Most Inspirational Movies of All Time

25 Flicks Thatll Lift Your Spirits

Whether it's a last-ditch Hail Mary pass flung on fourth and long to win the game or a high school math teacher leading students by his quiet example, movies are at their best when they inspire us. The following films have stood the test of time (and racked up plenty of Oscar gilt) with their ability to enliven us to make all our dreams, however daunting, a reality. And the winners are ... -- By Tom Johnson

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25. 'Forrest Gump' (1994)

Tom Hanks won his second Oscar for this affecting portrayal of an unassuming man with a low IQ who wins a Congressional Medal of Honor for heroism in Vietnam, becomes a multimillionaire, meets presidents and rock stars, and unwittingly influences popular culture. 'Gump,' at its core, is a fable that posits life as a wondrous gift, precious and brimming with hidden value.

Paramount

24. 'Stand and Deliver' (1988)

An East L.A. math teacher, Jaime Escalante (Edward James Olmos), battles to instill an appreciation of learning and academic excellence in inner city students who view high school as little more than a daily six-hour holding pen. Against all odds, Escalante succeeds in transforming his kids into calculus whizzes who ace their senior year exams. Think 'Rocky' for the pocket protector crowd.

Catarina Monnier, ZUMA Press

23. 'In the Heat of the Night' (1967)

Visiting Philadelphia police inspector Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) gets sidetracked into assisting Mississippi redneck cops led by the town police chief (an Oscar-winning Rod Steiger) in a murder investigation. As the sleuthing progresses, Tibbs' intelligence and professionalism breaks down the racial divide and a mutual respect develops between the two men. 'Heat' also won Best Picture laurels.

MGM

22. 'Rudy' (1993)

Sean Astin (years before he hit the big time as a hobbit) is the titular football tackling dummy who gains entrance to the college of his dreams, Notre Dame, in this true story that'll have you rootin' and weepin' at the finale. A doughy Jon Favreau (years before he became Vince Vaughn's tackling dummy) plays Rudy's buddy who helps him ace the entrance boards that finally get him into school. The movie thrillingly underscores the old saw "Winners never quit, and quitters never win."

Everett Collection

21. 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' (1939)

In an era of flip-flopping politicians who seem to act for political expediency, it's only in the annals of history (and movies) that we find leadership that really measures up. And no one's done it better on the big screen than Jimmy Stewart as junior Senator Jefferson Smith; a trusting soul who travels to D.C. only to see his idealistic hopes crushed by the graft of special interest money men. Smith's one-man filibuster ranks among director Frank Capra's greatest movie moments.

Silver Screen Collection / Getty Images

20. 'Chariots of Fire' (1981)

This true story of two British track stars, a determined Jew (Ben Cross) and a devout Christian (Ian Charleson), who compete for king and country in the 1924 Olympics won the 1982 Best Picture and Best Screenplay Oscars (against a field that included 'On Golden Pond'). Naysayers believe the flick -- and Vangelis' dulling score -- belongs in the "What Were We Thinking?" category populated by Academy duds like 'Gandhi' and 'The English Patient.' But for fans, 'Chariots' is a film with, well, legs.

Everett Collection

19. 'The Diary of Anne Frank' (1959)

The diary that teenager Anne Frank kept while hiding with her family and other Jews in a secret room in Amsterdam during WWII, chronicling Anne's hopes, dreams and budding sexuality, made a powerful transition to the screen in 1959. 'Diary' underscores the implacable optimism of the human spirit best embodied in the voiceover we hear as the secret annex is discovered by the Gestapo. "I still believe, in spite of everything, that all people are basically good at heart," Anne says.

Ralph Crane, Time Life Pictures / Getty Images

18. 'The Shawshank Redemption' (1994)

In 1947, after taking the fall for two murders he didn't commit, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is sent for life to Shawshank State Prison. What follows is nearly two decades of life lessons that speak to how a decent man cannot only endure unjust conviction, but really matter in others' lives. Although the film centers on Dufresne's redemptive story, attention must be paid to Morgan Freeman as Red, Andy's pal and Man Friday. Freeman's spellbinding narration alone is worth the price of admission.

ZUMA Press

17. 'A Raisin in the Sun' (1961)

'Raisin' tells of the trials and tribulations of an African-American family (headed by Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee) who move into a predominantly white Chicago neighborhood. The title comes from the opening lines of Langston Hughes' poem 'Harlem': "What happens to a dream deferred?/Does it dry up/like a raisin in the sun?" In this film, the family's "dream" of living a desegregated existence ultimately triumphs.

Everett Collection