Movie Recommendation for Students

[Slimy0233]

A fellow student (also a friend) asked me about what movies she should watch to get him out of a rut, so she wants movies related to academics. I first thought of `Good Will Hunting` and `A Beautiful Mind`.

Although I like both movies, Nash was genetically gifted and Will (who probably is a fictional character) was also gifted. I was wondering if there are any movies which students must watch but which depends upon people working hard and getting places rather than being super smart.

You are welcome to name movies which belong to either categories, but please mention which ones are which. Again, I don't want these movies, but my friend does (to anyone spying one me).

Thanks to everyone who replies! You have been of some help today

 

[russ_watters]

Hidden Figures, Apollo 13,, but movies don't have to be about academics/science to be inspiring/motivational for a student to "get one out of a rut". Maybe an inspirational distraction? Gladiator?

 

[fresh_42]

I like to say that I use music to influence my autonomic nervous system in the absence of an education as a Tibetan monk. The same holds true for movies. A friend of mine once spoke about her movie category "mommy movies". She meant romantic movies like "Sleepless in Seattle".

I think music is more direct than movies. And you have to be careful! Both can easily backfire!

 

[Slimy0233]

Hidden Figures, Apollo 13,, but movies don't have to be about academics/science to be inspiring/motivational for a student to "get one out of a rut". Maybe an inspirational distraction? Gladiator?

I apologize, it would be better if it's about academics :'(
sorry, I will edit the question right away

 

[gleem]

I would recommend "The Paper Chase" (1973). It is about a first-year Harvard Law student and a demanding professor.

 

[jack action]

• October Sky
• Rudy
• Whiplash
• Super 30
• The man who knew infinity

This is a list of movies I found on IMDB using their search engine with keywords. It may or may not relate exactly to what you are looking for.

In the following link, just set your query "q" to your keyword of choice ("academic" or "motivation" comes to mind):

https://www.imdb.com/find/?s=kw&q=academic

Give a man a fish ...

 

[Slimy0233]

Give a man a fish ...

haha... of c, thank you!

 

[Bandersnatch]

Are we talking undergraduate or graduate student? If the latter, try 'The PHD Movie' (Cham, 2011). Although I'm sure undergrads can relate too. It's a sort of slice-of-life comedy/drama about life in academia. Very indie, very down to earth, with many pointed observations about its subject. It's a spin off of the Piled Higher and Deeper online comic, with many of the same characters and adapted humour.
The main theme is something like: 'doing a phd sucks, but we still wouldn't want to be anywhere else'. Might be just what your friend needs.
Hell if I know where to find it these days, though.

 

[collinsmark]

Believe it or not, "Legally Blonde" is not all that bad of a movie (I was surprised). It fits the academic checkbox motivation-wise at least.

 

[marcusl]

"Stand and Deliver" is an inspirational movie about an aerospace engineer who quits to teach math in an inner city school district and produces classes full of
AP scholars. It's based on a true story (I remember reading about his class in the LA Times back when.

 

[lavinia]

I was wondering if there are any movies which students must watch but which depends upon people working hard and getting places rather than being super smart.

The Painted Veil

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0446755/

This movie is about a scientifically trained person who is dedicated to understanding and stopping a cholera epidemic. There is no stuff about his intellectual talents but just about his unflinching moral commitment, hard work, and ingenuity. This is a good example because he applies science for good without being a genius.

 

[pinball1970]

A fellow student (also a friend) asked me about what movies she should watch to get him out of a rut, so she wants movies related to academics. I first thought of `Good Will Hunting` and `A Beautiful Mind`.

Although I like both movies, Nash was genetically gifted and Will (who probably is a fictional character) was also gifted. I was wondering if there are any movies which students must watch but which depends upon people working hard and getting places rather than being super smart.

You are welcome to name movies which belong to either categories, but please mention which ones are which. Again, I don't want these movies, but my friend does (to anyone spying one me).

Thanks to everyone who replies! You have been of some help today

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hidden_Figures

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_Sky

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinity_(1996_film)

 

[pinball1970]

A fellow student (also a friend) asked me about what movies she should watch to get him out of a rut, so she wants movies related to academics. I first thought of `Good Will Hunting` and `A Beautiful Mind`.

Although I like both movies, Nash was genetically gifted and Will (who probably is a fictional character) was also gifted. I was wondering if there are any movies which students must watch but which depends upon people working hard and getting places rather than being super smart.

You are welcome to name movies which belong to either categories, but please mention which ones are which. Again, I don't want these movies, but my friend does (to anyone spying one me).

Thanks to everyone who replies! You have been of some help today

A bit sloppy but I still liked it

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gifted_(2017_film)

 

[pinball1970]

A fellow student (also a friend) asked me about what movies she should watch to get him out of a rut, so she wants movies related to academics. I first thought of `Good Will Hunting` and `A Beautiful Mind`.

Although I like both movies, Nash was genetically gifted and Will (who probably is a fictional character) was also gifted. I was wondering if there are any movies which students must watch but which depends upon people working hard and getting places rather than being super smart.

You are welcome to name movies which belong to either categories, but please mention which ones are which. Again, I don't want these movies, but my friend does (to anyone spying one me).

Thanks to everyone who replies! You have been of some help today

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117333/

I thought this was a great film too.

 

[Slimy0233]

@pinball1970 Thank you very much for those suggestions

 

[martinbn]

Horizon, 1995-1996, Fermat's Last Theorem​

Horizon, 1981-1982, The Pleasure of Finding Things Out​