12+ Inspirational Movies About Finding Your Purpose in Life

Have you ever watched a movie that stuck with you for a long time? Maybe there were some memorable quotes or words of wisdom. Movies and books can inspire us to be our best self and make positive changes in our life.

When you feel like you’re at a crossroads in your life and don’t know which path to take, sometimes it helps to watch a movie that can give you some clarity and help you find your purpose. Even if it’s just a fictional story, these films can be inspiring and provide you with the motivation you need to make a change in your life.

There are plenty of great movies out there that deal with finding yourself and your purpose in life. Here are just a few favorites that made the list.

1. Billy Elliot (2000)

What do you think the son of a miner should do? His father did not doubt that his son would be a boxer. But, 11-year-old Billy Elliot was in love with ballet.

We have childhood dreams, which society sometimes considers to be shameful or inappropriate. Unfortunately, many people remain unhappy, having never achieved their goals. Our hero, Billy Elliot, appears before us as a kind of rebel. He ruins the stereotypes of the upbringing. It is a wonderful film. From the first moment to the last, “Billy Eliot” will never let you forget your childhood dream. 

2. Coco Chanel (2008)

Coco Chanel became a style icon, plunging into wealth and fame. To this day, her influence is felt in new fashion trends. This film describes her life from childhood in an orphanage and traces her path to widespread recognition through poverty, war, doomed romance novels, and glamorous betrayal.

3. Chef (2014)

This film is about a magnificent chef who lost his job in a famous restaurant in Los Angeles. As a result, he decided to realize his long-standing passion for fast food – to open his chain of eateries on wheels. “Chef” is a fantastic film about business. Don’t watch with a hungry stomach.

4. The Man Who Knew Infinity (2015)

There are plenty of films about geniuses, but only a few movies about geniuses in mathematics. In 2015, the British shot another very worthy biographical canvas about a mathematical genius from India.

The film tells about the life of the famous Indian self-taught mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.

Having no education, deeply religious Srinivasa Ramanujan is a truly unique figure. He believed that the formulas come to him from above.

This story is not a fairy tale, rather a reality. It is replete with tragic details of Ramanujan’s life. 

5. Into the Wild (2007)

“Into the wild” was a book (based on a true story) before it was made into a film. A 19-year old who has everything leaves life as he knows it to live in the wild. This film is a beautiful adventure. You’ll find yourself pondering the meaning of life, wondering if you should runaway into the wild.

6. Joy (2015 )

This movie is a great pick-me-up for aspiring entrepreneurs. Jennifer Lawrence plays the role of a divorced mother who invents a self-wringing mop.

7. Gauguin – Voyage de Tahiti (2017)

The movie follows the life story of the great artist Paul Gauguin. During the period when he left Paris for the island of Tahiti, Gauguin found a muse and drew on many ideas that formed the basis of his most famous paintings.

8. Three Colors: Blue (1993)

It is the story of a young woman who miraculously survived a car accident but lost her husband and five-year-old daughter. Together with this woman, the viewer is trying to figure out how she possibly go on. What is the meaning of her future life without her husband and daughter?

9. Against the Ropes (2004)

This film shows how difficult it is for a woman in the modern world to make a career, especially in such a field as boxing. To prove that you are not just a woman, but also a good connoisseur of your business. Meg Ryan is as fit as anyone for this role.

10. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

This is a touching drama based on true events. It tells the story of Chris Gardner, who does everything to survive, feed himself, and his family. He sincerely believes in his strength to change his life for the better and get a prestigious, high-paying job as a broker. He tolerates a lousy attitude towards himself from others. He has problems with housing and discord in relations with his wife.

The film is dedicated to the purpose of life, and it clearly shows what a person who has faith and works hard will ultimately achieve their goal.

11. The Founder (2016)

The interesting film tells about the life of Ray Krok, a man who created the world’s most famous chain of fast-service restaurants – McDonald’s.

12. Tracks (2013)

Tracks is a beautiful adventure picture about a traveler who subsequently published her travel notes with National Geographic. The tape looks on the same breath and gives inspiration, as well as a good impression. The film is about courage, audacity, and the spirit of adventurism.

13. Wild Strawberries (1957)

Wild Strawberries is a light, life-affirming film filled with love and faith in humanity. Here you can find the theme of loneliness, religious disputes, and issues of life and death.

The plot is quite simple. An elderly professor goes to a ceremony, where he will be presented with an honorary award for scientific achievements in the field of medicine.

On the way, they will visit various places that are, in one way or another, dear to the heart of an elderly doctor. They meet new people, all while seeing life from a different perspective.

14. The King’s Speech (2010)

This movie is about how a person who never ruled the country found the strength to become king. Everyone is against you, laughing at you. You are considered a charlatan and a deceiver. This film is about overcoming psychological complexes and fears. One of the best examples of how a half-forgotten historical fact can creep into a smart and moving story. 

15. October Sky (1999

The Soviet rocket launch made a lasting impression on Homer Hickam from a small mining town in West Virginia. In love with space, Homer decides to build his rocket. Three friends and a school teacher begin to help him. However, Homer’s father, a miner and a hard worker, categorically opposes the aspirations of his child.

Despite everything, the boy will do everything possible and impossible to make his dream come true. 

16. The Big Eyes (2014)

The artist Walter Keane appeared from nowhere and became incredibly famous. His unusual paintings made a real splash and flooded the whole world. They are printed on calendars and postcards. Walter becomes the king of modern art, one of the most famous art figures on the planet. But at the peak of the artist’s fame, his modest wife Margaret suddenly claims that she is the author of famous paintings. Tim Burton did a great job telling the story of big eyes. The story of an artist who has achieved justice!

The fact that the plot of the film is based on real events already gives it several additional points. The story of Margaret Keane is already impressive as an example of a strong-willed woman who, despite many years of injustice, decided not to give up and defend the truth.

17. La Mome (2007)

The life of Edith Piaf was like a battle. Every day she had to fight for the right to live, sing and love! From the slums of Paris, she rose to the stage of New York concert halls and captured the hearts of the whole world. Her friends were the most famous people of that time – Jean Cocteau, Marlene Dietrich, Marcel Cerdan. Growing up in dire poverty, Piaf achieved tremendous success. But, having taken off to immense heights, she could not help but break off her wings.

This magnificent film took two Oscars. When I finished watching La Mome I decided to buy a CD with Edith Piaf’s songs.

18. Men of Honor (2000)

It is the life story of the legendary black diver Karl Brashir, who, in his career, had to face manifestations of racism. The young and talented guy had to persevere and work to prove his professionalism, despite the sticks that were inserted into his wheels. Karl not only did not break down but also survived under much more severe tests.

19. Thank You for Smoking (2005)

Nick Naylor’s job is not easy. He has oratorical talent, but he uses it not for a good cause. He is a lobbyist for big tobacco. It would seem absurd: to come into conflict with ardent opponents of smoking and try to prove the latter’s usefulness. But that’s Nick’s job. And he achieved considerable results in it, encouraging everyone to smoke in talk shows on television and promoting cigarettes in films. However, Nick never considered smoking himself; he needs money to live on and raise his son.

20. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

In 1987 Jordan Belfort became a broker for a successful investment bank. Unfortunately, the bank closes shortly after the sudden collapse of the Dow Jones. On the advice of his wife Teresa, Jordan gets a job in a small institution that deals with small shares. His persistent style of communication with clients and innate charisma quickly pay off. He meets Donnie’s housemate, a merchant, and they decide to open their company to make money. In his free time from work, Jordan spends his life: maneuvers from one party to another and uses many drugs. 

You can treat this film in different ways, but no one doubts that Jordan had a talent that gave him the life he wanted. In general, this film is like a short tutorial on marketing – have a strategy different from your competitors, motivate your team, and understand your target audience’s pain.

21. Groundhog Day (1993)

Have you ever experienced that one day is similar to the previous one, and so on for several days, weeks in a row? A weatherman Phil Connors faced such a nuisance.

This film is based on a deep philosophical meaning, covered with a humorous and exciting plot.

This film gives me a charge of cheerfulness, optimism, faith in myself and faith in love. In my opinion, Harold Ramis created a movie that anyone can enjoy.

The next few films are documentaries, but that doesn’t make them boring! If you like to cook delicious food, then these films will inspire you to new achievements.

22. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011) 

It is the story of the owner of a restaurant in Tokyo, who has devoted his whole life to cooking sushi. Jiro Ono is 85 years old. His establishment is even difficult to call a restaurant – it is a tiny gap in the underpass somewhere in Hindza. Only ten seats, just a row of tall chairs along with the rack. The toilet is outside. The menu is only sushi and nothing more. And three Michelin stars. This is brilliant cinema for those who want to understand what the “work of a lifetime” is. Perfectionism elevated to the rank of art.

23. Noma, My Perfect Storm (2015)

The Noma restaurant in Copenhagen was recognized as the best restaurant in the world in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014. It was awarded two Michelin stars, and chef René Redzepi, one of the most influential chefs on the planet, was tired of counting international awards. In “Nome,” they serve moss, lichen, berries, and everything that can be found in the forests of Denmark. The film tells how Renee Redzepi became a great chef thanks to hard work and love for his work and shows dishes that even seem to taste the most that you tried. I adore this movie! Two hours of continuous aesthetics and inspiration.

24. St. Giuseppe Moscati: Doctor to the Poor (2007)

It is the story of Saint Giuseppe Moscati, the Neapolitan physician and the greatest humanist. All his life Moscati declared that the main power is love. He constantly proved this, combining brilliant medical skills with a love for one’s neighbor. Furthermore, Moscati argued that even simple sympathy would heal the patient sooner than the indifferent performance of the doctor’s duties and convinced his students of this.

People like Moscati are born every few centuries. He just worked, he just loved people, he just believed in God. This simplicity gives him purity.

25. The Specials (2019) 

Let’s leave Hollywood and end the list of movies about finding yourself with a touching and soulful film produced in France and Belgium.

Bruno and Malik have an unusual skill – they know how to find a common language with autistic children. They are also worried about the problem of difficult teenagers from disadvantaged areas. And then an idea comes to their minds: what if we teach tough kids to communicate with special children with special needs?

Some people have such a powerful inner light, infecting everyone around them. I am glad there is always a place for such people in life, as in the cinema. After watching such films, you may find yourself charged with incredible warmth and motivation.