Have you ever wondered, that while watching movies, your emotions change as per the situation, even though it’s a virtual reality? Well, that happens because somehow, you are able to relate it with a little aspect of your real life and it sometimes makes you look into yourself for- a dream you can see and pursue.
Movies not just evoke your emotions, but they help shape your mind and also your personality. Considering your school and university days as the best time to shape your personality, here are 5 movies that you should watch, on days when you feel low on motivation and would like to be more confident:
1. The Pursuit of Happyness
This true story about Chris Gardner’s struggles through financial constraints and homelessness as a father, will make you believe that perseverance, hard-work and a goal-oriented mind and self-belief can lead to success in life, no matter how hard the journey is.
Don’t listen to anyone, but yourself
This best quote from the movie will not just help you regain that motivation, but will help you to believe in yourself. Because believing in yourself is the first step to reach your goal.
Perseverance is the key
This movie teaches you that to reach your ultimate goal, is to go through the beautiful journey of ups and downs, setbacks and small wins. But the only key here is to stay consistent with your efforts, because life is going to grab you and pull you down, but your resilience to stand still in the wind, will help you.
2. 3 Idiots
This movie circles around the key themes on how a student’s own ambitions are clouded by parental judgement, societal (even teachers’) attitude towards your life choices and how it influences a student’s decision in educational and career endeavours.
This story of 3 friends who find each other in college have only heard of their teacher’s famous dialogue about life and the choices they make-
“Life is a race. If you don’t run fast, you will be like a broken Andaa” .
But later find inspiration in each other’s company to do what they love to do, even if the rest of the world calls them “idiots”.
All is well
Rancho, whenever found himself in a difficult situation, puts a hand on his heart and says “All is Well” stays forever with me. It may not solve the problem, but gives the courage and hope to cope with the difficult times bravely. So, don’t forget to remind yourself- “All is well”.
3. Legally Blonde
Legally Blonde is more than just a classic chick flick. It’s a story about a beautiful, rich woman, who would do anything to get a man back which turns into a story of her transformative journey as a person.
There must have been times when you were judged about your potential by just looking at your appearance. In this story of Elle Woods,when she takes Harvard Law school by the storm, she proves everyone wrong that if you put your faith into yourself, then you can achieve anything.
Never judge a book by its cover (or a girl in a pink outfit)
If sometimes you also felt, that you don’t fit somewhere, you’ll realise after watching this movie (when Elle takes Harvard Law School by the storm)- that it’s not your outfit or your face that would help you to be the perfect piece for the puzzle, rather your personality and your mind that will get you the respect that you deserve.
Sure, it could get cheesy, but hey! Doesn’t a little escape always help to get back to reality with a fresh perspective?
4. Air
We all love Nike’s Air Jordan sneakers line. Why shouldn’t we? They’re comfortable, unique and are of high quality. But (there’s always a but!) One thing everyone should know is that this success didn’t happen overnight.
Air is a true story based on the partnership between Nike and Michael Jordan- how they faced challenges, setbacks and triumphs to build the Air Jordan brand.
Think differently and put your risk in it
Jordan, who was a little skeptical at first on if he wanted to partner with Nike, when shown faith by the marketing specialist of Nike, looked at the entire process more positively. Even though they feared if it was gonna go well, fear has never been a good strategy for success. So, instead of changing their shoe for the basketball game, they decided to pay the fine and their famous red shoe stood out. And you can see the hype till today!
So, we see that instead of fearing about how things will go, doing something about it is what really matters.
5. The Peanut Butter Falcon
The peanut butter falcon revolves around the character named- “Zak” who has Down Syndrome, and has been left alone by his family as they didn’t want to take his responsibility. Having been called “retarded” his whole life, he almost gave up on his dream of becoming a wrestler.
But later came across different people in different situations, which pushed him to pursue his dream. But again, this movie speaks volume about his journey and how he did not let people define him.
How you perceive yourself is what matters the most
This film articulates a very encouraging message not just for people who are specially-abled, but also for those who lack confidence and faith in themselves. This movie tells you if you have your heart and mind set on a dream, then you will not let any physical or mental challenges hinder that achievement.
Whether we realise it or not, movies play a significant role in shaping our culture, our mindset, our way to perceive things, impacting our day-to-day interactions, our values, our beliefs, and behavioural changes that we go through.
On days, when you feel like nothing will work out, try watching these movies. It won’t solve anything, but will surely act like a warm cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter night, giving you the hope that things will work out in your favour.
Keep in mind that your college planning journey is also an exciting trailer for a big upcoming movie, and your college application is the movie itself. Isn’t that exciting? Take the leap now and connect with a UC Orange Counselor to help you make your college application stand out.
