25 Inspirational Movies Like The Blind Side To Add To Your Watch List

If there's one actress who can rival Sandra Bullock in box office draw and general appeal, it's got to be none other than America's sweetheart herself: the one and only Julia Roberts. If "The Blind Side" is the kind of movie that makes your heart sing, you might want to check out the best biopic in Roberts' repertoire – Steven Soderbergh's 2000 film "Erin Brockovich." (Like Bullock in "The Blind Side," Roberts also won her first Oscar for the role.)

The movie tells the real-life tale of Erin Brockovich, who, in 1993, was an unemployed single mother of three. After losing a personal injury case, she manages to get a job at a law firm where she uncovers a cover-up involving contaminated water that has been causing illness among the residents of a small town. Despite her rather unconventional way of going about things, Brockovich proves herself to be an effective legal clerk, and she becomes hell-bent on proving her case.

Like Bullock's Leigh Anne Tuohy in "The Blind Side," Brockovich is a brassy southern woman who isn't afraid to tell it like it is. Roberts' spirited performance makes it impossible for you not to root for Brockovich, and, luckily (spoiler alert), her hard work does eventually pay off. If you're in the mood for a riveting true story about a woman who just won't back down, "Erin Brockovich" is your best bet.

While some of the most beloved films based on true stories are about people overcoming seemingly impossible odds in order to achieve their goals, sometimes the most charming stories are those about people simply finding themselves. Arguably the most popular film in the 'divorced white women finding themselves' genre is the Ryan Murphy-helmed adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert's book "Eat Pray Love," which stars the one and only Julia Roberts. But instead of streaming that film, instead consider "Under The Tuscan Sun," the more highly rated of the two (sorry Julia).

Based on the memoir of the same name by Frances Mayes, "Under the Tuscan Sun" follows Frances (Diane Lane), a San Francisco writer who goes through a traumatic divorce which causes her to lose her house. Her best friend Patti (Sandra Oh) convinces her to take a trip to Tuscany to recover. While there, Frances decides to buy an abandoned villa and start a new life. She is later joined by Patti herself, as well as several colorful locals.

Though "Under the Tuscan Sun" is certainly not the only movie of its kind, it's one of the better ones, and it's hard not to be charmed by Lane's character — despite her many quirks. It's a cheerful, easygoing film that doesn't require much from the viewer except for a slight suspension of disbelief. (Though it is based on a true story, after all.) If that sounds like your jam, then queue it up ASAP.

Where would the entertainment world be without Denzel Washington? Well, you certainly wouldn't be watching "Remember the Titans," that's for sure. Like Bullock's "The Blind Side," 2000's "Remember the Titans" looks at the conflict between two of the most American institutions: football and racism. Based on a true story, "Remember the Titans" follows Herman Boone (Washington), a football coach in 1971 Alexandria, Virginia who is involved in the efforts to integrate the high school football team. When Boone is named head coach over the school's white coach, the racial tension in the town comes to a head, and Boone must work to find harmony within a volatile situation.

"Remember the Titans" is a Disney movie, which means it can be rather sentimental at times. Luckily, Washington is excellent in the role, and he keeps the character from feeling like merely an archetype of Black strength and tolerance in the face of racial hatred. As far as football movies go, it's an especially stirring one, and Washington's speech in a misty graveyard on the site of the Battle of Gettysburg is enough to inspire even the most hardened individuals.

Technically, the 2014 film "Wild" is part of the 'divorced white women finding themselves' genre made famous in films like "Eat Pray Love" and "Under the Tuscan Sun," but it's a pretty unique take on the issue. The movie was directed by the late and great Jean-Marc Vallée and stars Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl Strayed, the woman who wrote the memoir that the film is based on. In 1995, Cheryl is reeling from the loss of her mother, the demise of her marriage, and a nasty heroin habit. Unable to cope with her life in the "real world," Cheryl decides to hike part of the 2,653-mile Pacific Crest Trail despite the fact that she has no hiking or backpacking experience. Cheryl must face down the physical hardships of the trail and her own demons if she's to make it out of the wilderness in one piece.

With all of the talent behind it, it's no surprise that "Wild" is such a success. Strayed is a talented writer with a distinct style, and her voice really shines in this adaptation. Witherspoon, who is most well-known for playing bright, bubbly characters, is surprisingly well-suited for the role, and she really leans into Cheryl's darker impulses. Vallée's unique directorial style – famously epitomized in Season 1 of "Big Little Lies" – is perfect for the film, and its numerous flashback sequences (something Vallée is especially known for) are one of its greatest strengths. It might not inspire you to hike a thousand miles without preparation, but hopefully it will inspire you to do a little soul searching, albeit in a safer environment.

Nothing makes a good movie like the story of a real-life hero who puts their life on the line to make the world a better place. That's exactly why this next film gets a spot on the list. Directed by Gus Van Sant, "Milk" follows Harvey Milk (Sean Penn), who became the first openly gay man in America to hold major public office in 1977. After moving to San Francisco with his partner Scott Smith (James Franco), Milk helps make the Castro District a safe haven for gay and lesbian individuals. His election to public office is a huge win for the LGBTQ residents of the city, but he also gains some powerful enemies in the process.

It's hard not to be inspired by the story of Milk, both in its factual and Hollywood-ized forms. He knew what he was doing was dangerous, but he was compelled to do it anyway, consequences be damned. "If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door in the country," he once said, as if predicting his own assassination by political rival Dan White in 1978 (via The Guardian). It's hard to imagine the effect both his life and his death had on the LGBTQ community at the time, but the film does an admirable job of trying to cement his legacy. It also contains a masterclass performance by Penn, who thankfully humanizes the near-mythical figure of Milk.

In terms of insurmountable odds, there are few systems as seemingly impenetrable as the U.S. justice system. Despite that, the protagonist of the 2019 film "Just Mercy" is willing to take on those odds. Based on a true story, the movie follows Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan), a young graduate of Harvard Law who moves to Alabama to defend those who are most vulnerable. Along with Eva Ansley (Brie Larson), he creates the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery. His first big case is that of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), a man on death row for the murder of an 18-year-old white woman. Stevenson discovers evidence that McMillian is innocent, but finds it increasingly difficult to get McMillian's case heard within the corrupt legal system and police force of Alabama.

Stevenson's single-minded, years-long fight to save McMillian's life is certainly inspiring, if not a bit depressing. Foxx is excellent as the dignified, desperate McMillian, and the journey the film takes viewers on is both heart-wrenching and heartwarming. The film oozes earnestness, which might have been off-putting were it not also filled with so much passion and urgency. You can probably predict where this one is going to go and how the story will unfold, but it's a spirited re-telling nonetheless.

A story about the people who brought statistical analysis to baseball might not seem like a killer blockbuster idea at first, but the 2011 film "Moneyball" proves that assumption wrong. With a script co-written by Aaron Sorkin, "Moneyball" stars Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland Athletics. While on a scouting trip for the 2002 season, Beane meets Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), a young economist who has an interesting theory about evaluating players using statistics.

Known as sabermetrics, Brand's method uses statistical analysis in order to evaluate the overall performance of players and predict their future performance. Beane knows something needs to change if the Athletics want to assemble a competitive team, so he adopts Brand's radical approach. Despite opposition from other members of management, Beane is committed to seeing his plan to fruition and creating a winning lineup.

"Moneyball" is sort of a backstage sports movie focusing less on the players and more on the strategy behind the game. Despite its rather unconventional approach to telling the story of America's favorite pastime, "Moneyball" was a hit, garnering a total of six Oscar nominations in 2012. With Sorkin's typical slick, fast-talking script and Pitt's undeniable charm, a home run was inevitable.

You won't find one of the greatest surfing movies of all time on this list (that would be "Point Break," of course) because it doesn't quite fit the bill, but there's another classic option that might give you that inspirational thrill you're looking for.

Based on a magazine article written by author Susan Orlean, 2002's "Blue Crush" follows a group of young surfers in O'ahu. Anne Marie (Kate Bosworth) lives with her younger sister, Penny (Mika Boorem), along with her best friends Eden (Michelle Rodriguez) and Lena (Sanoe Lake). In order to make ends meet, Anne Marie, Eden, and Lena all work as maids at a hotel, but what they really love to do is surf. Anne Marie dreams of becoming a champion surfer, but finds herself losing focus with the arrival of a charming football player (Matthew Davis).

Despite the Hollywood-ized narrative and the unnecessary romantic subplot (along with some less-than-stellar CGI), "Blue Crush" is still a thrilling ride filled with compelling characters and heart-pounding surfing action. Rodriguez is especially well-cast as a tough-as-nails surfer girl, but it's fun to watch all of the women in the film excel at what they do. There are no shark attacks in this one, but it might just be inspiring enough to convince you to get off the couch for a few minutes.

"Good Will Hunting" is one of those movies that hits you right in the chest every time you watch it. First released in 1997, the film follows Will Hunting (Matt Damon), a math prodigy employed as a janitor at MIT. One night, he solves an extremely difficult math problem he sees written in an empty classroom and his skills are discovered by math professor Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgård), who takes it upon himself to mentor Will. When Will is arrested in the wake of a brawl, Professor Lambeau makes him a deal: He will get Will out of trouble if he sees a therapist named Sean Maguire (Robin Williams). He agrees, and Maguire comes to be one of the most important people in Will's life.

Alongside Damon and Williams, the film also stars Ben Affleck as Will's best friend and Minnie Driver as his love interest. It's impossible not to cheer for these characters, and it's one of the most affecting stories about therapy ever put to screen. It was something of a phenomenon when it first came out – it made $225 million on a $10 million budget (via IMDb) and earned Damon and Affleck Oscars for Best Screenplay – but it's just as compelling today. Damon and Affleck are charming as the Cambridge-bred boys, and the film is full of quotable lines and inspiring moments. How do you like them apples?

The title of the 2016 film "Hidden Figures" says it all. Sometimes, the utility of a biopic is in its ability to bring to light the extraordinary accounts of those who have too often been ignored, and "Hidden Figures" does just that. The film follows three Black women – Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) – who work at NASA in the early 1960s. The research center where they are employed is segregated by race, and the trio's contributions are undervalued by the agency. Though many of their colleagues are extremely inhospitable, the women eventually become major players in one of the country's most important achievements: launching astronaut John Glenn into orbit.

Like many Hollywood biopics, it's fairly formulaic in how it tells its story. Kevin Costner's character in "Hidden Figures" is probably given too much credit for what he did to integrate NASA, especially since it was Katherine, Dorothy, and Mary who did the brunt of the work (and took most of the abuse). Nonetheless, the film boasts strong performances from its lead actresses, and, above all, tells an important story that every American should know. And those heartwarming end credits do not disappoint.

A quick disclaimer: Martin Scorsese's 2004 film "The Aviator" is nearly three hours long. If you can handle its marathon runtime, it's well worth a watch. The historical epic tells the story of billionaire aviator Howard Hughes, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. In the 1930s and '40s, Hughes is a hugely successful figure: He's a director of Hollywood films like "Scarface" and "Hell's Angels," a pioneer in aviation, and a lover of starlets like Katharine Hepburn (Cate Blanchett) and Ava Gardner (Kate Beckinsale). However, in his private life, Hughes suffers from mental illness, and his struggles with OCD and depression worsen with every new success.

There are a number of things to love about this movie, one of them being its excellent cast. First of all, there is no other film where you can see Blanchett play Katharine Hepburn, and it is worth watching just for that. DiCaprio is also excellent as the dually confident and anxious Hughes, playing both his highs and his lows with equal amounts of passion. The supporting cast includes the likes of John C. Reilly, Alec Baldwin, Alan Alda, Gwen Stefani, Jude Law, Willem Dafoe, and Adam Scott. Hughes' own story was larger-than-life, so it's only right his biopic be just as epic.

There's something deeply compelling about movies that follow extremely talented children, which is probably why there are so many of them. One film that falls under this category 2006's "Akeelah and the Bee," which stars a young Keke Palmer as the title character. Akeelah is an 11-year-old girl who lives in South Los Angeles. When visiting English professor Dr. Joshua Larabee (Laurence Fishburne) sees her talent for spelling, he tells her she is good enough to compete in the National Spelling Bee. Dr. Larabee eventually becomes Akeelah's coach, but Akeelah's mother, Tanya (Angela Bassett), doesn't approve of Akeelah's newfound interest.

Akeelah is determined to achieve her goal no matter what, and she finds that she just might be able to do it with a little support from her community. Palmer is utterly delightful in the role, and it's difficult not to root for her, even when all the adults in her life are exasperated by her antics. Plus, the addition of two powerhouse actors – Fishburne and Bassett – adds a much-needed gravitas to the heartwarming film. If you're not too dispirited by an 11-year-old being a better speller than you, give "Akeelah and the Bee" a shot.

If you're a fan of Wonder Woman and don't know the story behind her inception, then this is movie for you. Directed by Angela Robinson, the mind behind "Herbie: Fully Loaded" and "D.E.B.S.," "Professor Marston and the Wonder Women" tells the story of William Moulton Marston (Luke Evans), the man who created the iconic superhero. In this case, the maxim "behind every great man there's a great woman" is doubly true, as Marston had two formidable women in his life who aided in the process.

Marston was a psychology professor at Harvard in the 1920s. Along with his wife Elizabeth (a formidable scholar herself), he developed the lie detector test, an invention that played a huge part in his famous comic books. William and Elizabeth come into contact with a student named Olive Byrne, who just happens to be the daughter of famed suffragette Ethel Byrne and the niece of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger. William, Elizabeth, and Olive enter a professional arrangement that quickly turns romantic, and they endeavor to live a life together in a polyamorous relationship, raising children in the suburbs. It's during this time that William, inspired by the two women, creates Wonder Woman.

While the precise nature of the trio's relationship remains contested (via Vulture), the film tells a fascinating story about what it takes to buck social conventions and live by your own moral code. It's thrilling to see how a character as iconic and influential as Wonder Woman was originated, and it's even more exciting to finally get to know the two women instrumental in her conception. How would the world differ without Elizabeth and Olive?