Ten Inspirational Movies to Help You Avoid End-of-Year BurnoutBy Arya More

By Arya More

You’ve been working hard all year and it’s finally almost summer. Having written what feels like a hundred essays and assignments and tests, end-of-year burnout is a challenge we all face. But somehow, there’s something about watching others face and overcome obstacles head-on that makes me want to be more productive. Luckily, Hollywood has supplied us with a few inspiring films to spark that motivated mentality we need to finish off the school year!

Here are my top ten favourite inspirational movies (in no particular order) along with some of my favourite quotes to draw you in – enjoy and good luck!

1. The Pursuit of Happyness

After a failed business venture, a man risks it all to provide for his son and avoid homelessness.

Favourite Quote: “Because when I was young and I'd get an A on a history test or whatever... I'd get this good feeling about all the things I could be. And then I never became any of them."

2. Joy

Despite being forced to grow up too fast, facing betrayal and failure, Joy’s imagination carries her through the challenges she faces. Joy is a very real story about life’s hardships and how we should never expect handouts.

Favourite Quote: “The world doesn’t owe you a thing.”

3. On the Basis of Sex

This incredible movie follows the life of Ruth Bader Ginsberg, the second female justice in the U.S. Supreme Court, as she faces adversity in her career and fights for gender equality under the law.

Favourite Quote: “The word ‘woman’ doesn’t appear once in the U.S. Constitution.” | “Nor does the word ‘freedom’.”

4. The Theory of Everything

This movie follows famous physicist, Stephen Hawking, as he falls in love and tries to make an impact in science, all while battling ALS.

Favourite Quote: “However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at. While there's life, there is hope.”

5. Good Will Hunting

A custodian at MIT solves an insanely challenging math problem and must battle his own demons in an effort to achieve his full potential.

Favourite Quote: “You’ll have bad times, but it’ll always wake you up to the good stuff you weren’t paying attention to.”

Favourite Quote Part 2 (because I couldn’t decide): “I’ve got to get up in the morning and spend some more money on my overpriced education.”

6. The Imitation Game

This is a true story about Alan Turing, a mathematician who is enlisted by the British to crack Nazi codes during World War II. The Imitation Game is an inspiring story about teamwork and acceptance.

Favourite Quote: “Sometimes it is the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine”

7. The Blind Side

This movie tells a heartwarming story about an underprivileged teen who not only discovers that he’s insanely good at football, but also finds family along the way.

Favourite Quote: “He was the person for whom the clock was always running out, the game was always tied, and the ball was always in his hands.”

8. Freedom Writers

A determined English teacher inspires a classroom full of underprivileged teens to believe in themselves, accept each other, and write their stories.

Favourite Quote: “Nobody ever listens to a teenager. Everybody thinks you should be happy just because you're young. They don't see the wars that we fight every single day. And one day, my war will end. And I won't die.”

9. Forrest Gump

Despite dealing with physical and intellectual disabilities, Forrest Gump is a man who teaches us the importance of fighting for love and appreciating life while you have it.

Favourite Quote: “My mama always said, ‘Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”

10. The Greatest Showman

This musical follows the true story of P.T. Barnum, a man who makes his way from poverty to producing one of the most famous circuses in history. Barnum teaches us that we should embrace who we are rather than worrying about the opinions of others.

Favourite Quote: “No one ever made a difference by being like everyone else.”