, but you can’t just dismiss a movie that won 3 Oscars including best picture, a Golden Globe for best picture, and lots more nominations for both. And how can the story not be inspirational? A boxer who never made it out of the local gyms, who breaks thumbs for a loan shark on the side, gets a shot to fight the heavyweight champion of the world. Instead of treating it like the circus everyone else is, he works hard and trains until the fight, where he goes longer in the bout against Apollo than anyone before him, and almost wins. The message (to me at least) is - when you get your big chance, devote your heart and soul to it. Don’t give it up just because everyone else thinks it’s impossible. You may not like the movie, but you can’t deny that’s an inspirational message. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afis-choices-for-most-inspirational-movies/360773/43 "2006-06-15T20:52:48Z")
It’s _boxing_. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afis-choices-for-most-inspirational-movies/360773/44 "2006-06-15T20:56:08Z")
And Indian movies are just about men jumping and dancing around and women singing in brightly coloured saris. I’m sorry, but if we’re not allowed to make fun of Indian movies I don’t think it’s fair for you to automatically dump on _Rocky_ without also recognizing its merits. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afis-choices-for-most-inspirational-movies/360773/45 "2006-06-15T21:38:43Z")
[QUOTE=blinkingblinking] I love “It’s a Wonderful Life”. I have watched it 20 times. It is one of my top 5 movies ever. But, it struck me that this movie would make no sense to the consumerist, money orientated western world in the 21st century. Who is the movie inspiring now? How is it inspiring them ? [/QUOTE] It inspires the beginning of under-capitalized ventures that could go under at any minute, leaving its investors high and dry. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afis-choices-for-most-inspirational-movies/360773/46 "2006-06-15T21:55:39Z")
[QUOTE=blinkingblinking] I love “It’s a Wonderful Life”. I have watched it 20 times. It is one of my top 5 movies ever. But, it struck me that this movie would make no sense to the consumerist, money orientated western world in the 21st century. Who is the movie inspiring now? How is it inspiring them ? [/QUOTE] Stereotype much? IAWL is in my top three all-time movies- the other two… BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN and A CLOCKWORK ORANGE "It’s a statement about the duality of man… you know, the Jungian thing.’ ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afis-choices-for-most-inspirational-movies/360773/47 "2006-06-15T22:13:50Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] It’s _boxing_. [/QUOTE] So I guess we need to cross _Breaking Away_, _Hoosiers_, _Chariots of Fire_, _The Pride of the Yankees_, _Field of Dreams_, _Seabiscuit_, _Rudy_, _The Black Stallion_, and _The Kartate Kid_ of the list too? Granted, I certainly don’t think _all_ of those movies deserve to be on the list(_The Karate Kid_?), but the point is, just because it’s about a subject one doesn’t find terribly interesting or inspiring in and of itself, doesn’t mean the people in the story can’t inspire us to be the best…around. ---
**Author:** ![Demo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demo/32/8472_2.png) [@Demo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demo)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afis-choices-for-most-inspirational-movies/360773/48 "2006-06-15T22:14:12Z")
What about _Glory_? I mean, I get that they took the hill/bunker or whatever, but EVERYONE dies! That’s not inspirational, that’s pathetic. There’s really no redemption at all in that movie. ---
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afis-choices-for-most-inspirational-movies/360773/49 "2006-06-15T22:15:52Z")
[QUOTE=muldoonthief] And how can the story not be inspirational? A boxer who never made it out of the local gyms, who breaks thumbs for a loan shark on the side, gets a shot to fight the heavyweight champion of the world. Instead of treating it like the circus everyone else is, he works hard and trains until the fight, where he goes longer in the bout against Apollo than anyone before him, and almost wins. The message (to me at least) is - when you get your big chance, devote your heart and soul to it. Don’t give it up just because everyone else thinks it’s impossible. You may not like the movie, but you can’t deny that’s an inspirational message. [/QUOTE] Maybe it’s cuz I’m a chick, but I’ve always been inspired by that movie for different reasons. Two misfits finding each other and realizing that they each deserve to be loved. When Adrian jumps into Rocky’s arms in the middle of the ring and finally declares “I love you!”…well, _that_, to me, is Rocky’s true victory. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afis-choices-for-most-inspirational-movies/360773/50 "2006-06-15T22:31:57Z")
Their criteria is “American Film”. Anyone have any foreign additions they’d like to add? 1. Central Station (Central do Brasil) ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2006, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afis-choices-for-most-inspirational-movies/360773/51 "2006-06-16T01:26:37Z")
I’m sorry, but seeing that stupid list has made me want to make an opposite one, to counter-act the stupidity. Nominees for “Most Uninspirational and Sort-of Depressing When You Think About It Movies” goes to: Trainspotting 12 Monkeys City of God Bicycle Thief Dr. Strangelove Requiem for a Dream (or is that inspirational in some way?) etc, etc, etc… And, am I the only one who was inspired by Falling Down, at least a little bit? Knock around the store, hell ya! Almost get shot by angery Mexican gangsters in a drive by attempt that still ends in carnage, WOOOOO! Threaten people with a baseball bat, shit ya booooi! Much more thrilling than A Wonderful Life, I say. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2006, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afis-choices-for-most-inspirational-movies/360773/52 "2006-06-16T01:32:14Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] It’s _boxing_. [/QUOTE] So is Raging Bull which won Oscars for best actor & best editing, nominated for pretty much everything else. And Million Dollar Baby, which won best picture, best director, best actress, and best supporting actor. You may dislike boxing, but it’s obviously possible to make a damn fine boxing movie. And the main characters don’t even have to break into a musical number for no apparent reason. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2006, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afis-choices-for-most-inspirational-movies/360773/53 "2006-06-16T01:46:01Z")
[QUOTE=bouv] Granted, I certainly don’t think _all_ of those movies deserve to be on the list(_The Karate Kid_?), but the point is, just because it’s about a subject one doesn’t find terribly interesting or inspiring in and of itself, doesn’t mean the people in the story can’t inspire us to be the best…around. [/QUOTE] You just couldn’t leave that one hanging, could you? By the way, is that an actual song used in Rocky or something Matt and Trey came up with for South Park? And yes, I don’t get how some of these are inspirational. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2006, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afis-choices-for-most-inspirational-movies/360773/54 "2006-06-16T03:10:35Z")
[QUOTE=HelloKitty] I don’t remember being inspired when I saw _Philadelphia_…I was awed by Tom Hank’s performance and devastated by Neil Young’s brilliant song “Philadelphia”. But I wasn’t inspired or uplifted. [/QUOTE] The Oscar-winning title song from **Philadelphia** was written and performed by Bruce Springsteen, not Neil Young. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2006, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afis-choices-for-most-inspirational-movies/360773/55 "2006-06-16T03:14:10Z")
[QUOTE=Frostillicus] The Oscar-winning title song from **Philadelphia** was written and performed by Bruce Springsteen, not Neil Young. [/QUOTE] Bruce Springsteen’s song in the opening credits is called “The Streets of Philadelphia”, but Neil Young’s song “Philadelphia” (also Oscar-nominated, losing to Bruce) was over the closing credits. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afis-choices-for-most-inspirational-movies/360773.md?page=2)