“Who are you?” It’s a question that sounds easy to answer on the surface. But its simple structure hides a complicated web that many find hard to answer in their teenage years and are still trying to unfold well into adulthood. Self-discovery is not a one-way street with a simple start, middle, and end. Often, it’s a tricky challenge knowing what you want to do in your life or even just finding yourself. It’s a journey that has also been the subject of many films with protagonists going on a quest, literally and figuratively, to find their voice and identity.
Their paths, just like with many people, are filled with twists and turns. But along the way, they reach a breakthrough that takes them closer to who they want to be. So, if you need a motivational boost or just want to watch big-screen tales on the many facets of self-discovery, check out these films below.
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The Devil Wears Prada – A Young Woman Learns Who She Wants to Become
This must-see film for anyone into fashion and media centers on recent journalism graduate Andy Sachs, who gets the job so many girls would kill for: Being Runway Editor-in-Chief Miranda Priestly’s new assistant. Andy is the last person in the world seemingly fit for the job, and initially, she is demeaned by both Miranda and her first assistant Emily for having no interest in fashion. But as time goes on, Andy doesn’t just learn to appreciate the world she’s in, but also adapts to be good at her job.
Her journey reflects that of many young people who find themselves in mismatched situations trying to navigate the “real world”. But it also shows that experiencing struggle doesn’t mean giving up right away, but just a step towards where you’re ultimately meant to go. As Andy famously throws her phone in the fountain in Paris and walks away from Runway, she doesn’t want to be like them, but her own person.
Julie & Julia – Parallel Stories on Self-Discovery
Set between two timelines, Julie & Julia follows Julie Powell, a woman living in New York City whose desire to find purpose in her life leads her to challenge herself to make all 524 recipes in Julia Child’s cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Parallel to the story is another that shows the legendary female chef making it in the cutthroat and male-dominated world of French cooking.
Even though this feel-good film’s protagonists are in two different worlds, their stories thematically intertwine as they use food as their avenue to live out their passions and, in the process, discover more about themselves. As these two women show, finding fulfillment in life can come at any time, anywhere.
Soul – The Passion Inside of You
Arguably Pixar’s best movie of the 2020s so far, this film tells the story of a talented musician named Joe Gardner who finds himself stuck in life as a middle-school band teacher. Joe has always had dreams of being a jazz musician, but he seemingly just can’t make it happen. After an accident, Joe falls into a coma and wakes up in his soul form, which leads him on an adventure to reunite with his physical body before it’s too late and, along the way, rekindle that spark in him.
While Pixar films are often seen as children’s movies, Soul makes for an entertaining and insightful watch even for older audiences with its exploration of life, death, and self-discovery. Just as the name suggests, this movie will have you wondering what it means to have soul.
Good Will Hunting – Needing Direction in Life
The movie that turned Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Robin Williams into Oscar winners, Good Will Hunting centers on Will Hunting, a janitor at MIT with a genius-level intellect. His talents are soon discovered by Professor Gerald Lambeau, who helps the young man reach his full potential. But when Will gets into trouble, Professor Lambeau gets Will in contact with the therapist Sean Maguire for professional help.
Will may be talented, but his gifts are hindered by his personal troubles and lack of direction in his life. With the help of psychologist Sean, Will becomes a whole new person as his talents are redirected towards a greater purpose. It’s an inspiring story of how a young man found meaning in his life and serves as an important reminder that there’s nothing wrong with asking for help no matter how good you think you are.
Eat, Pray, Love – A Healing Journey
While this movie’s reputation has transcended pop culture to reach meme status in some circles, there’s still something to get from this cheesy but heartwarming 2010 drama starring Julia Roberts. Directed by Ryan Murphy (yes, that Ryan Murphy), this movie follows Liz Gilbert, a woman who goes through a difficult divorce after realizing she is no longer happy in her marriage.
Wanting to restart her life, she decides to go on a globe-trotting trip that leads her to Italy, India, and Bali. It may be cliché, but there can be a benefit to traveling and experiencing different environments in one’s self-discovery journey. Dealing with a traumatic situation is never easy, and sometimes you have to push yourself out of your comfort zone to heal, reset, and find what’s important to you again.
Wild – Taking Touching Grass to New Heights
Based on the memoir by Cheryl Strayed, the film follows Strayed as she deals with a series of personal hardships, such as the passing of her mother. With her life in near shambles but hoping to get back on track, she decides to pack up her stuff and hike the Pacific Crest Trail despite having no outdoor experience.
Aside from the moving Oscar-nominated performance by Reese Witherspoon at the film’s center, Wild serves as a touching tale of how finding yourself may require you to ask difficult questions and confront your own actions. A tough task no doubt, but the movie leaves viewers with a hopeful message that healing will always be possible.
Tick Tick… Boom! – You Will Always Have Time
Today’s hyper-connected world means that many aspects of life are or expected to be delivered in an instant, even things that shouldn’t. Many feel pressured to know who they are by the time they reach their 20s, and not doing so means failure. But that is never the case, made more poignant in this movie musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda about composer Jonathan Larson.
Here, Larson is in the middle of making a musical while working shifts at a diner in New York City. As he prepares for its debut, Larson is bombarded on all sides to address a million things, with time quickly running out. But as he learns, life does not run on a timer, as purpose will always find you no matter which stage of your life you’re in. Case in point: Larsen went on to create Rent after the film’s events.
There’s this overwhelming feeling that we don’t have enough time to do what we want, but the movie reminds viewers that there is no expiration date for self-discovery, so there’s no need to rush to get to where you need to be.
Ratatouille – Dreams Are Possible, Even for Rats
Remy isn’t like the other rats. With an appreciation and knowledge of cuisine, he has dreams of being a chef in Paris, specifically at Auguste Gusteau’s famous restaurant. His opportunity arrives when he encounters Linguini, the restaurant’s garbage boy, and realizes that he can control Linguini’s actions by pulling his hair.
The two enter an unlikely deal as Remy helps Linguini make a name for himself in the restaurant while Remy secretly lives out his chef dreams through him. While a rat cooking at a fine dining restaurant will most likely lead to a major health violation in real life rather than a heartwarming tale, this Pixar classic is one worthy of returning to for its relatable themes of how purpose and passion shouldn’t be limited because of who you are or where you come from.
Frances Ha – An Ideal Sense of Self Meets Reality
Most know Greta Gerwig as the blockbuster director of women-centric movies. But she’s also an actress, and this indie film from the early 2010s starring the actor-director captures the feeling of trying to make it in life as a young adult. Like many her age, 27-year-old Frances has big dreams for herself living in New York City. But before she achieves any of those, she first must navigate a less-than-ideal life that includes unstable housing and a crumbling social life.
Frances Ha may not be the flashiest film on this list, but the black-and-white feature understands the struggle and idealism of chasing your dreams in a world that is often unfair. What we want isn’t always what we’re given, and the movie dives into how confusing life feels when expectations aren’t met, but also the lesson of how the journey will have its bumps on the road.
Featured Image: IMDB (via Website)
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