5.It’s A Wonderful Life
Frank Capra’s masterwork is the ultimate in feel-good movies. James Stewart plays George Bailey, who is saved from a suicide attempt by a heavenly messenger, Clarence (Henry Travers), who arrives to show George what the world would have been like if he had never been born. If ever you think things are pretty bad, then viewing this may at first reduce you to tears, but then leave you with that warm glow each and every time you watch it. The performances by the actors are outstanding, and it all adds up to a classic movie that is essential feel-good viewing.
6.Billy Elliot
The story of an 11-year-old schoolboy aspiring to be a ballet dancer in the face of his father’s macho displeasure provides as inspiring a movie as you’ll ever see. Set against the backdrop of Britain’s mid-1980s miners’ strike, it is a gritty and believable portrayal of that time – but has an uplifting story at its heart. Billy Elliot has a witty script, as well as wonderful characters – who help to deliver a movie that’s typically British in feel. The soundtrack, using largely British acts such as The Jam and The Clash, works so well that the songs provide some of the movie’s exceptional high points.
