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Film Therapy: Selections For Every Mood

by Monica Padman
03/27/2008

In the midst of an ever-changing atmosphere, life often calls for some less than extraordinary moments. It is imperative to lay back on your couch and relax with a blanket, a bowl of popcorn and your DVD player every so often. There is something intrinsically satisfying about gawking at Hollywood’s finest in the comfort of your own sweatpants.

The following is a compilation of my top film pick to satisfy your every craving. A good movie can change your mood in an instant. It can scare you, inspire you and even make you fall in love. In short, a fabulous film can be your own personal therapist. Who needs Dr. Phil when there is a Blockbuster just around the corner?

When you are in desperate need…
To feel transcontinental:

Paris Je’Taime (2006) - “Paris Je’Taime” translated means “Paris, I Love you,” which is exactly how you will feel after witnessing this beauty on screen. This film is a cinematic tribute to the most popular tourist destination in the world. If you have not felt the desire to travel in the past, this stunning piece of art will surely do the trick.

Twenty-one of the worlds most acclaimed directors including the Cohen brothers, Gus Van Sant and Alfonso Cuarón have put their stamp on eighteen short films comprising this gorgeous two-hour experience.

To expand your “Top 10 movie list”:

Good Will Hunting (1998) – This film is so poetically written and well crafted you will leave feeling as if you are better off than you were two hours before. If a film can use the F-word over 100 times and win the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, it must be something special.

Good Will Hunting could have been your average coming of age story, but the immaculate precision of the actors and director raise this film’s stature to the sky.

To Believe in Something:

The Santa Clause (1994) - On the surface it is simply Tim Allen waddling around in a fat suit, but if you look a little deeper therein lies every humans hunger for the impossible. The Santa Clause, in despite of its childhood glory, is a constant reminder that we, at one point in our lives, knew how to believe.

This film re-connects with the unwavering loyalty of a child that somehow escapes us on the way to adulthood. The film sums up the mantra of all who take a leap of faith by stating, “Seeing isn't believing. Believing is seeing.”

To get your money’s worth:

Ocean’s Eleven (2001) - Two hours of twelve of the most adored actors including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Julia Roberts running around America’s favorite cashbox. Need I say more? This film is the first in its saga of pure fun. It reminds us of the very essence of movies- pure entertainment.

Ocean’s Eleven is a ride that catches you immediately and lets you off with a swift but sentimental wink. The fun that the actors and filmmakers are having is infectious. In the end that is all we ask for.

To take a ride:

Little Miss Sunshine (2006) - There is a glimmer of hope that shines through this hilarious comedy tracking a young girl’s desire to win a beauty pageant. A group of talented actors and a yellow WV bus come together in this heartwarming tale of the journey to success. Her less than perfect appearance and quirky family will make you fall in love with her dream.

This film shows us the many mechanical break- downs, hospital visits, detrimental realizations, ice-cream sundaes and never-ending support that goes into accomplishing a goal. It inspires us to believe in our own personal outrageous, whatever that may be.

To Fall in love:

Love Actually (2003) - Love Actually succeeds in projecting the idea of love as one that has no definition. It challenges us to re-think our conceptual confines and open our eyes to the myriad types and forms that love has to offer.

This film is a perfect depiction of how love transcends all boundaries. Whether that love be between a father and son, a husband and wife or even a prime minister and his assistant the one thing we walk away with is that, “Love actually is all around.”

To feel like a kid again:

The Sandlot (1993) - The Sandlot is a memento of what it was like when all we wanted to do was play the game. It yanks us back to a time on our lives when our greatest threat was a dog across the fence, our greatest treasure was a baseball and our greatest asset was the people we were with. This film is a souvenir of the childhood mentality of appreciating small victories for what they are truly worth.

If you are in need of escaping the realities of the world around you, The Sandlot will transport you to a simpler time when all there was were friends, heroic neighbors and the love of the game.

To feel inspired:

Rudy (1993) - This story of an aspiring football player personifies the notion of what it means to follow your dreams and to never give up. It is a token of the inexplicable feeling of winning and everything it takes to get there.

You cannot help but get a chill down your spine as the crowd starts chanting “Rudy…Rudy…Rudy” leading the boy who always believed to victory. Rudy is an inspiration to all of those who are seeking the impossible. The tagline is, “When people say dreams don’t come true, tell them about Rudy”.

To laugh until you cry:

Billy Madison (1995) - Billy Madison is blessed with the classic Adam Sandler touch that inevitably sends its audience into hysterics. It chronicles a very memorable 27-year-old man’s journey to complete grades 1-12 in order to obtain his father’s hotel business.

The team of actors and filmmakers take this ridiculous journey to a new level of extreme hilarity. It has you in a constant state of laughter and preposterousness that is a true testament to an Adam Sandler piece of work.

To witness something so smart it’s scary:

Se7en (1995) - This film puts the term “seven deadly sins” into a very disturbing perspective. Director David Fincher, presents a thought-provoking film with a twist that exposes a serial killer on his path to rid the world of sinners. It is a chilling depiction of the creativity, precise execution and disturbed thoughts that compose that of a psychotic mind.

It might make you question that extra piece of cake, it will probably make you wonder about the mind of a psychopath, and it will definitely make you weary of strange boxes on the side of the highway.

A film can be more than entertainment and amusement. It can be a highly needed distraction from the events around us. In fact, it can be therapeutic. So, next time you need to satisfy a mental craving, head down to your nearest video store and fulfill your every desire.