Seeing The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything, and Still Alice in swift succession left me emotionally exhausted from all the pain and suffering I took in. I'm a highly sensitive person. The ambiance of a movie can linger in my mind and heart for days.
These dramatic stories are extremely important. They tell the truth and remind us of the suffering in our world. They offer us an opportunity to learn, to grow, and to practice compassion. They remind us to do whatever we can to alleviate suffering - large or small acts all make a difference.
At the same time, I don't think it's good to constantly dwell on suffering. Doing so will only bring you down and could eventually effect your health too.
Goodness also abounds in this world. The more joy you feel, the more joy you will exude. You'll naturally uplift others when you have a positive heart. So why not tap into some happiness and amplify your joy?
I needed a little happy break after those intense movies, so I asked my friends on Facebook to recommend their favorite "happy" movie. They enthusiastically shared the following titles, which of course I wanted to share with you.
Proviso: These movies aren't completely devoid of difficult or sad moments. Usually, there's a bit of emotional mileage to travel through before getting to the happy ending. But they're a pleasant break from hardcore drama.
- Up
- The 100 Foot Journey
- Zoom
- Fried Green Tomatoes (Oops! A few people say this one is depressing.)
- Austenland
- So I Married An Axe Murderer
- The Wizard of Speed and Time (YouTube) - This one is a bit speedy!
- Little Miss Sunshine
- Harold and Maude
- The Enchanted April
- Pretty Woman
- Herbie the Love Bug
- Sweet Home Alabama
- On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
- Living Is Easy With Your Eyes Closed
- Hector and the Search for Happiness
- Don Juan de Marco
- The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
- The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
- A Year in Tuscany
- Babette's Fest
- Pauline and Paulette
- Boyhood
- Stardust
- The Princess Bride
- The Last Mimsey
- Princess and the Frog
- McFarland USA
- Happy-Go-Lucky
- 15 Candles
- Mona Lisa Smiling
- Mama Mia
- Calendar Girls
20 New Additions
- Court Jester
- You’ve Got Mail
- My Big Fat Greek Wedding
- Any Muppet movie
- The Holiday
- Mr. Blandings Builds His Dreamhouse
- Paul
- Christmas Vacation
- Mrs. Doubtfire
- What about Bob?
- Despicable Me 2
- The Longest Ride
- Rudy
- Flirting with Disaster
- Tootsie
- Splash
- Steel Magnolias
- Some Like it Hot
- Groundhog Day
- Four Weddings and a Funeral
What happy movies do you recommend?
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