It’s exactly four weeks today since my hip-replacement surgery, and I’m having a tougher time getting back into the swing of things than I was expecting. I’m still not sleeping well, which makes it tough to focus on much of anything. And while my recovery seems to be going okay, it’s not a fast process, and as unreasonable as it may be, I’m a little down with that. I’m so impatient to feel better! I can’t wait to walk again without crutches, and without even thinking about it. I know none of this can be rushed, but still. And then I’m coming off an entire year of absolute shit (also featuring an unpleasant bout with Covid and my mom’s death), which I’m still processing, too.
So anyway, help me out here:
What are some good movies about resilience and bouncing back from adversity?
I’ve illustrated this question with a still from the 2014 drama Wild, in which Reese Witherspoon takes herself into the wilderness in an attempt to recover from a lot of shitty life choices… and it pretty much works for her. Great film.
Give me some others, please.
(You can also discuss this at Substack or Patreon, if you prefer. You don’t need to be a paying subscriber to comment, but you will need to register with either site to do so.)
I don’t know why this is the first thing that came to my mind, and I’m pretty sure it’s not a good or healthy example of resilience and bouncing back from adversity, but Ed Wood. He gets things done with an endless supply of can-do optimism and perseverance in the face of rejection.
The not-so-good aspect of all this is that it mostly comes from a place of self-delusion. Ed’s real-life problems following the events of the movie also demonstrate the limitations of this approach, as he never got help for the chronic alcoholism that ended up ruining his life.
Hm, interesting question! Looking through my faves on Letterboxd and picking a few:
Into the Spider-Verse
One of my all-time favorites, Spirited Away
Hm, maybe Interstellar?
Shawshank Redemption, that’s a good one
The Lord of the Rings movies
Hmmm, how about Palm Springs?
Frances Ha
Brooklyn! Love that underrated little movie
And let’s end with Kubo and the Two Strings
The Truman Show comes to mind. Truman searches for and discovers the truth despite everyone gaslighting him for literally his entire life.
I feel like I should be coming up with more examples, but I’m blanking.
“Spirited away”, which I just happened to watch today, is indeed a very good one.
Forrest Gump, I think, too. I think that guy is permanently bouncing back from adversities by just not noticing them.
Escape from Alcatraz (alongside with Shawshank redemption).
“Legally blonde”, on a more humorous note.
Ah, and in a broader sens, I think, “Son of Rambow” fits these criteria quite well. In a sense, both protagonists are pretty good in bouncing back from adversities, albeit in a completely different way.
You’ve seen these already, but they’re worthy of a rewatch:
Hedwig and the Angry Inch – Hedwig does a remarkable job bouncing back from a botched medical procedure.
Clockwatchers – Four women find a way to move on from dead-end temp jobs. Parker Posey and Toni Collette are fantastic as usual.
Me and You and Everyone We Know – “You think you deserve that pain, but you don’t.”
Dark Days – A moving documentary about homeless people living in a New York train tunnel. When I’m having a rough time, I sometimes think back to his film and realize that all things considered, things are pretty good.
Please take it slow – not a movie title, just a request. Improvement will come over the course of months rather than weeks, and it’s natural to feel anxious and grumpy when you aren’t getting good sleep.
Don’t worry about measuring your progress every day, just check in with yourself every couple weeks to ensure the general trend is going up and you’ll eventually be mobile and feeling good about life again. You’re already quite lucky to have a loyal, caring friend like Bronxbee to visit you. Be careful, but don’t forget to find safe ways to have fun too.
The Princess Bride seems to be the answer to every question, but it’s a good example of how to bounce back if you’re kidnapped by pirates or criminals.
I feel like I would make an excellent Dread Pirate Roberts…
Frodo’s journey throughout The Lord of the Rings is pretty much one of resilience through adversity. No one expects much of him, and yet he carries an ever-increasing burden no on else can, and powers through fear and sickness and pain to see his mission through. I love the scene where he’s on the slopes of Mount Doom and just crawls up a few desperate inches, as the hopeful “Hobbit” theme plays; one last push, before his strength finally gives out. And then? Sam’s there to catch him, and comfort him, and ultimately carry him the rest of the way.
Which is to say that, to make it through hard times, we can’t just be resilient alone; part of resilience is also having the support of those who love us. And you’ve got that too. :-)
Also, in case you ever feel like investing the time in a TV show, I’m going to recommend The Legend of Korra. Season 4 is all about her struggle to recover from poisoning, disability, and emotional trauma—heavy stuff for a “kid’s show,” but it’s beautifully written and animated, and the eventual healing feels hard-earned and right.
THE ONE WHO GOT AWAY and that movie with Leo and the bear.
Some movies I’ve seen that immediately come to mind— Thelma and Louise, Maiden, The Color Purple, Temple Grandin, Moneyball, Erin Brockovich, several Tom Hanks movies (Forrest Gump, Cast Away, A League of Their Own, etc), maybe even Office Space?
Some movies on my watch list that might fit the bill— Brittany Runs a Marathon, Crip Camp, Honk for Jesus Save Your Soul, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Factotum. Story from Bukowski and excellent acting by Matt Dillon, Lili Taylor and Marisa Tomei.
The main film in this category that comes to mind is the 1956 British film, “Reach for the Sky” starring Kenneth More. It’s the story of Douglas Bader, a young Royal Air Force pilot who loses both of his legs in an airplane crash in 1931, but learns to walk on prosthetic limbs and eventually rejoins the RAF in time to fight in the Battle of Britain. It was a popular film, though it smoothed over a lot of Bader’s rougher personality traits.
Just because I fell into rewatching it very recently, I also want to recommend Frozen 2. Surprisingly to me, it’s become one of my go-to films for when I’m feeling low about the world and about losses in my own life, and I’ve watched it many more times than the first one. I’m still quite gobsmacked that a Disney princess movie, of all things, can movingly tackle themes of historical injustice, colonial violence, and generational healing—and, also, grief and resilience, particularly in Anna’s arc (which I wrote a bit about). Every time I revisit this movie I love it more and more.
The Prize Winner Of Defiance, Ohío