films with heart

for external readers of this blog (people other then me) please forgive the lack of macho-ness in this post ;)

a movie with heart makes you care, makes you feel. It brings out and celebrates the positive aspects of humans, and being human. A movie with heart helps shine the world a little brighter, because it reminds us to live with heart.

Jim Henson said: I want to leave a theater happy, I want a film to leave you up. And it has to be about something that matters, actual things in our lives, about our lives

Examples are Millions, My Neighbor Totorro, Monsters Inc.

I had puzzled over it for a long time, what's the formula, why's it so hard. Finally figured it out years later thanks to Oktapodi.

Simple answer, deceptively simple: love.

Just like in Conan, the riddle of flesh is stronger then the riddle of steel. Having been a teenage boy I understand the power of the angsty angry nine inch nails side. But now being older, and especially being a parent, I see how feeble that is, anger is strong, but love will go all the way to the bone.

Not hallmark hearts love. But actual love, the characters are believable as unique living entities away from the screen, and they care about each other. A sincere, character if they lost a loved one would be devastated, the opposite is Seinfeld who would say "yep that's too bad" It takes guts to put your story out there with heart, it's a lot easier to have a cynical sarcastic annoying character and everyone's hip, but for me it contributes to the world more to say something about what makes us human. Audience's will forgive a failed attempt at hip easier then a failed attempt at heart, but if you succeed, gold.