Here are five heartwarming movies to watch on Netflix during downtime, handpicked by yours truly.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, one way to pass the time while self-quarantining is to indulge in some feel-good movies. Everyone deserves a good laugh and a warm feeling in their hearts at this time, so let’s dive into this diversified list.
Jerry Maguire (1996)
“Show me the money! I love black people!”
Jerry Maguire is a romantic-comedy about a sports agent struggling to pick up the pieces of his life after being let go from his job.
The movie reminded me a lot of a TV show called Mad Men, a great show by the way.
Both of them are stories about two men who are secretly dissatisfied with their lives, despite being rich and successful. They’re both so used to putting on social masks in order to fit in with upper class society, that they’re terrified to show their true selves.
Tom Cruise plays the eponymous main character of the movie, and it’s by far one of his most legendary and memorable performances. Pair that with Cuba Gooding Jr. acting like a complete fool and you got one of the most iconic movies of the ‘90s.
The icing on the cake is the movie’s featured song, “Secret Garden” by Bruce Springsteen.
The movie teaches that life is not defined by quantity, but quality. It’s not about how many friends you have, it’s how well you treat the ones that are already in your life. A single relationship can be worth a thousand.
Rugrats in Paris (2000)
“A baby’s gotta do what a baby’s gotta do.”
Out of all three Rugrats movies, Rugrats in Paris is the magnum opus.
The movie is funny, touching, and ultimately, uplifting. It moved the series forward, and yet it took the time to acknowledge where it came from.
The movie centers around Chuckie Finster, one of the “Rugrats” and his search for a new mother after years of yearning for one.
One of the coolest things about the Rugrats movies was how impactful they were on the TV series. Whatever took place in the movies would cause drastic changes on the show. For instance, in this movie, the character of Kimi Watanabe and her mother were introduced. She would go on to become an integral part in the show.
Everything felt connected, a continual story. It seemed as if Nickelodeon was building a shared universe for all their cartoons actually, and that’s something that should be recognized.
In addition, the movie has an incredible soundtrack, notably the song, “When You Love” by Sinéad O’Connor.
Having owned the soundtrack as a kid, I’ll admit that I’m being afflicted with serious nostalgia.
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
“Don’t ever let somebody tell you… You can’t do something.”
Will Smith is known for playing charming and heroic characters. These movies include, I Am Legend, Men in Black, and Bad Boys. Every so often though, he steps into more dramatic and serious roles that are grounded in reality. One such role is that of Christopher Gardner in the movie, The Pursuit of Happyness.
The movie centers around a salesman named Christopher Gardner and his young son who are both struggling with homelessness. Chris has to juggle fatherhood with his work obligations. Despite the odds stacked against him, Chris is determined to take care of his son and build a better future for them.
It’s such a motivational and surprisingly rewatchable movie.
For those that haven’t seen it yet, this is a definite recommendation. Everyone has their favorite Will Smith movie, and I’m sure this will be among your favorites.
Stuart Little (1999)
“I’m not just a mouse.”
Stuart Little follows the story of an orphaned mouse named Stuart who gets taken in by the Little family. Over the course of the movie, Stuart works hard at adapting to family life and along the way becomes a target of the “cat mafia.” It sounds ridiculous, but come on, it’s a movie about a talking mouse and his adventures around New York City.
Viewers have to go in with a certain amount of disbelief.
All that aside, the movie is wholesome and entertaining with a great cast of memorable characters. The movie wasted no time with the pacing either. Every scene and action flows naturally into the next.
Stuart’s CGI can look a little wonky at times, but outside of that, the movie still holds up for viewers of all ages.
Joseph: King of Dreams (2000)
“He’ll find his future soon enough.”
It’s important to start off by saying that religious affiliations aside, Joseph: King of Dreams is an animated movie that everyone can find enjoyment in.
Religious movies have a tendency to force opinions down your throat. For those that don’t share the same beliefs of a particular religious movie, it can be quite the alienating experience, but that isn’t the case here.
The movie follows Joseph, an interpreter of dreams who winds up enslaved in Egypt. Despite a long period of isolation, his faith in God never breaks.
Despite the movie being a direct-to-video release, it is surprisingly well put together, and in some instances, I actually enjoyed the movie more than Prince of Egypt, which is the motion picture that the same team worked on before this one.
The movie takes Joseph and other characters from the Bible and adds deeper levels of characterizations to them so that modern audiences can easily relate to them, despite the story taking place centuries ago.
It feels as if the creators wanted to focus on making a good movie first instead of forcing an agenda outright.
