by Srinidhi Alladi, I B.Com (Accounting and Finance)
Unless you are a superhuman who juggles college, work, extracurriculars and probably some volunteer work, you are a part of the 98% of the population that experiences a phenomenon commonly termed as “boredom”. People have different ways of coping with boredom. Personally, I like watching feel-good movies. Here are my movie recommendations for the next time you too experience boredom. Enjoy!
1. SPIRITED AWAY
As an otaku, I love discovering new anime series and movies. This movie is pretty famous and is a must-watch for any budding otaku. The movie is about a ten-year-old girl named Chihiro who moves to a new city with her family. During their journey, they come across what appears to be an abandoned amusement park. After her parents get turned into giant pigs, Chihiro meets a sorcerer’s apprentice named Haku and finds out that the amusement park is actually a resort for supernatural beings who want to take a break from the earthly realm. Follow Chihiro’s exciting adventure to save her parents in the award-winning animated feature directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
2. MRS. DOUBTFIRE
Co-produced by and starring my absolute favourite person in the world, the late Robin Williams, Mrs. Doubtfire is a comedy drama that will tug at your heartstrings and leave you wanting more. The story follows a freelance voice actor named Daniel Hillard, a devoted father of three. One day, Daniel quits his job over a disagreement about a script for a kids’ TV show, and then goes home to throw a big party for his son despite his wife Miranda’s objections. Considering this the last straw, she divorces him and is granted full custody of their children until Daniel can prove himself to be a stable and reliable father. Unable to juggle family and work, Miranda posts an ad for a nanny. Not wanting a stranger to take care of his children, Daniel alters the ad so that no one can call Miranda and apply for the position. He then makes a series of calls as unqualified candidates until finally he calls as an old Scottish woman named Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire, who is more than qualified for the job. How will Robin Williams prove himself to be a reliable father as Daniel and a fantastic nanny as Mrs. Doubtfire? Watch the movie to find out!
3. MATILDA
This movie is based on the childrens’ book Matilda, written by Roald Dahl. It is a movie about a bright young girl named Matilda Wormwood. Unfortunately, she is the polar opposite of her neglectful family, who constantly ignore and berate her. Matilda escapes into the wondrous world of reading. She soon develops telekinetic abilities from exercising her brain to that extent. At 6 years old, Matilda is sent to Crunchem Hall Elementary School that is run by a tyrannical, oppressive authoritarian – Miss (The) Trunchbull, a woman who infinitely loathes children. In the cloud of darkness that is her irresponsible family and bully of a principal, Matilda finds refuge in the company of her first grade teacher, Ms. Honey. Soon, Matilda realizes that her sweet teacher (pun intended) has an abusive and dark past herself. Matilda learns how to control her powers and soon devises a plan to outwit her principal.
4. PANCHATANTIRAM
This two-hour laugh fest, starring Kamal Haasan, will leave you clutching your stomach and gasping for air. Panchatantiram is a story about five friends who constantly seem to get mixed-up in crazy situations. The protagonist, Ramachandramurthy or ‘Ram’ is a Canada-based pilot and a womaniser. During one of his flights, he encounters an aircraft hijacking. It is in this situation that he meets Mythili. Together, they save the passengers and fall in love with each other. Ram gives up his misogynistic behaviour and remains faithful to Mythili—that is until one of his friend’s ex-girlfriends decides to commit suicide and Ram goes to save her. Unfortunately, Mythili misunderstands this as him having an affair, so she leaves him and goes to live with her parents. To cheer up their heartbroken friend, Ram’s four friends decide to take him to Bangalore to rendezvous with a woman named Maggie, but things don’t go according to plan. Watch this movie the next time you need a good laugh—I’m not giving away any spoilers, but this movie DOES NOT disappoint.
5. MICHAEL MADHAN KAMARAJAN
Another Kamal Haasan must watch film, Michael Madhan Kamarajan, is a comedy film about quadruplets who were separated at birth and how they finally meet each other after 30 years in a twisted turn of events. Kamal Haasan plays the role of all 4 brothers—Michael, a petty criminal; Madhan, a London-based businessman; Kameshwaran, a cook, and Raju, a fireman with a flair for theatre. The brothers were adopted by different families, except for Madhan, who, by fate, was ‘adopted’ by his own biological father. One by one, these brothers cross each others’ paths in a hilarious story featuring Kushbu, Urvashi and the comedic styles of Crazy Mohan, Manorama and Nagesh.
6. FORREST GUMP
Based on the 1994 novel, Forrest Gump is a comedy drama starring Tom Hanks. It follows the life of a kind, young man with a low IQ. It starts with Forrest retelling his life story to a stranger at a bus stop. He narrates his school life and how he was bullied, about Jenny Curran (the love of his life), his college life, the time he served in the army and his adventures after that. Little did Forrest know that he unknowingly witnessed and influenced turning points in American history in the 20th century. This film is a little bit of a tear-jerker, but the ending is worth the tears.
7. WHITE CHICKS
Finally, we have the movie White Chicks about two African American FBI agent brothers, Marcus and Kevin Copeland, who fail a mission and fall into disgrace with the agency. In order to revive themselves, they are sent undercover as escorts to two shallow socialite sisters in the Hamptons for a major social event, and to protect them from a potential kidnapping by a big-time drug dealer. The sisters get into a minor car accident that leaves a small scar on their faces. Embarrassed, the sisters refuse to go anywhere out in public. So now, Marcus and Kevin have to take their place. Did I mention that the sisters were two blonde Caucasians?
I hope you enjoy these movies as much as I did when I was bored!