BEST feel-good drama movies
by ethan_hunt1986 | created - 12 Mar 2021 | updated - 6 months ago | PublicBEST feel-good drama movies
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1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
R | 142 min | Drama
Over the course of several years, two convicts form a friendship, seeking consolation and, eventually, redemption through basic compassion.
Director: Frank Darabont | Stars: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler
Votes: 2,887,805 | Gross: $28.34M
2. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
PG-13 | 117 min | Biography, Drama
A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional career
Director: Gabriele Muccino | Stars: Will Smith, Thandiwe Newton, Jaden Smith, Brian Howe
Votes: 560,569 | Gross: $163.57M
3. About Time (I) (2013)
R | 123 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
At the age of 21, Tim discovers he can travel in time and change what happens and has happened in his own life. His decision to make his world a better place by getting a girlfriend turns out not to be as easy as you might think.
Director: Richard Curtis | Stars: Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, Lydia Wilson
Votes: 385,715 | Gross: $15.32M
4. Dead Poets Society (1989)
PG | 128 min | Comedy, Drama
Maverick teacher John Keating returns in 1959 to the prestigious New England boys' boarding school where he was once a star student, using poetry to embolden his pupils to new heights of self-expression.
Director: Peter Weir | Stars: Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke, Josh Charles
Votes: 545,721 | Gross: $95.86M
5. The Breakfast Club (1985)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Drama
Five high school students meet in Saturday detention and discover how they have a great deal more in common than they thought.
Director: John Hughes | Stars: Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy
Votes: 436,398 | Gross: $45.88M
6. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
PG | 105 min | Drama
After his wife leaves him, a work-obsessed Manhattan advertising executive is forced to learn long-neglected parenting skills, but a heated custody battle over the couple's young son deepens the wounds left by the separation.
Director: Robert Benton | Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander, Justin Henry
Votes: 154,656 | Gross: $106.26M
7. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
R | 101 min | Comedy, Drama
A family determined to get their young daughter into the finals of a beauty pageant take a cross-country trip in their VW bus.
Directors: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris | Stars: Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Greg Kinnear, Abigail Breslin
Votes: 517,936 | Gross: $59.89M
8. Scent of a Woman (1992)
R | 156 min | Drama
A prep school student needing money agrees to "babysit" a blind man, but the job is not at all what he anticipated.
Director: Martin Brest | Stars: Al Pacino, Chris O'Donnell, James Rebhorn, Gabrielle Anwar
Votes: 328,664 | Gross: $63.90M
9. The Bucket List (2007)
PG-13 | 97 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Two terminally ill men escape from a cancer ward and head off on a road trip with a wish list of to-dos before they die.
Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, Sean Hayes, Beverly Todd
Votes: 259,799 | Gross: $93.47M
10. Udaan (2010)
Not Rated | 134 min | Drama
Expelled from his school, a 16-year old boy returns home to his abusive and oppressive father.
Director: Vikramaditya Motwane | Stars: Rajat Barmecha, Ronit Roy, Manjot Singh, Ram Kapoor
Votes: 47,403 | Gross: $0.01M
11. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
R | 122 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.
Director: David O. Russell | Stars: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver
Votes: 742,618 | Gross: $132.09M
12. Rain Man (1988)
R | 133 min | Drama
After a selfish L.A. yuppie learns his estranged father left a fortune to an autistic-savant brother in Ohio that he didn't know existed, he absconds with his brother and sets out across the country, hoping to gain a larger inheritance.
Director: Barry Levinson | Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino, Gerald R. Molen
Votes: 546,456 | Gross: $178.80M
13. Almost Famous (2000)
R | 122 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
A high-school boy in the early 1970s is given the chance to write a story for Rolling Stone magazine about an up-and-coming rock band as he accompanies them on their concert tour.
Director: Cameron Crowe | Stars: Billy Crudup, Patrick Fugit, Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand
Votes: 293,316 | Gross: $32.53M
14. Rocky (1976)
PG | 120 min | Drama, Sport
A small-time Philadelphia boxer gets a supremely rare chance to fight the world heavyweight champion in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.
Director: John G. Avildsen | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers
Votes: 628,270 | Gross: $117.24M
15. The Descendants (2011)
R | 115 min | Comedy, Drama
A land baron tries to reconnect with his two daughters after his wife is seriously injured in a boating accident.
Director: Alexander Payne | Stars: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause
Votes: 251,770 | Gross: $82.58M
16. Moneyball (2011)
PG-13 | 133 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to assemble a baseball team on a lean budget by employing computer-generated analysis to acquire new players.
Director: Bennett Miller | Stars: Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Votes: 464,426 | Gross: $75.61M
17. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
PG-13 | 103 min | Drama
Charlie, a 15-year-old introvert, enters high school and is nervous about his new life. When he befriends his seniors, he learns to cope with his friend's suicide and his tumultuous past.
Director: Stephen Chbosky | Stars: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Paul Rudd
Votes: 547,867 | Gross: $17.74M
18. Swades (2004)
Not Rated | 189 min | Drama, Musical
A successful Indian scientist returns to an Indian village to take his nanny to America with him and in the process rediscovers his roots.
Director: Ashutosh Gowariker | Stars: Shah Rukh Khan, Gayatri Joshi, Kishori Ballal, Smith Seth
Votes: 98,493 | Gross: $1.22M
19. The Station Agent (2003)
R | 89 min | Comedy, Drama
When his only friend dies, a man born with dwarfism moves to rural New Jersey to live a life of solitude, only to meet a chatty hot dog vendor and a woman dealing with her own personal loss.
Director: Tom McCarthy | Stars: Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson, Bobby Cannavale, Paul Benjamin
Votes: 73,387 | Gross: $5.74M
20. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)
Not Rated | 155 min | Comedy, Drama, Musical
Three friends decide to turn their fantasy vacation into reality after one of their friends gets engaged.
Director: Zoya Akhtar | Stars: Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, Katrina Kaif
Votes: 85,840 | Gross: $3.11M
21. People Like Us (2012)
PG-13 | 114 min | Comedy, Drama
While settling his recently deceased father's estate, a salesman discovers he has a sister whom he never knew about, leading both siblings to re-examine their perceptions about family and life choices.
Director: Alex Kurtzman | Stars: Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks, Michelle Pfeiffer, Olivia Wilde
Votes: 44,162 | Gross: $12.41M
22. The Intern (I) (2015)
PG-13 | 121 min | Comedy, Drama
Seventy-year-old widower Ben Whittaker has discovered that retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be. Seizing an opportunity to get back in the game, he becomes a senior intern at an online fashion site, founded and run by Jules Ostin.
Director: Nancy Meyers | Stars: Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, Rene Russo, Anders Holm
Votes: 274,057 | Gross: $75.76M
23. St. Vincent (2014)
PG-13 | 102 min | Comedy, Drama
A young boy whose parents have just divorced finds an unlikely friend and mentor in the misanthropic, bawdy, hedonistic war veteran who lives next door.
Director: Theodore Melfi | Stars: Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts, Jaeden Martell
Votes: 108,518 | Gross: $44.13M
24. We Bought a Zoo (2011)
PG | 124 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
Set in Southern California, a father moves his young family to the countryside to renovate and re-open a struggling zoo.
Director: Cameron Crowe | Stars: Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church, Elle Fanning
Votes: 151,716 | Gross: $75.62M
25. Whiplash (2014)
R | 106 min | Drama, Music
A promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential.
Director: Damien Chazelle | Stars: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Melissa Benoist, Paul Reiser
Votes: 988,874 | Gross: $13.09M
26. Chef (2014)
R | 114 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
A head chef quits his restaurant job and buys a food truck in an effort to reclaim his creative promise, while piecing back together his estranged family.
Director: Jon Favreau | Stars: Jon Favreau, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Dustin Hoffman
Votes: 231,668 | Gross: $31.42M
27. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)
PG-13 | 124 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
British retirees travel to India to take up residence in what they believe is a newly restored hotel. Less luxurious than advertised, the Marigold Hotel nevertheless slowly begins to charm in unexpected ways.
Director: John Madden | Stars: Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson
Votes: 99,462 | Gross: $46.41M
28. Letters to Juliet (2010)
PG | 105 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Sophie travels to Verona where she finds an old unanswered letter asking for love advice. She answers it and when the recipient shows up along with her grumpy grandson, they head off to find the old long lost love while a young love sparks
Director: Gary Winick | Stars: Amanda Seyfried, Gael García Bernal, Vanessa Redgrave, Marcia DeBonis
Votes: 107,164 | Gross: $53.03M
29. The Help (2011)
PG-13 | 146 min | Drama
An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.
Director: Tate Taylor | Stars: Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard
Votes: 492,678 | Gross: $169.71M
30. Stuck in Love. (2012)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
An acclaimed writer, his ex-wife, and their teenaged children come to terms with the complexities of love in all its forms over the course of one tumultuous year.
Director: Josh Boone | Stars: Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Connelly, Lily Collins, Nat Wolff
Votes: 91,963 | Gross: $0.08M
31. 50/50 (2011)
R | 100 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Inspired by a true story, a comedy centered on a 27-year-old guy who learns of his cancer diagnosis and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease.
Director: Jonathan Levine | Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard
Votes: 342,875 | Gross: $35.01M
32. English Vinglish (2012)
Not Rated | 134 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
A quiet, sweet tempered housewife endures small slights from her well-educated husband and daughter every day because of her inability to speak and understand English.
Director: Gauri Shinde | Stars: Sridevi, Adil Hussain, Mehdi Nebbou, Priya Anand
Votes: 39,594 | Gross: $1.67M
33. Identity Thief (2013)
R | 111 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Mild mannered businessman Sandy Patterson travels from Denver to Florida to confront the deceptively harmless looking woman who has been living it up after stealing Sandy's identity.
Director: Seth Gordon | Stars: Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy, John Cho, Amanda Peet
Votes: 140,876 | Gross: $134.51M
34. Murder Mystery (2019)
PG-13 | 97 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A New York cop and his wife go on a European vacation to reinvigorate the spark in their marriage, but end up getting framed and on the run for the death of an elderly billionaire.
Director: Kyle Newacheck | Stars: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Luke Evans, Terence Stamp
Votes: 168,694
35. Definitely, Maybe (2008)
PG-13 | 112 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A political consultant tries to explain his impending divorce and past relationships to his 11-year-old daughter.
Director: Adam Brooks | Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Rachel Weisz, Abigail Breslin, An Nguyen
Votes: 173,222 | Gross: $31.97M
36. Little Manhattan (2005)
PG | 90 min | Comedy, Family, Romance
A 10-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl find love in New York City.
Director: Mark Levin | Stars: Josh Hutcherson, Charlotte Ray Rosenberg, Bradley Whitford, Cynthia Nixon
Votes: 24,787 | Gross: $0.38M
37. Trouble with the Curve (2012)
PG-13 | 111 min | Drama, Romance, Sport
A daughter tries to remedy her dysfunctional relationship with her ailing father, a decorated baseball scout, by helping him in a recruiting trip which could be his last.
Director: Robert Lorenz | Stars: Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, John Goodman, Justin Timberlake
Votes: 68,521 | Gross: $35.76M
38. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
PG-13 | 132 min | Drama, Sport
Frankie, an ill-tempered old coach, reluctantly agrees to train aspiring boxer Maggie. Impressed with her determination and talent, he helps her become the best and the two soon form a close bond.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Jay Baruchel
Votes: 721,609 | Gross: $100.49M
39. The Farewell (I) (2019)
PG | 100 min | Comedy, Drama
A Chinese family discovers their grandmother has only a short while left to live and decide to keep her in the dark, scheduling a wedding to gather before she dies.
Director: Lulu Wang | Stars: Shuzhen Zhao, Awkwafina, X Mayo, Hong Lu
Votes: 71,113 | Gross: $16.88M
40. Seven Pounds (2008)
PG-13 | 123 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A man with a fateful secret embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers.
Director: Gabriele Muccino | Stars: Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson, Michael Ealy
Votes: 315,172 | Gross: $69.95M
41. You, Me and Dupree (2006)
PG-13 | 110 min | Comedy, Romance
A best man (Wilson) stays on as a houseguest with the newlyweds, much to the couple's annoyance.
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo | Stars: Kate Hudson, Owen Wilson, Matt Dillon, Michael Douglas
Votes: 84,129 | Gross: $75.63M
42. Beethoven (1992)
PG | 87 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
A slobbering St. Bernard becomes the center of attention for a loving family, but must contend with a dog-napping veterinarian and his henchmen.
Director: Brian Levant | Stars: Charles Grodin, Bonnie Hunt, Dean Jones, Nicholle Tom
Votes: 76,464 | Gross: $57.11M
43. Mad Men (2007–2015)
TV-MA | 45 min | Drama
A drama about one of New York's most prestigious ad agencies at the beginning of the 1960s, focusing on one of the firm's most mysterious but extremely talented ad executives, Donald Draper.
Stars: Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, January Jones
Votes: 260,447
44. Phenomenon (1996)
PG | 123 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
An ordinary man sees a bright light descend from the sky, and discovers he now has super-intelligence and telekinesis.
Director: Jon Turteltaub | Stars: John Travolta, Kyra Sedgwick, Forest Whitaker, Robert Duvall
Votes: 83,776 | Gross: $104.64M
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