I like this thread! My list includes many that have already been mentioned, but here it is, in no particular order:
Once
The Station Agent
The Secret of Roan Inish
The Notebook
Amelie
Groundhog Day
Lars and the Real Girl
The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain
Ponette
Sense and Sensibility
The Story of the Weeping Camel
The Cave of the Yellow Dog
Untamed Heart
Dogfight
A Muppet Christmas Carol
My Neighbor Totoro
I would include Labyrinth and Newsies, but my husband doesn’t like them and I know for a fact he’s not an asshole.
Despite the OP’s clarification to the contrary, my list contains movies that are so sweet and good-hearted that only someone whose head is filled with cynicism and general assholism could dislike them.
I’m excited to watch Children of Heaven - it sounds fantastic.
Great, great list. I should have thought of *Weeping Camel and Yellow Dog; they go near the top of any such list. If you like those, you’ll LOVE Children of Heaven. And Untamed Heart *is one of those overlooked gems that people are always pleasantly surprised by when I force them to watch it.