The cure for laziness. 7 movies that will help you take care of yourself from the new year

Laziness and procrastination are two powerful counter forces that stand in our way of achieving our goals. The heroes of these movies found themselves in difficult situations by chance. And by their example showed that even despair can be a great motivator for actions that will change life.

“Pretty Woman on the whole head”, USA, China, 2018

Genre: comedy.

Directed by: Abby Cohn, Mark Silverstein.

Starring: Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams.

Age limit: 18+

Charming puffy Renee has been struggling with excess weight all her life. She can’t be called unsympathetic, but she treats herself with such disdain that the whole world responds to her in the same way. She is not noticed by men, she works at an unloved job in a semi-basement, even in the bar waiters pass by. Every night she tearfully looks at her reflection and dreams of waking up a stunning beauty.

Then one day Renee is literally knocked off her feet. While exercising on the exercise bike, she falls and hits her head hard. And waking up, sees herself in the mirror incredible beauty – the very ideal of which she dreamed. Renee in happy amazement decides to completely change her life and live the way she thinks real beautiful women live.

There is only one catch – only Renee sees herself as an ideal beauty. For others she has not changed in any way. But a new attitude to herself, incredible confidence in their own dazzling makes Renee achieve a stunning furor not only in her career, but also in her personal life.

She with undisguised pleasure wears minis, brightly dressed, cast in a fashion company and meets the guy of her dreams. And it’s the same Renee, but filled with such a sense of confidence that no one and nothing can resist her charm.

“Pretty in the head.”

“Miracle”, USA, Hong Kong, Canada, 2017

Genre: drama, melodrama.

Director: Stephen Chbosky.

Starring: Julia Roberts, Jacob Tremblay, Owen Wilson, Izabela Vidovic.

Age limit: 12+

Ten-year-old August (or as he is called at home Auggie) is an unusual boy. He is intelligent, with a special sense of humor, even a little cynical (but mostly to himself), good at school and passionate about space and “Star Wars”. Auggie has undergone about 30 surgeries on his face, because of a genetic error the boy was born literally without it.

In order not to attract other people’s attention and not to be an object of ridicule, Auggie wears a large space helmet on the street. In it he feels protected from the world, which is not ready to accept an unusual person. But in his heart he dreams of real friends, of playing with his classmates, of being friends with girls. Then his mom (Julia Roberts) decides to take a risky step – she gives Auggie to a regular school.

A very touching movie in which there is room for true friendship and acceptance. Even yesterday’s bully, who mocked Auggie, realizes his mistake, which he cannot correct. And Auggie reacts calmly and humorously to questions about his appearance (“Bad plastic surgery,” the kid jokes). He even forgets about his life-saving space helmet – because he doesn’t need it anymore.

Be warned, the ending of the movie will squeeze out a lot of tears (small spoiler – everything ends well, but insanely touching, even to goosebumps).

“Miracle”

“Breathe for us”, UK, 2017

Genre: biography, drama.

Director: Andy Serkis.

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy.

Age limit: 18+

The debut directorial work of Andy Serkis (yes, yes, the same Gollum from “The Lord of the Rings” and Caesar from “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”) critics received quite warmly. At the center of the plot is the real story of Englishman Robin Cavendish.

While traveling in Africa, he suddenly became ill – his condition was rapidly deteriorating, and the doctors of the local clinic diagnosed polio. Doctors gave the unfortunate guy only three months, paralysis disabled his entire body and got to the respiratory system. Robin himself could no longer breathe, in this he was helped by a special apparatus. But his young pregnant wife did not give up.

She bought a house in which she tried to arrange all the conditions so that her husband could live and breathe. Prospects were disappointing, but even famous doctors marveled – after all, the same three months passed, then a year, another one. Robin lived for 36 years.

Bedridden and machine-bound, he worked with inventor Teddy Hall to create a wheelchair with a built-in ventilator. Robin was able to help thousands of hopelessly ill people in the same situation as him. And always by his side was his beloved wife Diana. Together they invented the famous chair that Stephen Hawking used to move around in.

“Breathe for us.”

“The Bloom Family Story”, Australia, USA, 2020.

Genre: Drama.

Director: Glendyn Iovine.

Starring: Naomi Watts, Jacki Weaver, Andrew Lincoln.

Age limit: 12+

Sam had everything – a beloved family – a husband and three sons, a job as a surfing instructor, a big house on the ocean. One day while on vacation, a woman fell out of a window and broke her spine. The prospect of being confined to a wheelchair forever crossed out all her previous life.

The feeling of helplessness plunges Sam into a terrible depression, she is overcome by thoughts of stopping her torment. Her husband and children try to help her get used to her new life and find joy in it. But all their attempts are in vain, the woman sees no hope of ever being happy.

One day her sons bring home an injured magpie chick, which Sam calls Penguin because of its unusual coloring. Caring for an equally helpless creature, a comrade in misfortune, makes Sam look at her future life differently. Gradually she begins to accept the new reality and learns to be happy.

“The Bloom Family Story”

“The King’s Speech!”, UK, USA, 2010.

Genre: biography, drama.

Director: Tom Hooper.

Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter.

Age limit: 18+

And great kings can be imperfect. King George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II, suffered from a severe form of stuttering his entire life. That is why George received the news that his brother had abdicated the throne and it was rightfully passed to him with fear and irritation. A stuttering king – is that the kind of monarch the British people would want to see on the throne?

The most famous professors, doctors, psychiatrists could not help to overcome this disease. On the verge of a nervous breakdown, exhausted by fear and worry, the future king turned to the speech therapist Lionel Logue, who was famous for his unusual approaches to treatment. Irritable George and peculiar Lionel did not immediately find common ground.

The monarch was outraged by the methods of treatment, familiar tone of communication, and Logue, it seems, on the contrary, only spurred and already nervous and fiery George. But their conflict would turn into cooperation, and then into a friendship that would last for many years. Lionel Logue helped Georg rehearse all his important speeches for decades.

“The King is speaking!”

“In spite of/in spite of everything,” Germany, 2017

Genre: comedy, melodrama.

Director: Mark Rothemund.

Starring: Kostja Ullmann, Jakob Machenz.

Age limit: 18+

A touching, sad and at the same time funny movie based on Salia Kahawatte’s autobiographical book. In high school, Salia suddenly started losing his eyesight. Due to a genetic anomaly, months later, the lad retains only 5% of his vision. And ahead were such grand plans – final exams, college, a job in the hotel business. But Salia has no intention of giving up.

He decides to train his memory and hearing, which are his only two aides that help him navigate in space. To the surprise of his parents, he passes his exams and enters college. Now it is left to the dream job.

Realizing that no one will want to hire a half-blind employee, Salia keeps silent about her illness. And brilliantly passes the interview for the position of an intern in a luxury five-star hotel. None of the management suspects that Salia can hardly see.

Here, Salia makes real friends (some of whom are aware of his peculiarity, but do everything to help a friend) and love. However, Salia’s real trials are still ahead of her, because it is very difficult to live in a constant lie.

“In spite of everything.”

“The Most Charming and Attractive”, USSR, 1985.

Genre: comedy, melodrama.

Director: Gerald Bezhanov.

Starring: Irina Muravyova, Tatiana Vasilyeva, Alexander Abdulov.

Age limit: 18+

Now this movie is assessed somewhat differently, so to speak, taking into account modern views and principles. In fact, Nadya Klyueva’s friend Susanna gives her the advice that is willingly given out (for money, of course) at all kinds of women’s master classes on seducing men. And the method of autotraining (I am the most charming and attractive, all men are crazy about me) is actively broadcast even now!

While Nadya throws all her energies into seducing the arrogant handsome Volodya (Alexander Abdulov), she does not notice that her true destiny has always been near. But Susanna’s methods still played a positive role – all the men in the department looked at Nadya completely differently. And she still decided to remain herself and made the right choice.

By the way, the wrong choice almost made Irina Muravyova. She for a long time did not give her consent to this role. But, having seen the movie on the screen, came to delight.

“The most charming and attractive”