A Glean movie guide
Sincere Smiles: Grounded Feel-Good Films
Heartwarming, not saccharine.
Uplifting stories that earn their emotional beats without the Hollywood cheese.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
The Peanut Butter Falcon
A gritty, modern-day adventure that prioritizes character agency and realistic friendship over sentimentality.
A down-on-his-luck crab fisherman embarks on a journey to get a young man with Down syndrome to a professional wrestling school in rural North Carolina and away from the retirement home where he’s lived for the past two and a half years.
- 02
The Holdovers
A masterclass in unsentimental storytelling that explores connection through sharp wit and 1970s authenticity.
A curmudgeonly instructor at a New England prep school is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually, he forms an unlikely bond with one of them — a damaged, brainy troublemaker — and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam.
- 03
Little Miss Sunshine
A sharp, darkly comedic road trip that finds genuine warmth in the chaos of a relatable, dysfunctional family.
A family loaded with quirky, colorful characters piles into an old van and road trips to California for little Olive to compete in a beauty pageant.
- 04
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Deadpan humor and a vibrant visual style keep this unconventional bonding story energetic rather than sappy.
Ricky is a defiant young city kid who finds himself on the run with his cantankerous foster uncle in the wild New Zealand bush. A national manhunt ensues, and the two are forced to put aside their differences and work together to survive.
- 05
Chef
A refreshing, low-conflict celebration of professional passion and realistic father-son bonding.
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.
- 06
CODA
An irreverent and authentic look at family dynamics that earns its emotional payoff through real character growth.
As a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), Ruby is the only hearing person in her deaf family. When the family's fishing business is threatened, Ruby finds herself torn between pursuing her love of music and her fear of abandoning her parents.
- 07
Sing Street
A bittersweet but earnest tribute to adolescent ambition set against the gritty reality of 1980s Dublin.
A boy growing up in Dublin during the 1980s escapes his strained family life by starting a band to impress the mysterious girl he likes.
- 08
The Intouchables
A true story that uses blunt, unsentimental humor to build a friendship based on mutual respect rather than pity.
A true story of two men who should never have met – a quadriplegic aristocrat who was injured in a paragliding accident and a young man from the projects.
- 09
Paddington 2
A rare gem where sincere kindness is treated as a narrative strength through high-quality, whimsical craftsmanship.
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.
- 10
Hidden Figures
An inspiring historical triumph that focuses on intellectual competence and perseverance over melodrama.
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.
- 11
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
A poignant and unique mockumentary that reflects on community and loss with quiet, understated sincerity.
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.
- 12
The Way Way Back
A grounded coming-of-age story that avoids easy platitudes in favor of realistic social awkwardness and humor.
Shy 14-year-old Duncan goes on summer vacation with his mother, her overbearing boyfriend, and her boyfriend's daughter. Having a rough time fitting in, Duncan finds an unexpected friend in Owen, manager of the Water Wizz water park.