Happy films

[WesterlyWinds]

I recently realised whilst trawling through my film collection that I seem to have an obsession with films that tend to be fairly depressing. There's nothing wrong with deeply disturbing or mournful cinema, but in the interest of balance I then tried to make a list of ten films I had seen which, after watching them, gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling. I struggled to name even one. I'm pretty much alone in my house for the next two weeks (for a variety of reasons requiring long winded explanations) and thus I must replace meaningful human contact with happy films. So, dear Verbwhores, I turn to you to help lift my spirits through the medium of film.

[sirhenry]

Harold and Maude should suit you perfectly. Starts with multiple suicides and then goes from there. Wonderfully uplifting.

[Johnny Townmouse]

I am afflicted with the same malady. These are the films that I would subjectively consider to be 'uplifting':

The Castle - An Australian film about a man protecting his house from being bought up by a large corporation developing land for an airport. Light with a nice kick to it.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118826/

Mary and Max - Claymation feature by the excellent Adam Elliot. A young girl in Oz and autistic man in NYC become pen-pals.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0978762/

Kolya - Czech film set during Soviet occupation in which a rather lady's man, flighty Cellist is forced to look after a young boy. This looks to be as formulaic as it gets, but there is something remarkably well handled about its execution.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116790/

Fucking Åmål and Tillsammans - Lukas Moodysson's early films are just dripping with positivity and a non-guilty feel-good factor.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0150662/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0203166/

[Sam]

I second 'The Castle'. Lots of quality bathos as I recall. I remember a great exchange something like this:

'there's beautiful temples and shrines in Thailand, it really is full of interesting culture'

'yerr, CHOCKA!'

I love Sam Mendes's 'Away We Go'. Very funny broadly drawn bad parent stereotypes, a gentle road movie, Nick Drake-y soundtrack, some nicely observed human truths, great protagonist couple, low-key tone, unexpected strong language, a great 'pwning' rant, and a slightly bittersweet but mostly warm and fuzzy ending which has been earned through good writing and performances.

Plenty to like, lovely film all round.

[Dirty Boy]

The Hudsucker Proxy always gives me a soft fuzzy feeling in the bum, sorry tum. I understand it was a massive flop and no one i ever spoke to likes it, but it's well recomended. The ending always makes me sniffle (in a happy way). It's about a man who jumps 44 floors*

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110074/

[nb]*not counting the mezzanine[/nb]

[Captain Crunch]

Mary and Max - Claymation feature by the excellent Adam Elliot. A young girl in Oz and autistic man in NYC become pen-pals.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0978762/

Really?  I found it bleak (and a bit annoying).

I'd recommend My Blue Heaven, it's funnier than it looks and has a nice sunny quality to it.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100212/

And The Straight Story but you've probably already seen that.

[alcoholic messiah]

Three slices of East Asian cinema's finest upliftment:

Tampopo
Ramen cowboy helps widow create the perfect noodle restaurant experience, interspersed with food-related vignettes.

Chungking Express
Two Hong Kong cops deal with the after-effects of romantic disentanglement,  featuring pineapples and The Mamas and the Papas.

Hana-bi
Retired police detective rips off yakuza to make the most of his terminally-ill wife's final days, in what has probably been described as "a unique cinematic cocktail of tenderness and extreme violence".

[madhair60]

Speed Racer

[Johnny Townmouse]

Really?  I found it bleak (and a bit annoying).

Whilst all my posts are my subjective opinion, I felt that the one above was exceptionally so, hence inclusion of "subjectively". I can't enjoy a completely uplifting film - it has to have some bleakness to it other the happiness means nothing to me. I think it's Philip Seymour Hoffman's finest performance, although I haven't seen The Master yet.

[Serge]

Tillsammans

This was my first thought on reading the original post - almost impossible to believe it could be from the same man who made the beyond-bleak 'Lilya 4-Ever'.

Goodbye Lenin! would definitely fit the bill, I suppose, despite almost starting with the main characters mother having a stroke and then living with the shadow of possible death hanging over her for the entire movie.

And I know nominating comedies is cheating, especially one which is a very broad farce, but if you don't feel better after seeing Le Dîner de Cons, well....there's no hope for you.

[alcoholic messiah]

Related threads:

Really uplifting films

100 Most Uplifting Films Of All Time[nb]What, I wonder, are we to read into the fact that this thread only made it to 17 entries, before the warm fuzzies subsided and ennui reasserted its sovereignty?[/nb]

[Stone Cold Jane Austen]

Tremors is a happy film. Lots of people die in it but it's impossible to watch that film without a big smile on your face. Napoleon Dynamite too. That's a happy film.

[Nik Drou]

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World is a lovely beacon of positivity that succeeds in celebrating youth without alienating the less youthful.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

For some reason, a lot of people don't like it, but Napoleon Dynamite is one long continuous grin.

[SteveDave]

For some reason, a lot of people don't like it, but Napoleon Dynamite is one long continuous grin.

I go along with that. I came out of the cinema with an aching face after seeing it. Just the shots of him walking in his prom suit had me creasing up.

[the midnight watch baboon]

Lars and the Real Girl - wacky I s'pose, but avoids the quirkyUSindiefilm proclivity of ending on weird unhappy downers and instead is (retch) life-affirmingly supergreat.

[BritishHobo]

Forgetting Sarah Marshall is my go-to: Jason Segel getting over a break-up in Hawaii and being his usual likeable self. Even his little song of self-hatred (

Spoiler alert

"Peter you suck, Peter you suck, Peter you don't do anything of value."

[close]

) makes me happy, in a bizarre way.

[WesterlyWinds]

I've now watched Harold and Maude and The Straight Story, both of which were suitably uplifting and enjoyable - cheers. I did negate them slightly by watching 1984 yesterday afternoon, but I am going to get the joy back on track by combining copious amounts of beer and Tillsammans (if I can find a copy with hardsubs, anyway).

[Obel]

Me and You and Everyone We Know

I love this film. I think some people would dismiss it as hipster nonsense but I would disagree. It's a very human film, perhaps the dialog isn't realistic or naturalistic, but it works perfectly somehow. I actually struggle to explain why I think this film is so good but the flawed characters just kind of appeal to me. Oh I don't know, just watch it, it's brill.

[SteveDave]

Me and You and Everyone We Know

I love this film. I think some people would dismiss it as hipster nonsense but I would disagree. It's a very human film, perhaps the dialog isn't realistic or naturalistic, but it works perfectly somehow. I actually struggle to explain why I think this film is so good but the flawed characters just kind of appeal to me. Oh I don't know, just watch it, it's brill.

))<>((

[Johnny Townmouse]

Me and You and Everyone We Know

I love this film. I think some people would dismiss it as hipster nonsense but I would disagree. It's a very human film, perhaps the dialog isn't realistic or naturalistic, but it works perfectly somehow. I actually struggle to explain why I think this film is so good but the flawed characters just kind of appeal to me. Oh I don't know, just watch it, it's brill.

Her collection of short stories are dreadful, but I thought this film was marvellous. If this is the result of hipsterism then I feel a great deal less pessimistic about the future of independent cinema.

[Obel]

I think maybe I was being preemptively defensive with the 'hipster' statement, it's just quirky really.. which is something I guess is attributed to those sort of hipster love story films. I dunno.

She released a new one recently called The Future, which is something to do with a troubled couple adopting a cat and it skewing their perspective on life. Apparently it's really rather good and I will be checking it out.

[Phil_A]

It's an obvious choice, but for me, Singin' In The Rain is pure joy from start to finish. I've probably mentioned at some length how much I love Don O'Connor's performance of "Make 'Em Laugh", it really is one of the greatest things ever put on film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SND3v0i9uhE

[Marty McFly]

This is a sweet little film. A depressed teenager checks himself into a psychiatric ward but finds himself amongst the adults. He becomes best buddies with Zach Galifianakis, cops off with Emma Roberts, and realises he's not actually as depressed as he thought he was.

[phantom_power]

Jeff, Who Lives At Home fits the bill, especially if you are a fan of the Duplass brothers. Their best film, I think

[Gulftastic]

It's an obvious choice, but for me, Singin' In The Rain is pure joy from start to finish. I've probably mentioned at some length how much I love Don O'Connor's performance of "Make 'Em Laugh", it really is one of the greatest things ever put on film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SND3v0i9uhE

I adore that film. I can pretty much recite every line along wit the actors as I watch. 'Good Morning' is my favourite number, and Jean Hagen should have won the Oscar for her performance. Wonderful stuff.

[Theremin]

This is a sweet little film. A depressed teenager checks himself into a psychiatric ward but finds himself amongst the adults. He becomes best buddies with Zach Galifianakis, cops off with Emma Roberts, and realises he's not actually as depressed as he thought he was.

Good film, made somewhat sadder by the fact that, according to the director, Galifianakis' character is meant have killed himself after the end.

[dead_johnny_walker]

If you mean "happy" as in all the way through I would have to go for The Right Stuff, which is based on the true story of the genesis and early phase of the Space Race, from the American point of view, beginning with the breaking of the sound barrier and through to the success of the Mercury programme. Brilliantly shot and edited, and full of humour, it takes it's subject both incredibly seriously yet not seriously simultaneously. For someone of my age, who grew up at just the right age to be in awe of the Apollo missions (it felt like Thunderbirds had come to life) it brings a tear to my eye every time.

In terms of films full of angst and conflict, but with happy resolution, Submarine is a brilliantly uplifting film, absolute piece of genius. My favourite film of the past couple of years. It's on TV this very weekend I think.

Renowned director of "depressing" films, Mike Leigh, has made some wonderfully optimistic films, none more so than Secrets & Lies and also Life Is Sweet.

[Icehaven]

Local Hero (1983) Hard nosed American business man sent to remote Scottish village to convince them it's a great idea that they sell their land to his company so they can build an oil refinery (or something like that). Fairly predicatable but not too cheesy, and definitely feelgood.

[thenoise]

Any of the Godzilla & related films do it for me when I'm feeling down - people in rubber suits trampling on cities in slow mo, always puts a smile on my face. Also Russ Meyer films, for obvious reasons.