A Glean movie guide
Pure Feel-Good Cinema
No tears, just good vibes.
A curated collection of uplifting, lighthearted films guaranteed to leave you smiling.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Paddington 2
A profoundly 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
Chef
This low-stakes, celebratory story about food and family is the ultimate cinematic comfort watch.
When Chef Carl Casper suddenly quits his job at a prominent Los Angeles restaurant after refusing to compromise his creative integrity for its controlling owner, he is left to figure out what's next. Finding himself in Miami, he teams up with his ex-wife, his friend and his son to launch a food truck. Taking to the road, Chef Carl goes back to his roots to reignite his passion for the kitchen -- and zest for life and love.
- 03
My Neighbor Totoro
A gentle, whimsical journey into nature that offers a peaceful 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.
- 04
The Princess Bride
A timeless fairy tale that balances sharp humor, romance, and adventure with a perfect 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.
- 05
School of Rock
High-energy and empowering, this film celebrates self-expression through a hilarious musical lens.
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
Kiki's Delivery Service
A beautifully animated, cozy story about finding independence and confidence in a 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.
- 07
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
An iconic, fast-paced comedy that captures the pure joy of living in the moment.
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.
- 08
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
This tiny, charming story about community and connection is impossibly heartwarming.
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.
- 09
Hidden Figures
An inspiring, triumphant true story that celebrates brilliance and overcoming obstacles.
The untold story of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson – brilliant African-American women working at NASA and serving as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history – the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big.
- 10
Enchanted
A bright, musical fish-out-of-water comedy that brings fairy tale optimism to 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?