Need Movie Recommendations

I need feel good movies. I don't care for most comedies. I'm looking more for dramas, just stories. Some romantic comedy is okay. I'm looking for something for me rather than for both MrMorphy and I to watch which leaves out most fantasy and science fiction. I've seen a lot of movies, so I'm asking for help!

Some movies I really like:

Practical Magic
Julie & Julia
Phenomenon
Michael
You've Got Mail
The Bucket List
Any Pixar
Any Miyazaki
We Bought a Zoo
Secretariat
Chocolat
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
Steel Magnolias
Fried Green Tomatoes
Nanny McPhee
Can-Can
The Color Purple
Whale Rider
Mr. Holland's Opus
Dangerous Beauty
How to Make an American Quilt

You might want to try Love Actually, Sliding Doors, Moulon Rouge, or Lars and the Real Girl. Of those, Sliding Doors and Lars are two of my favorites.

I am fond of the little British movies - for example, I liked Greenfingers - based on a true story about British convicts who find redemption through gardening. Also Kinky Boots, about a guy who inherits a failing shoe factory and revitalizes it by making boots for drag queens :). Or Waking Ned Divine or The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain.

I loved the latter. I just saw Dancing at Lughnasa and was mildly disappointed.

I love Love Actually and Moulin Rouge.

I'll check out some of the other suggestions. Keep them coming!

ETA: For the moment, I have The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain at the top of my Netflix queue.

Waitress. Small American movie. Not the ending you expect but a good one all the same.

Asked my husband - he adds Shirley Valentine and Amelie.

Amelie was a little too weird for me.

If you liked Moulin Rouge, you'll probably like its lesser known little (older) brother movie, Strictly Ballroom. A quirky sense of humour, but nonetheless, very good overblown drama (and not as weird as Amelie). Also, very Australian. The other Aussie movies you might like are The Castle (watch the Aussie version, not the American, edit if you can), The Dish and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

For the Love Actually type of movie, its predecessor Four Weddings and a Funeral might work, but it might be too much of the romantic comedy for what you're after.

Gosford Park is one of the best mystery movies out there, especially if you can handle Downton Abbey (though if Downton irritated you, it's best to stay away - they're by the same guy, and very similar).

Edit: Oh, and Looking for Allibrandi, though it might be hard to find in the US. And Muriel's Wedding!

French Kiss, with Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline, light romantic comedy
Calendar Girls (speaking of great little British movies, of which I loved all that Tardis mentioned above), based on a true story, with Helen Mirren
Notting Hill, with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, light romantic comedy

Loved Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Downton Abbey is like crack to me. I'm addicted.

I liked Four Weddings and a Funeral, French Kiss and Notting Hill and I think I liked Strictly Ballroom.

Your list reminded me of Keeping Mum (2005), with Rowan Atkinson. Check it out, you might like it!

Some of my favorites: Benny & Joon, Stranger Than Fiction, Ghost Town. I'll look over my shelves and get back to you, husband wants the computer.

Oh, a foreign film I loved, Himalaya.

Dave, starring Kevin Klein and Sigourney Weaver.  I can never not be in the mood for that movie.

14 - I haven't seen that in forever, but I do remember thoroughly enjoying it.

Once (2006)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0907657/

I liked Benny & Joon and I think I liked Dave but it's been forever for me too. I may rewatch it. I really appreciate all these suggestions. Lots are completely new to me and the ones that aren't, I either like or love so I'll probably like the ones I don't know!

The Truth about Cats and Dogs (romcom)
Cold Comfort Farm (British and quirky, slight romcom)
The Man from Snowy River (Australian drama)
Joe vs the Volcano (Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks)
Secondhand Lions (drama, non-romantic romance)

I know you said you aren't a comedy fan, but I loved The In-Laws (1979 version).

And Christmas feel-goods get their own category:
The Last Holiday
The Holiday
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Here are the movies I own that I rewatch just to feel good. I do tend a bit toward comedies, but I like them with a bit of substance or romance behind them as well. These are in no particular order of favorites.

Comedy w/romance or sentimental
How to Steal a Million
Roman Holiday
Spanglish
Take the Lead
Secondhand Lions
A Dogs Breakfast
A Knight's Tale
Muppet's Treasure Island
The Princess Brie
Importance of Being Earnest (w/Colin Firth)
Harry and the Hendersons
Holes

Movies I own and love but don't know how to define, except I feel good when I watch them.

Labrynth
The King's Speech
Cats-musical
Leverage TV episodes
Nero Wolfe A&E production TV episodes
D.O.A. (old one, noir makes me feel good sometimes 'cause its creepy)
Bella

Comedy/romance/sentimental movies I've watched and wished I owned.

Desk Set
Batteries Not Included
Last Holiday
The Wedding Singer
The Gods Must be Crazy
The Quiet Man
Big
All of Me
Tea with Mussolini
Barefoot in the Park

Feeel good movies or noir I don't own but really enjoyed.
Ushpizin - foreign
The Fall
Local Hero
To Kill a Mockingbird
All About Eve - this isn't noir, but feels like it to me, it is creepy
Rear Window- why do Hitchcock movies make me feel good?
Vertigo
An Unfinished Life
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill-documentary/romance
Laura - noir
Forever Young
The Pursuit of Happyness
The Majestic
As Good as it Gets - tough subject matter, but feels good to work through it
Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison
Bottle Shock - Alan Rickman
Frequency- feels like noir, more suspense/thriller, but I like the relationship stuff
Departures - One of my all time favorite foreign films, but about death and the way we handle it
The Terminal
While you were Sleeping

When the Redhead and I were watching Downton Abbey, she would say, "Load up the crack pipe, baby."

The same is true of True Blood.

Local Hero is one of my favorite movies of all time. period.

Calendar Girls

My favorite movies are mostly older with the exception of Across the Universe which I completely love and will watch over and over but my older favorites would be:

The Philadelphia Story
Monkey Business
To Catch a Thief
You Can't Take it With You
Some Like it Hot
California Suite
Auntie Mame

A bit newer would be:

The King's Speech
Death at a Funeral (either version)
Wild Target
The Way We Live Now

19 - The Princess Brie

I know that's a typo, but it gives me funny mental images.

It would have to take place either in France or Wisconsin. ^_^

20 -- Ditto on Local Hero but it might be a little too offbeat for some.

I love the two old guys doing "impressions."

If you like French movies:

- Welcome to the Sticks (apparently one of the most popular French comedies ever, we enjoyed)
- Les visiteurs (a medieval knight and his servant are sent forward in time)
-Le Chef (currently playing in NZ

If you liked Whale Rider you may like 'Boy', as similar NZ movie (though this is as qualified recommendation as I haven't seen Boy (missed it at the movies)).

If you like Pixar movies have you tried any Hayao Miyazaki (Studio Ghibl) movies?) My personal favourites are:
- Howl's Moving Castle (watch the English version and accept the ending is somewhat abrupt)
- Spirit Away (slightly scary premise, but I loved the imagery in the movie)

>18 MyriadBooks: MyriadBooks, I liked The Truth About Cats and Dogs and love all the Hanks/Ryan movies. I think I'm going to check out Cold Comfort Farm.

>19 MrsLee: MrsLee, I LOVE A Knight's Tale and Desk Set! Some of my favorites. Noir doesn't hold any interest for me though. I read Holes but haven't seen the movie yet. I'm surprised it's a "feel good" movie. The book was a bit depressing.

>20 Arctic-Stranger: AS, True Blood doesn't seem to pull me in quite as much. But I've only seen the first couple of episodes. Should I keep going?

>21 mamzel: mamzel, I think I've seen that but it was so long ago I might try again.

>22 susiesharp: susiesharp, I've recently seen The Philadelphia Story and You Can't Take it With You. I'll check some of the others out.

>23 Choreocrat: & 24 Well, the movie is cheesy. :)

>25 barney67: & 26 It's already in my Netflix queue. I'll probably bump it up.

>27 SpicyCat: SpicyCat, yeah, the line after All Pixar says All Miyazaki. My favorite is Princess Mononoke.

The Ghost and Mrs Muir is one of my favorites and I haven't seen that mentioned yet.

What a great thread! I'm marking it a fav!

Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro also is really good.

I agree with most of the suggestions above {that is, the ones I've seen :-)}

Little Miss Sunshine
Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Moonrise Kingdom
Singin' in the Rain
Young@heart

and for something completely different: Grosse Pointe Blank

>31 jnwelch: Yes, that one is good too. I've seen all the Miyazaki movies available.

>32 MDGentleReader: I can't wait for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel to come out on DVD!

>33 majkia: Really? I would have thought that a pretty dark movie.

Morphy, I found Grosse Point Blank pretty hilarious. A few dark elements true, but overshadowed by the understated comedy elements.

I just saw Groundhog Day again. I could watch that thing a million times.

#36 -- Groundhog Day and What About Bob? are two of my favorites. Comedies, but with enough plot and character development to make them worth watching.

Morphy, Stranger Than Fiction comes to mind. I'll check my movies later and see what else I can think of.

One of my favorite films, is Babette's Feast. The first time I watched it with sub-titles, then next time I turned on the English words.

I love this film, and have loaned it to almost everyone I know. To me, it is all about feeding your own spirit.

I loved Babette's Feast, too. And Morphy... it is about food. Yes, it is! This is not a case of "whatever Karen likes is probably what I don't"... hahahaha

>36 barney67: & 37 I love Groundhog Day.

>38 millhold: & 39 I'll check out Babette's Feast.

I have to add, for B & W movie fans, that almost anything with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn makes me smile!

Always - with Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter and John Goodman, cameo by Audrey Hepburn. Wonderful story, bit of romance, bit of comedy, about a man who can't let go of his life after he dies.

One more vote for Local Hero, here!

My feel good movies not already mentioned include

Holiday (Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn)
The Thomas Crown Affair (the new one, not the 1960's one)
O Brother, Where Art Thou
Truly, Madly, Deeply (includes Alan Rickman as a ghost)

Truly, Madly, Deeply is WONDERFUL!

Edited to fix the link--thanks aviddiva! What an awful blunder that was.

A few other faves I haven't seen mentioned:

Much Ado about Nothing, with Ken & Em
Dead Again, an unusual two-time-period mystery also with Ken & Em
S&S with Em, Kate, & Rickman
Sneakers - a caper movie. David Strathairn is a riot.
Foul Play - so old, Chevy Chase and Dudley Moore were funny.
Heaven Can Wait - Warren Beatty is OK, surrounding cast is fabulous.
In and Out - Kevin Kline is great
The English Patient - not quite as fab as the book, but very well done. Binoche and Andrews are excellent.
Last of the Blonde Bombshells - Dame Judi and Bilbo are very good.
A Room with a View - first time I saw HBC. You won't recognize Daniel D-L.

Millhold, I think you mean this one. Truly, Madly, Deeply

Another one I just remembered is Hear My Song starring Ned Beatty as an Irish tenor.

My ultimate cheer me up movie is Disney's Beauty and the Beast - works every time.

I'd also recommend:

Sense and Sensibility
Some like it hot
While you were sleeping
All of me
Apollo 13
Back to Future 3
Cocoon
Cool Runnings
Dave
Dirty Dancing
Flash Gordon
The Fugitive
Galaxy Quest
InnerSpace
It's a wonderful Life
Jack and Sarah (has a very sad beginning but lovely ending)
Little Women
Robin Hood Price of Thieves
Roxanne
Strictly Ballroom
3 Men and a Baby
Tootsie
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
Enchanted
The World's Fastest Indian
Mrs Henderson Presents

I'll second Kinky Boots too - great fun.

Most episodes of Quantum Leap will cheer me up too.

PS - when is someone going to invent DVDThing???

"PS - when is someone going to invent DVDThing???"

I know, right? There are options out there, but I want it to be exactly like LT, and they aren't :) Ah well.

You could try: -

About a boy
Fried green tomatoes
A pound (sorry can't remember if that's what it's called but it is the one with Will Smith)
Pride and Prejudice
Mary Poppins
Mama Mia

Hope you find a lot of films you'll love :)

I watched The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain. It was entertaining. Grant is such a cutie.

I'm going to try Babette's Feast next.

I love Sweet land: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0428038/

I realize no one believed me when I said how funny Grosse Pointe Blank is, but I watched it again the other night and still love it. The music alone makes it worth watching. :)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119229/

I found it funny too, when I watched it, so you are not alone

I almost ordered it this time. I'll grab it for my next movie.

Herself and I went to see "Sleepwalk with Me" this weekend. Definitely not an upper. I suspect I missed a lot.

I saw Grosse Point Blank and enjoyed it. Gave it three stars.

I was really enjoying Babette's Feast and was planning on giving it four stars until the last five minutes. I thought the ending was absolutely stupid (the General was a pompous jerk and Babette was TSTL (Too Stupid To Live)) and dropped it one star.

Not sure what I'm doing next other than Rosemary's Baby for Halloween and next in line for The Avengers!

Since it's October, I thought I'd list some of my favorite scary movies. Most not too bloody, since I prefer suspense over slasher:

Black Christmas (the original): The original slasher film. Shows what a concept can be like before it gets overdone and degraded.
The Descent: Be sure to see the uncut version with the original ending. Totally changes the meaning of the film.
The Experiment: In German, but totally worth it.
Frailty
Identity
Session 9: I know it has David Caruso in it, but it's actually one of my favorite scary movies.
Triangle

My taste in movies is soooo very different from this, so I'm having a hard time coming up with relevant titles, but, what about Coyote Ugly? Ooh and Wildcats, from the 80s.

I really enjoyed Coyote Ugly so I'll take a look at Wildcats.

Oh just thought of an oldie that I love: Foul Play :

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077578/

#1 Morphidae

Having looked at the list of films you've enjoyed I would suggest "Only the Lonely" with Maureen O'Hara, John Candy, Anthony Quinn, James Belushi, and Milo O'Shea.