13 Feel-Good Movies That'll Inspire You To Follow Your Dreams

Now that I'm living my own purpose, I'm more driven than ever to help others find their happy too. Movies are an oft-forgotten resource for getting yourself out of the doldrums and finding the motivation to keep striving for what you want. So, next time you need a little pick-me-up, turn to one of these 13 classic films. Their stories might just be the encouragement you need to reach for your dreams with renewed courage and joy tomorrow.

In an effort to get to know the real man, Will begins piecing together a true picture of his father from flashbacks of his amazing adventures in this marvel of a movie.

When a sports agent gets fired for expressing his moral epiphany, he decides to put his new philosophy to the test as an independent agent, starting his own company from scratch with the only athlete willing to take a risk on him. It's a heartwarming story that reminds you sometimes the little guy can have big success, even without sacrificing his integrity.

After her marriage falls apart, a writer (played by the charming Diane Lane) goes on a trip to Tuscany, impulsively deciding to buy a villa and build a new life. Learning to release her expectations of herself and other people, she experiences the kind of joy and rebirth most of us forget is at our fingertips.

In this classic holiday film, George Bailey (played by James Stewart), a man who has given up his dreams to help others, begins to lose hope and is on the verge of suicide. An angel (Henry Travers) is sent to earth to show George what the world would be like if he had never been born, and George begins to realize how many lives he changed for the better. If you want a story about redemption and second chances, you can't do much better than It's a Wonderful Life.

Throughout the movie, she astounds people with her zest for life, inspiring others to take more risks and live in the moment. It shouldn't take an expiration date for us to start making the most of the time we have.

A farmer is called to change his life and follow a dream—an inner voice—that guides him to turn his cornfield into a baseball field where extraordinary and magical things happen. On this mystical journey he meets a journalist and a doctor who chooses to give up his baseball career. This is a story of hoping, dreaming, and doing against all odds.

A naturalist named Dian Fossey (portrayed by Sigourney Weaver) devotes her life to the study of gorillas, venturing to the Congo, then Rwanda to study them, eventually becoming an advocate against poaching and gorilla tourism. She fights for animals who have no voice, against all odds. The movie's tag line says it all: "At the far ends of the earth, she found a reason to live, and a cause to fight for."

The film paints a heartwarming picture of what it's like to truly live your life in service to others.

Based on the real life of Chris Gardner, this movie stars Will Smith as a single father struggling with homelessness while raising a toddler. I believe it's one of the most heartwarming and motivational movies of all time. The struggles of the father-son duo and his perseverance to follow his dream, even during the toughest of times, will motivate you to keep pursuing your own.

While most people would have never thought of getting back on a surfboard after such an accident, Bethany never gave up on her dream. This movie is a reminder to all of us that no matter what obstacles we have to overcome, we can accomplish anything that we set our minds to.

Remy (Patton Oswalt), a resident of Paris, appreciates good food, and has quite a sophisticated palate. He would love to become a chef so he can create and enjoy culinary masterpieces to his heart's delight. Despite the fact that he is, well ... a rat, he never lets that stand in the way of his pie-in-the-sky dream.

Newly divorced and at a crossroads, Gilbert steps far, far out of her comfort zone, risking everything to change her life, embarking on a journey around the world that becomes a quest for self-discovery. In her travels, she discovers the true pleasure of nourishment by eating in Italy, the power of prayer in India, and, finally and unexpectedly, the inner peace and balance of true love in Indonesia.

Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) has an uncanny knack for cutting classes, breaking rules, and charming his way out of it. Intending to make one last duck-out before graduation, Ferris calls in sick, "borrows" a Ferrari, and embarks on an epic adventure around Chicago with his closest friends. Ferris reminds us, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”