10 Evergreen Inspirational Hollywood Movies for College Students

Cinema is an art form that transcends any other. It has the ability to teach us, move us, and inspire us. 

Over the years, the quality of cinema has improved very much and has opened new ways of showcasing lifestyles and personalities.

We tend to love cinema for its visual and sound effects. But there is one thing that is much more subtle and fruitful for the viewer. It’s the story. 

Through cinema, people can learn great life lessons. Understand and empathize with the struggle of others. Acknowledge reality as it is.

Be it any genre, a film with good cinematography, storytelling, and acting can touch you in so many ways.

In this blog, we will discuss ten such inspirational Hollywood movies that can be helpful for college students.  

Dead Poets Society (1989)

Director – Peter Wier

Writer – Tom Schulman

Cast – Lt. Robin Williams; Robert Sean Leonard; Ethan Hawk

Dead Poets Society is a film based on Walt Whitman’s famous quote – ‘Carpe Diem’ which means seize the day. 

The film focuses on how one can make an opportunity count. 

Film’s storytelling and cinematography are appreciable with an outstanding acting performance by Robin Williams. 

It is an optimistic film and has its name as one of the most inspirational films of all time.

Good Will Hunting (1997)

Director – Gus Van Sant

Writers – Matt Damon & Ben Affleck

Cast – Lt. Robin Williams; Matt Damon: Ben Affleck 

Good Will Hunting is a fictional movie that showcases the life of Will Hunting, a born mathematician who is unable to find his identity. 

He works as a janitor at a college named M.I.T and has no other purpose in life despite his born talent and intellect.

Abused as a child, he has trouble making relationships with people and has only a couple of friends with whom he can hang out.

The film gives us a message of how we should not waste our talents, forget about our past and step further in life with what we have.

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Director – Gabriele Muccino

Writer – Steve Conrad

Cast – Will Smith; Thandiwe Newton: Jaden Smith

The Pursuit of Happyness is a biographical film based on the story of Chris Gardener, a homeless and single father who struggles to find work. The film inspires us not to lose hope even in the darkest of times.

Outstanding acting performance by Will Smith makes it even more impactful for the audience to relate to the character and how he struggles to find work and eventually becomes a millionaire.

Whiplash (2014)

Director – Damien Chazelle

Writer – Damien Chazelle

Cast – Miles Teller; J.K Simmons; Melissa Benoist

Whiplash is a fictional film that focuses on a boy named Andrew Niemann, who wants to become the best jazz drummer in the world.

Terence Fletcher, his mentor, is a person who tests musicians by fear and intimidation, and tries to improve Niemann’s potential in his extreme ways.

This film will inspire you and even shock you with its impactful storytelling and great performances by Miles Teller (Andrew Niemann) and J.K Simmons (Terence Fletcher). 

Jobs (2013)

Director – Joshua Michael Stern

Writer – Matt Whiteley

Cast – Ashton Kutcher; Dermot Mulroney; Josh Gad

Jobs is a biographical film based on the life of Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple Incorporation.

The film begins with his college days and showcases the struggles and efforts he made to build his company and become one of the most renowned people in the world.

Forrest Gump (1994)

Director – Robert Zemeckis

Writers – Winston Groom (novel); Eric Roth (screenplay)

Cast – Tom Hanks; Robin Wright; Gary Sinise

Forrest Gump showcases the life of Forrest, a simple man with a low I.Q. 

With all his adventures in the Vietnam Army, his inspiring people to jog, his ping-pong journey, his shrimp fishing fleet, his donations to people, and his meeting with the President several times, Forrest Gump is one of the most innovative and inspiring movies of all time.

The Theory of Everything (2014)

Director – James Marsh

Writers – Anthony McCarten (screenplay); Jane Hawking (novel)

Cast – Eddie Redmayne; Felicity Jones; Tom Prior

The Theory of Everything is a biopic of the most celebrated physicist, Stephen Hawking. 

It showcases his days as a cosmology student at Cambridge, how he managed to live after getting diagnosed with a fatal disease called Motor Neuron Disease, and how he became one of the most renowned physicists despite all the struggles. 

The Social Network (2010)

Director – David Fincher

Writers – Aaron Sorkin (screenplay); Ben Mezrich (novel)

Cast – Jesse Eisenberg; Andrew Garfield; Justin Timberlake

The Social Network is a biopic of Mark Zuckerberg, founder of the world’s biggest social website Facebook.

It showcases the life of Mark as a Harward University student who creates a social networking website and how he managed to become the owner of Facebook after being sued by the twins and the co-founder who claimed the idea was theirs.

Life of Pi (2012)

Director – Ang Lee

Writers – Yann Martel (novel); David Magee (screenplay)

Cast – Suraj Sharma; Lt. Irrfan Khan; Adil Hussain

Life of Pi is a fictional movie based on a novel by the same name. 

It showcases the life of Pi Patel, a rural boy, and his survival after a shipwreck in the Pacific Ocean. 

The Imitation Game (2014)

Director – Morten Tyldum

Writer – Graham Moore & Andrew Hodges

Cast – Benedict Cumberbatch; Kiera Knightley; Matthew Goode

The Imitation Game is another biographical film based on the life of Alan Turing, a mathematician genius and long-distance runner who broke the Nazi Enigma Code during World War Two.