Films With Heart

[Pencey]

You always hear how studios want films with heart. What films can you think of that best exemplfy this trait?

[Biohazard]

The Elephant Man?

[Republic of Stephen]

I am Sam

[TwoBitHack]

Breaking Away

Rocky

Tucker

[The White Album]

Kids
Irreversible
I Spit On Your Grave

[Thomas H]

Forrest....Forrest Gu-ump.

Big Fish

[Hairy Lime]

I love movies with heart. Here's a partial my list of favorites:

About a Boy
About Schmidt
Amelie
Beaded Road
Beautiful Girls
Bend it Like Beckham
Chocolat
The Cider House Rules
Cinema Paradiso
Dead Poets Society
The Earthling
Edward Scissorhands
Finding Neverland
The Full Monty
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
The Graduate
Harold & Maude
Harry & Tonto
Hotel Rwanda
Hustle & Flow
Hyung's Overture
In the Bedroom
In the Mood for Love
It's a Wonderful Life
Kolya
Life is Beautiful
Lost in Translation
The Man from Snowy River
Marty
Millions
My Life as a Dog
The Natural
Nobody's Fool
Punch Drunk Love
Rabbit Proof Fence
Rudy
Seabiscuit
Searching for Bobby Fischer
Show me Love
Simon Birch
Smoke Signals
Spring Forward
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring
Spirit of the Beehive
To Kill a Mockingbird
A Very Long Engagement
Whale Rider
The World's Fastest Indian

[Qazworld]

hairy's such a sissy.

[warrenP]

Does I Heart Huckabees count?

What about Where the Heart is ?

Or maybe, Angel Heart?

Perhaps Wild at Heart?


Just having a bit of fun. :)

[Thomas H]

Good Will Hunting

[Big Adam]

Liar, Liar

[writerman]

The Edge

[Cycstorm]

Field of Dreams
Cool Runnings
Cinderella Man

[Rex V]

Hyung's Overture

I truly hope that in a few years you'll be able to put that on a "Films With Heart" list without an implied wink.

[Hamboogul]

I truly hope that in a few years you'll be able to put that on a "Films With Heart" list without an implied wink.

I bet when this film actually comes out on screen, it can be added to the discussion on plot or character driven story in the Characterization thread of Screenwriting III.

[DMNY]

I bet when this film actually comes out on screen, it can be added to the discussion on plot or character driven story in the Characterization thread of Screenwriting III.
The way the thread is going, I'd say there's a good chance for that.

[Deus Ex Machine]

Blood Work ;)

[roscoegino]

Million Dollar Baby
Breaking Away
Hurricane
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Inside Moves
You Can Count on Me
Midnight Cowboy

[Erdnase]

North By Northwest
Casablanca
Sleepless In Seattle
The Power Of One
Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story
Rear Window
Charade
To Catch A Thief

[TheKeenGuy]

Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom.

[prince pantyhose]

cool hand luke.

[joeld42]

I can't believe no one's said it yet...

"Pirates of the Carribbean: Dead Man's Chest".

That had a lot of heart.

:D

[writerman]

Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom.

:rolling:
I was thinking the same thing.

[Erdnase]

I agree!

Dr. Jones, I love you!

[tabula rasa]

Fly Away Home
Babe The Pig
It's A Wonderful Life
Red Dawn
O Brother Where Art Thou?

[AnconRanger]

Hoosiers

[roscoegino]

Inside Man? :D :o :|

[tabula rasa]

Die Hard 1 and 2.

That's one never-say-die cop. He's gonna see his wife again, dammit, if hell's standin' in his way.

[Fortean]

LE ROI DE COEUR (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060908/combined)

[andlary1]

So, any protagonist who comes up from nothing, or struggles over evil, or overcomes temptation and is redeemed?

Is that how a film with heart is defined?

[amandag]

This is a very interesting thread, and I'm a little skeptical.

I would imagine a studio wanting 'heart' is thinking 'heart' but with profit.

Forrest Gump fits that (although who would've guessed beforehand, but then it's Robert Zemekis) and certainly others. But I imagine if you sent a straight spec with 'heart' and a low concept it'll still be a tricky sale.

A lot of films listed in this thread weren't box office smashes.

Except 'Liar Liar' and 'Die Hard.'

So 'heart' is a pretty vague description. This is an interesting topic of exploration. Just throwin' it out there.

[Thomas H]

Um....the Passion of the Christ? :o

[andlary1]

Most good films have heart. Most, not all.

Pulp Fiction, for example: did it have heart?

(Sorry I started so late, Limey. I know you're probably watching a wonderful indie and sipping port about now, not to mention seducing a new leading lady for one of those fabulous films you do.)

Oh, and Gorilla, Passion of the Christ definitely has heart.

[TDWoj]

Places in the Heart
Norma
Steel Magnolias
(I'm going through a Sally Field memory dump here, it seems)

As Good as it Gets

any Disney animated film

Ice Age
Shrek
Monsters, Inc.

[andlary1]

I've decided it's too vague. Nothing personal, just can't pin it down. IMO

[andlary1]

Places in the Heart
Norma
Steel Magnolias
(I'm going through a Sally Field memory dump here, it seems)

As Good as it Gets

any Disney animated film

Ice Age
Shrek
Monsters, Inc.

So strong women in distress or threatened represents a possible heart film. And of course, Disney's animations.

What about Monster? Did that have heart?

[Architeuthis Dux]

What about Monster? Did that have heart?

Well, The Monster, with Roberto Benigni, had heart. As did La Vita E Bella.

[writerman]

So, any protagonist who comes up from nothing, or struggles over evil, or overcomes temptation and is redeemed?

Is that how a film with heart is defined?

I define a film with heart one in which a character stays the course against the odds when it would be easier to just walk away or give up.

But that's me....

[writerman]

Puke! (insert vomiting smiley)

I've heard english food can do that to ya. :eek:

[gregsonfilm]

Lady in the Water

[amandag]

That's "Lady in the Butter"

[Hessian]

Halbblut.


"This land is not for sale". Great stuff.

A fudge brownie for any1 that can give me the english title.

[Thomas H]

The Majestic! I like that one even if it is Cinema Paridiso Light! :D

[DMNY]

The Killing Fields
Leaving Las Vegas

[Hairy Lime]

I'd define "heart" as a film with a positive message and universal theme that's so well delivered that the audience can't help but be moved emotionally.

Doesn't matter to me if that film is about finding your way home (Rabbit Proof Fence, The Earthling) or finding yourself (About Schmidt, Harold & Maude, The Graduate, Dead Poets Society) or the magic of childhood (Cinema Paradiso, Millions, Spirit of the Beehive) or overcoming obstacles (Bend it Like Beckham, Seabiscuit) or helping your fellow man (Kolya, Simon Birch, It's a Wonderful Life). All inspire us to be better human beings and care just a little bit more about those around us.

[Stephen Wegmann]

I was going to say Hostel but then I remebered The Baxter, which is the only movie in the universe I'll probably ever call "cute".

[Thomas H]

Oh man, I don't think anyone mentioned this one yet..... E.T. :eek:


And while I'm at it, Empire of the Sun

[writerman]

Finding Nemo

Any one of us would have wrote that little orange bastard off after the shark showed up.