earnest backdrop

Movies with earnest vibe

The Miracle of Bern

1. The Miracle of Bern

Drama Comedy Sports Competition
6.7
20031h 58min

Overview

The movie deals with the championship-winning German soccer team of 1954. Its story is linked with two others: The family of a young boy is split due to the events in World War II, and the father returns from Russia after eleven years. The second story is about a reporter and his wife reporting from the tournament.

Themes

Football as social glue, Coach selection bias, Family reintegration tension, Political divide within family, War memory shaping identity, Economic miracle symbolism

Available on

Amazon Video
blue TV
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Rookie

2. The Rookie

Drama Family Underdog Sports
6.9
20022h 7min

Overview

Jim Morris never made it out of the minor leagues before a shoulder injury ended his pitching career twelve years ago. Now a married-with-children high-school chemistry teacher and baseball coach in Texas, Jim's team makes a deal with him: if they win the district championship, Jim will try out with a major-league organization. The bet proves incentive enough for the team, and they go from worst to first, making it to state for the first time in the history of the school. Jim, forced to live up to his end of the deal, is nearly laughed off the try-out field--until he gets onto the mound, where he confounds the scouts (and himself) by clocking successive 98 mph fastballs, good enough for a minor-league contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Jim's still got a lot of pitches to throw before he makes it to The Show, but with his big-league dreams revived, there's no telling where he could go.

Themes

Financial strain, Dream pursuit under pressure, Community support and doubt, Ambition vs family, Responsibility and opportunity, Parental approval tensions

Available on

Disney Plus
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

A Walk to Remember

3. A Walk to Remember

Drama Romance Coming-of-Age Drama Passionate Romance
7.3
20021h 41min

Overview

When the popular, restless Landon Carter is forced to participate in the school drama production, he falls in love with Jamie Sullivan, the daughter of the town's minister. Jamie has a "to-do" list for her life, as well as a very big secret she must keep from Landon.

Themes

Coming of age, Romantic tension, Illness and care, Small-town expectations, Faith and duty, Devotion under pressure

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Vizontele

4. Vizontele

Comedy Drama Satire Family Drama
8.0
20011h 50min

Overview

The story takes place in the small town of Hakkari in Turkey at the beginning of the '70s. The time has come to bring technology to that small town. The first Television (called Visiontele by the citizens) arrives and the chaos begins.

Themes

Tradition vs media, Authority resistance, Rural modernization tensions, Technological disruption, Community adaptation, Public spectacle irony

Available on

Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Where the Heart Is

5. Where the Heart Is

Comedy Drama Romance Coming-of-Age Drama Romantic Comedy
6.7
20002h

Overview

Novalee Nation is a 17-year-old Tennessee transient who has to grow up in a hurry when she's left pregnant and abandoned by her boyfriend on a roadside, and takes refuge in the friendly aisles of Wal-Mart. Eventually, some eccentric but kindly strangers 'adopt' Novalee and her infant daughter, helping them buck the odds and build a new life.

Themes

Teenage pregnancy stigma, Resilience through strangers, Mentorship through craft, Unreliable family ties, Inheritance and new beginnings, Community shelter and care

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

28 Days

6. 28 Days

Comedy Drama Psychological Drama Dark Comedy
6.1
20001h 43min

Overview

After getting into a car accident while drunk on the day of her sister's wedding, Gwen Cummings is given a choice between prison or a rehab center. She chooses rehab, but is extremely resistant to taking part in any of the treatment programs they have to offer, refusing to admit that she has an alcohol addiction.

Themes

Addiction and rehab, Wedding day tensions, Car crash aftermath, Withdrawal and relapse risk, Group therapy dynamics, Autonomy in sobriety

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Armageddon

7. Armageddon

Action Thriller Science Fiction Adventure Epic Action
6.7
19982h 31min

Overview

When an asteroid threatens to collide with Earth, NASA honcho Dan Truman determines the only way to stop it is to drill into its surface and detonate a nuclear bomb. This leads him to renowned driller Harry Stamper, who agrees to helm the dangerous space mission provided he can bring along his own hotshot crew. Among them is the cocksure A.J. who Harry thinks isn't good enough for his daughter, until the mission proves otherwise.

Themes

Saving the world under threat, Disaster-led leadership under pressure, Asteroid-driven urgency, Wedding disruption under crisis, Space-based operations under stress, Duty vs family under strain

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Miracle on 34th Street

8. Miracle on 34th Street

Fantasy Drama Family Christmas Family Family Drama
6.6
19941h 54min

Overview

Six-year-old Susan Walker has doubts about childhood's most enduring miracle—Santa Claus. Her mother told her the secret about Santa a long time ago, but, after meeting a special department store Santa who's convinced he's the real thing, Susan is given the most precious gift of all—something to believe in.

Themes

Belief under scrutiny, Commercial redemption, Family bonds and faith, Media driven faith, Legal legitimacy of myth, Corporate rivalry

Available on

Disney Plus
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Forrest Gump

9. Forrest Gump

Comedy Drama Romance Historical Drama Feel-Good Romance
8.8
19942h 22min

Overview

A man with a low IQ has accomplished great things in his life and been present during significant historic events—in each case, far exceeding what anyone imagined he could do. But despite all he has achieved, his one true love eludes him.

Themes

Hippie era upheaval, Disability and determination, Duty during war and honor, Trauma and resilience, Family bonds and caregiving, Romance amidst adversity

Available on

Netflix
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.