Media Room

Films that explore the human condition

Human condition

A Beautiful Mind
Alive
All the Little Animals
Amy
An Angel at my Table
An Officer and a Gentleman
Angel Baby
Angela’s Ashes
As Good As It Gets
At First Sight
Babel
Being There
Children of a Lesser God
Forever Lulu
Forrest Gump

I am Sam 

Released in 2002, this movie explores the lives of very different people. A hot-shot lawyer is shown how to re-connect with her young son by a very unexpected person. Sam is an adult with the mental capacity of a 5 or 6 year old, yet he ends up with a baby daughter to bring up on his own. His world revolves around Lucy, and his love for her is unwavering. When Lucy reaches school age, the authorities question Sam's ability to provide her with adequate parental care. He needs help to prove that he is capable of looking after his little girl. This is where the lawyer steps in. This film opened my eyes and made me realise that we don't have to have a high IQ or high paying job to put our loved ones first in our lives.  Jes (aged 20)

Iris
Jarhead
Me, Myself and Irene
Nell
One Perfect Day

Proof

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Fascinated by the fuzzy distinction that often exists between genius and madness, I found myself intensely drawn to the main character (Paltrow), a brilliant yet tormented soul who has no time for the superficiality that generally accompanies social convention; I imagine it must be hard for those who are gifted to reconcile themselves to the absurdity and mediocrity that is typical of humanity. In my view -  and in spite of her 'instability' - Catherine displays an aptitude for emotional intelligence that is even more compelling than her mathematical genius. Her perspective on trust is just one example of how this story addresses the question of what really matters. As the sub title states "The biggest risk in life is not taking one." - Helen C

Rain Man

Samsara

What is more important: satisfying one thousand desires or conquering just one... A very special film. I read Thomas Merton as a teenager, and two decades later I can still feel the distinct yearning that I had then to do as he and others like him - Herman Hesse and Henry David Thoreau - did. But I don't regret staying in the mainstream. Like Tashi in the story, I have learnt much from positioning myself in the midst of the fray. Many a time I've made the humbling discovery that I am not as 'good' as I thought I was. I've come to accept my shortcomings as part of the journey. My friends say this has made me a more generous person (and less cocky.) Carlos, NSW

Shine
Sophie’s Choice
Sylvia
The Aviator
The English Patient
The Horse Whisperer
The Hours
The Legend of Bagger Vance
The Other Sister
The Truman Show
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Titanic
To Kill a Mockingbird
28 Days
Vanilla Sky
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?
When a Man Loves a Woman

Loss of a loved one

A Love Song for Bobby Long
Blue
Cast Away
Corrina, Corrina
Ghost
Message in a Bottle

Mostly Martha

Perhaps not a box-office-smash kind of movie but it sure moved me. My daughter was labeled as having an 'eating disorder' when she was 12 years of age. I was a nervous wreck worrying about her and I became completely invested in making her well again. But nothing worked. Just like Martha I made one delicious meal after another but they were all shunned. This was very distressing. I had no idea at the time that she was mourning the loss of our family dog. It wasn't until we adopted an abandoned labrador pup that I made the connection. Her appetite returned as quickly as it had left. This movie confirms what I eventually realized, that not eating doesn't necessarily mean you have anorexia. Bev, NSW

One Perfect Day
Ordinary People
P.S. I Love You
Return to Me
Terms of Endearment
The Accidental Tourist
The Deep End of the Ocean
Truly, Madly, Deeply
White Palace

Life threatening illness

A Walk to Remember
Autumn in New York
Beaches
Dying Young
Finding Neverland
First Do No Harm
In the Land of Women
Lorenzo’s Oil
Moulin Rouge
One True Thing
Philadelphia

Shadowlands

This film about C.S. Lewis and the story of how he met, came to marry and then lose his wife Joy has no special effects and nothing you would call out-of-the-ordinary happens in it. But Jack (Anthony Hopkins) reminds me of a teacher I had in primary school who really cared about his students. There's one scene in the movie that intrigued me, it's where Joy (Debra Winger) confronts him about the emotional distance he keeps between himself and others. It caught him by surprise, as it did me. It was probably more the way in which she confronted him than any reasons for it. I admire her resilience and strength of character, and hope that someday I too will have the courage to stand up and be counted when it matters. Vanessa

Stepmom
Sweet November
The Doctor