This past weekend, while my husband was out of town for yet another bachelor party, I spent both Friday and Saturday evenings parked out on the couch watching movies with my dog. (Easy A, The Back-Up Plan, 50 First Dates, and Zombieland, if you were curious.)
Lo and behold, all of that movie watching inspired me to write a blog post about the movies that inspire me! So here they are, in no particular order:
Growing up, I owned the VHS tape of Mr. Holland’s Opus and watched it all the time. I wanted to be just like Rowena, the ingenue who had such a beautiful voice and inspired Mr. Holland’s composition. But now that I’m all grown up, Mr. Holland inspires me to be a better teacher, and to get my students excited about music.
Every knows the most famous line from Field of Dreams: “If you build it, he will come.” Everyone thought Ray Kinsella was crazy for turning his farmland into a baseball field, but he did it, witnessed some pretty amazing things, and even made a living out of it by turning it into a tourist attraction. I can sort of relate, with my journey from music major (which plenty of people thought was a crazy idea) to music therapist with a soon-to-be full time private practice.
I first saw Moulin Rouge (five times in the theater) as a high school graduate, getting ready to move far away for college and pursue my dreams of performing. So naturally this movie was inspiring; lots of creative, talented people pursuing their dreams of putting on a show. It didn’t hurt that I had a huge crush on Ewan McGregor :) The love story, the songs, and the visual effects are stunning, and I can feel my creative juices pumping every time I watch it.
The Devil Wears Prada might very well be one of my favorite movies of all time. Not only do I love the main cast (Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, and Stanley Tucci), but I think the way they portray the inner workings of a fashion magazine is so interesting. And even though Andy (Anne Hathaway’s character) lets her job negatively affect her attitude as she climbs the ranks, she finds her way back to her true self and purpose in the end.
Duh, Julie & Julia had to be on this list! After all, it’s about a blogger who writes about her passion…sound familiar?! And although I’m not getting movie and book deals (unless you count my songbook) I’ve had lots of cool stuff happen because of Listen & Learn. Also, Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci are in this movie — see above.
I find inspiration in some of the strangest and most unexpected places, but I think movies are a pretty common source of it. I would love to hear about the movies that inspire you. Please share them in the comments!
Julie & Julia inspired me to start my blog. ;-) Other movies I woul add to this list: Music of the Heart (I’m a violinist), The Other Sister and I Am Sam (reminders of the many capabilities of people with special needs), and Awakenings.
Great list, Kellee! I have to admit, rewatching Julie & Julia was part of what inspired me to start my “365 blog posts in 2011” project. Glad it inspired YOU to start blogging :)
Hey! All good choices by the way! I recently watched Listen to your Heart and really liked it.
Thanks, Amanda! I haven’t seen that one yet, but will definitely have to check it out now.
Hey! I agree with all the above. I was on a year out after graduating in Australia when Mr Holland came out. I went to see it at a great cinema in Melbourne and suddenly teaching was on my radar. Love the soundtrack too.
But the game changer for me was school of rock! To really see outstanding learning the first thing we have to do is properly engage our students. That film saw me through my years in the classroom and finally brought me to setting up a company who’s sole purpose is teaching teachers how to really engage their students.
Crazy then I find Steve Skillings in Boston, who’s never met me before, see one of my projects here in the UK and call it a real life school of rock. (You can even check up on me in the comments of JamPod Community on You Tube)
From one educator to another, love your tweets Rachael, really inspirational and thought provoking. Isn’t that the essence of good teaching?
Dan
Hi Dan! Yes – thank you for mentioning the soundtrack from “Mr Holland’s Opus” – it is indeed awesome. And so is “School of Rock”! Definitely deserving of a spot on this list…especially since you made it come to life ;) That is excellent. Thanks so much for the kind words and input!
I have to revisit some of these movies (Field of Dreams and Mr. Holland’s Opus) to be exact. I know this movie is pretty new, but it has made my top five favorite movies of all time (well, thus far) The King’s Speech! What an amazing movie, plus there is a scene how music helped his fluency.
My other favorite movies of all time (in case anyone was wondering) 1) You’ve Got Mail 2) Ever After 3) Braveheart 4) Stranger than Fiction 5) The King’s Speech. Thanks for sharing, Rachel!
Jennifer, I saw the King’s Speech too and absolutely loved it! Very inspiring, indeed. Great list – I just have to add that my husband’s favorite movie ever is Braveheart, too ;)
Great list! I would have to say that I find “Shoeless Joe” the novel that “Field of Dreams” is based off of to be even more inspirational, but I’m a little biased. Whenever a movie is based off of a book, I usually prefer the book :)
I agree, Karli! I wrote my senior paper in high school on the book, “Shoeless Joe” and absolutely loved it. And it’s so true, the book is almost always better than the movie version.