hopeful backdrop

Movies with hopeful vibe

311. Whale Rider

Whale Rider
Drama Family Coming-of-Age Drama
7.5
20031h 41minGermany, New Zealand
Director: Niki Caro

Overview

A contemporary story of love, rejection, and triumph as a young Maori girl fights to fulfill a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize.

Themes

Intergenerational conflict, Gendered leadership norms, Tradition and modernity, Female empowerment within tradition, Mentor relationships, Community recognition of merit

Available on

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

312. About a Boy

About a Boy
Drama Comedy Romance Romantic Comedy Awkward Comedy
7.1
20021h 41minUnited Kingdom, United States
Director: Paul Weitz

Overview

Will Freeman is a good-looking, smooth-talking bachelor whose primary goal in life is avoiding any kind of responsibility. But when he invents an imaginary son in order to meet attractive single moms, Will gets a hilarious lesson about life from a bright, but hopelessly geeky 12-year-old named Marcus. Now, as Will struggles to teach Marcus the art of being cool, Marcus teaches Will that you're never too old to grow up.

Themes

Christmas bonding moment, Single parent pressures, Becoming an adult, Friendship under strain, Bachelor lifestyle limits, Deception and care

Available on

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

313. Bend It Like Beckham

Bend It Like Beckham
Comedy Drama Romance Romantic Comedy Coming-of-Age Drama
6.7
20021h 52minGermany, United Kingdom
Director: Gurinder Chadha

Overview

Jess Bhamra, the daughter of a strict Indian couple in London, is not permitted to play organized soccer, even though she is 18. When Jess is playing for fun one day, her impressive skills are seen by Jules Paxton, who then convinces Jess to play for her semi-pro team. Jess uses elaborate excuses to hide her matches from her family while also dealing with her romantic feelings for her coach, Joe.

Themes

Cultural expectation vs individual choice, Gender roles in sports, Cross cultural romance tensions, Immigrant family pressure, Identity negotiation within tradition, Pursuit of opportunity vs tradition

Available on

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

314. The Rookie

The Rookie
Drama Family Underdog Sports
6.9
20022h 7minUnited States
Director: John Lee Hancock

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.

315. A Walk to Remember

A Walk to Remember
Drama Romance Coming-of-Age Drama Passionate Romance
7.3
20021h 41minUnited States
Director: Adam Shankman

Overview

High school star and rebel Landon is forced to stay after school and work as punishment after a bad incident. There he gets to know the unassuming Jamie, and over time feelings grow between them.

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.

316. Crazy/Beautiful

Crazy/Beautiful
Drama Romance Passionate Romance Coming-of-Age Drama
6.4
20011h 39minUnited States
Director: John Stockwell

Overview

At Pacific Palisades High, a poor Latino falls hard for a troubled girl from the affluent neighborhood.

Themes

Family expectations, Romance across divides, Economic class tension, Peer and parental pressure, Substance use consequences, Dreams vs relationships

Available on

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

317. Sweet November

Sweet November
Drama Romance Passionate Romance Relationship Drama
6.7
20011h 59minUnited States
Director: Pat O'Connor

Overview

Nelson is a man devoted to his advertising career in San Francisco. One day, while taking a driving test at the DMV, he meets Sara. She is very different from the other women in his life. Nelson causes her to miss out on taking the test and later that day she tracks him down. One thing leads to another and Nelson ends up living with her through a November that will change his life forever.

Themes

Workaholic lifestyle, Emotional vulnerability, Time bound romance, Protection and departure, Terminal illness impact, Healing through companionship

Available on

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

318. Save the Last Dance

Save the Last Dance
Drama Family Romance Music Family Drama
6.2
20011h 53minUnited States
Director: Thomas Carter

Overview

After the death of her mother, Sara moves to the South Side of Chicago to live with her father and gets transferred to a majority-black school. Her life takes a turn for the better when befriends Chenille and her brother Derek, who helps her with her dancing skills.

Themes

Friendship under strain, Romance amid conflict, Mentorship and responsibility, Family loss and resilience, Neighborhood belonging and tension, Artistic ambition under constraint

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
MGM+ Amazon Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

319. Remember the Titans

Remember the Titans
Drama Sports Competition
7.8
20001h 53minUnited States
Director: Boaz Yakin

Overview

After leading his football team to 15 winning seasons, coach Bill Yoast is demoted and replaced by Herman Boone – tough, opinionated and as different from the beloved Yoast as he could be. The two men learn to overcome their differences and turn a group of hostile young men into champions.

Themes

Leadership under scrutiny, Institutional bias, Racial integration under pressure, Authority vs teamwork, Community acceptance through sports, Group cohesion under adversity

Available on

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

320. Il Mare

Il Mare
Fantasy Drama Romance Relationship Drama Fantasy Romance
7.5
20001h 36minSouth Korea
Director: Lee Hyun-seung

Overview

In the year 1999, a young woman leaves her quaint seaside house and returns to the city, leaving in the mailbox a card for the next owner, with instructions to forward any mail of hers to the new address. In the year 1997, a jaded young architect moves into the same house and finds the letter. His reply, which he slips into the mailbox, finds its way to her, beginning a parallel-time love story separated by a span of two years.

Themes

Letter-based connection, Mailbox as conduit, Millenium drift, Beach interludes, Time travel romance, Parallel timelines

Available on

Plex
Plex Channel
Kocowa
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.