Movie tonalities don’t always match what you’d quite expect. Some movies can start off very happy but end up making you feel like a horrible human being by the time they’re done. Other movies, like the ones we’ll be discussing below, have the opposite effect. They create a world so dark and grim it’s almost depressing to watch, but manage to shine a light through the darkness.
Let’s take a look at some of those movies.
12 Years A Slave
I mean, if watching
slavery in 2020 doesn’t make you root for the slave, you’re probably not understanding
the world as well as you should. Having him return to his family at the end of
the movie is a moment that simply lifts the soul.
The Butler
From a cotton field
worker to a butler at the White House that gets to meet the first black
president later in his life. A typical from rags to riches story, but so
wonderfully told.
Good Will Hunting
This timeless classic is just one of the best stories about someone with no hope for a bright future making a better life for themselves. The movie ends with Will leaving his old life – sometimes that’s all the happy ending you need.
The Pursuit of Happyness
A story about a man
that goes from being homeless with his son to living in great wealth because of
the fact that he’s a business genius. It’s not so much the wealth that gets you
– it’s that he manages to provide for his son. His son later turns out to be
Jaden Smith, but I guess that’s the risk you take.
Cinderella Man
Not the only true
story on this list, this movie tells the tale of a boxer that has to quit the
sport due to injuries, only to miraculously make a comeback after years. And
what does he do when he wins that fight? He uses the prize money to buy a house
for his family to live in. How can you not root for a guy like that?
Room
Having a child grow up
in a small room in complete captivity and then finally finding freedom after
seven years. And while adapting to the real world does come with its struggles,
we see everything working out in the end.
The Shawshank Redemption
Having someone be in
prison for 19 years and suffer hardship after hardship is sure to make you root
for him, but I think we all cheered when we saw the hole in that prison cell
wall.
Moonlight
I’ve never rooted more for a guy to get a happy ending, so seeing one in Moonlight was truly wonderful. Having him end his tragic life by finally being with the man he loves probably made everybody happy and proud.
