A Glean movie guide
Pure Feel-Good Cinema
No drama, just good vibes.
A curated collection of uplifting, optimistic films guaranteed to leave you smiling.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Paddington 2
A kind-hearted bear spreads joy in this perfectly crafted, optimistic masterpiece.
Paddington, now happily settled with the Browns, picks up a series of odd jobs to buy the perfect present for his Aunt Lucy, but it is stolen.
- 02
My Neighbor Totoro
This gentle, whimsical tale of forest spirits offers a pure and comforting escape.
Two sisters move to the country with their father in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother, and discover the surrounding trees are inhabited by Totoros, magical spirits of the forest. When the youngest runs away from home, the older sister seeks help from the spirits to find her.
- 03
The Princess Bride
A timeless, hilarious fairy tale adventure that hits every right note for a happy ending.
In this enchantingly cracked fairy tale, the beautiful Princess Buttercup and the dashing Westley must overcome staggering odds to find happiness amid six-fingered swordsmen, murderous princes, Sicilians and rodents of unusual size. But even death can't stop these true lovebirds from triumphing.
- 04
Kiki's Delivery Service
A charming coming-of-age story about a young witch finding her way in a beautiful new town.
A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.
- 05
School of Rock
High-energy and empowering, this film celebrates self-expression through the power of rock.
Fired from his band and hard up for cash, guitarist and vocalist Dewey Finn finagles his way into a job as a fifth-grade substitute teacher at a private school, where he secretly begins teaching his straight-A students the finer points of rock 'n' roll and the power of sticking it to the man. But as the school’s stern principal closes in and the Battle of the Bands looms, Dewey must risk everything to prove that rock 'n' roll can change lives.
- 06
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
A tiny, adorable shell embarks on a heartwarming journey to find his long-lost family.
Marcel is an adorable one-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie and their pet lint, Alan. Once part of a sprawling community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy. When a documentarian discovers them amongst the clutter of his Airbnb, his resulting short film brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, as well as unprecedented dangers and a new hope at finding his long-lost family.
- 07
Cool Runnings
This classic underdog story is packed with humor, heart, and genuine sportsmanship.
When a Jamaican sprinter is disqualified from the Olympic Games, he enlists the help of a dishonored coach to start the first Jamaican bobsled team.
- 08
Enchanted
A bright, musical fairy tale that brings pure optimism to the streets of modern New York.
The beautiful princess Giselle is banished by an evil queen from her magical, musical animated land and finds herself in the gritty reality of the streets of modern-day Manhattan. Shocked by this strange new environment that doesn't operate on a "happily ever after" basis, Giselle is now adrift in a chaotic world badly in need of enchantment. But when Giselle begins to fall in love with a charmingly flawed divorce lawyer who has come to her aid - even though she is already promised to a perfect fairy tale prince back home - she has to wonder: Can a storybook view of romance survive in the real world?
- 09
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
The ultimate lighthearted comedy about embracing freedom and having the best day ever.
After high school slacker Ferris Bueller successfully fakes an illness in order to skip school for the day, he goes on a series of adventures throughout Chicago with his girlfriend Sloane and best friend Cameron, all the while trying to outwit his wily school principal and fed-up sister.