Birthdays can go either way; you can sit there and feel like royalty, or sit in a darkened room and contemplate your own life, death and the fact that time passes like a whirlwind and you have less to show for it. And all people fall into these two types; there’s no in-between this. So, if you choose to go with the latter option, congratulations. You’re mature now, ready to step into real life and see the world for what it truly is. We’d like to offer some optimistic hope or child-like innocence, but there’s no left here. If you choose to go with the former option, well, here’s a list of the best movies to watch on your birthday; feel-good movies to watch on your birthday.
While there’s no such genre that exclusively caters to the birthday girl or boy, the best birthday movies are the feel-good movies that are funny birthday movies and movies with a good message overall, that makes you feel even more gleeful on a day that congratulations are pouring in from all directions. In such an event, you can go two steps further and watch a movie that elates you even more; be it an inspirational rags-to-riches story that tells you what to do next, or just a goofy comedy that leaves you in tears from excessive laughter, this is a list of good movies to watch on your birthday.
So, without any further ado, let’s get into the list of best movies to watch on your birthday, because it’s your special day, and you get to decide how to spend it; be it in a darkened room with thoughts of your mortality that’s getting nearer and nearer, or with a room full of friends and loved ones watching your favourite movie. It’s your day, your choice.
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List of Best Movies to Watch On Your Birthday
Following is a list of feel-good movies to watch on your birthday, the best birthday movies that will make your special day even more better than you’d imagined. Here are our picks for funny birthday movies and movies about birthdays.
Now admittedly, most of the movies on this list are animated movies, but where else are you going to find that innocent, happy and campy storyline that makes you forget all that is wrong with your life and the world. And so, with that out of the way, here’s a list of best movies to watch on your birthday.
1. The Pursuit of Happyness (Released in 2006)
Based on the real-life story of Chris Gardner, starring Will Smith and his son Jaden, Pursuit of Happyness sees Gardner struggle to bring up his son as he struggles financially, to the point of being homeless at times. However, the movie ends on a happy note: Gardner gets the high-paying job, and the real-life Gardner now has a multimillion-dollar brokerage firm. One of the best movies to watch on your birthday.
2. Little Miss Sunshine (Released in 2006)
A tragicomedy but one with the best story and screenplay, Little Miss Sunshine follows a dysfunctional family, who, on a road trip from New Mexico to California, discover that they need each other as much as they have their goals and aspirations. The inclusion of the road trip as a campy backbone on which the entire movies rests is a masterstroke, and the acting is phenomenal. A definite contender for one of the best feel-good movies that have a funny, comedic ending.
3. Matilda (Released in 1996)
One of the most highly-rated campy comedies of all time, and starring everybody’s favorite Danny DeVito, Matilda follows the titular character as she is ignored by her busy and verbally abusive parents and sibling, but finds solace in her teacher at the school, Miss Honey, who believes in Matilda and encourages her to use her powers. At the end, Matilda chooses to stay with Miss Honey rather than flee with her family, making it a sentimental movie for those of us that get too sentimental while watching movies.
4. Forrest Gump (Released in 1994)
Starring Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump sees a relatively dim-witted but strong-willed Gump pitched against the historical overturns of the 20th century United States, where he meets and sits with presidents and starts flourishing businesses and movements, all the while waiting for his childhood sweetheart Jenny, who initially lives the hippie life but comes back to Gump after a long time. Despite having a few days to live, she marries him but dies shortly afterwards, leaving Gump with his son. At the closing scene, we see him dropping off his son to school, just like his mother dropped him off at the start of the movie.
5. Crazy Rich Asians (Released in 2018)
Pitched and directed with more emphasis on the romantic section rather than the comedy section, Crazy Rich Asians follows Rachel, as she tries to get into an Asian family that is wealthy and comes from immense money. The ensuing struggle of hers and the battles of the Young family to not include her into their family heirloom make for a movie that is balanced among the tones of comedy and romantics, but eventually ends up leaning more towards the latter. A funny movie nonetheless with a happy ending, making it a good movie to watch on your birthday.
6. The Breakfast Club (Released in 1985)
More of a feel-good movie, The Breakfast Club follows five students who meet in detention. All five conform to different high-school stereotypes; one is a jock, one a bully, one a brainiac, including the girls, out of which one is a social outcast and the other is a socially-active student. They are given a thousand-word essay to write on themselves and what they think of themselves, with them bonding over the essays and talking to each other over it. The film ends with them accepting them for who they are, and trying for new courses in their lives. A feel-good movie to watch on your birthday.
7. Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse (Released in 2018)
The first animated movie on our list, Into the Spider verse further doubles down on the already beloved character of Spiderman, and introduces several new versions of Spiderman from different dimensions, who all team up to stop the evil Kingpin and his super-collider, which threatens to erase their existence from all these dimensions. Young Miles Morales is unsure of his abilities and learns throughout the movie of his abilities, and what he can do for all. A campy movie but with the right lesson; a perfect Sunday evening flick.
8. The Shawshank Redemption (Released in 1994)
Yet another feel-good movie on the list, IMDb ranks The Shawshank Redemption the number 1st on its list of the best movies of all time, and there is little reason to see why not. It follows Andy Dufresne and Red, two inmates who form a friendship while in prison. Andy, a genius banker has been falsely implicated for the murders of his wife and lover, and he launders money for the warden and the prison’s inspector. In the end, he gets his redemption as he escapes from the prison, and as Red follows him to a package, the two friends are reunited once again, outside of prison for the first time.
9. Up (Released in 2009)
Bittersweet movie on the whole, Up takes its viewers from happiness to sadness in a matter of minutes, and its this masterful transition that makes it such a hit among the viewers. Carl Fredricksen is a widower, having promised to his late wife to go to South America to look for a giant, flightless bird, and after an unexpected event sees him fly to the Paradise Falls, he notices accidental stowaway Russell, who had been badgering Carl for some time now. As he stumbles upon the flightless bird, he discovers that his long-lost idol, Muntz, is after the bird. What follows is an adventure which sees an adorable Golden Retriever named Dug join Carl and Russell in saving the bird and fulfilling Ellie’s and Carl’s dreams.
10. The Terminal (Released in 2004)
The Terminal is yet another of Tom Hank’s character that has garnered much praise and admiration on-screen from viewers and audiences. The movie follows Hank’s character, Viktor Navorski, who has come to America to fulfil his late father’s wish of collecting all the signatures from legendary saxophone players of America. The plan falls into turmoil when hi fictitious home country experiences a coup, rendering his passport invalid, leaving him stuck at the airport. The movie follows his attempts to befriend the vast staff that mans the airport, his means of getting by and how, after a long time in the airport, he finally manages to get the autograph. A heartening movie that ends in a happy note.
11. Mrs Doubtfire (Released in 1993)
One of late actor Robin William’s most significant movies of his career, Mrs Doubtfire sees Williams’ character, Daniel, switch in and out of costumes and personalities (from that of a British nanny to his own self) to go meet his children, who live with his divorced ex-wife. The plot itself is very compelling, and the rest of the movie has been made memorable by Williams’ acting and the overall ambience of the movie. Released in 1993, it is still among the best movies of Williams’ career, and one of the best comedy and feel-good movies of all time.
12. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (Released in 1986)
One of the most memorable and quotable teen comedy movies, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off follows the titular character and his day as he feigns being sick to miss his classes and then convinces his friends to go out with him, in his friend Cameron’s father’s prized 1961 Ferrari, who initially resists but relents and goes out on the trip. What follows is Bueller’s sister and the school truancy officer’s attempts to uncover the ruse Bueller has going, all going on as several subplots also fold. The movie uses ‘breaking the fourth wall’ trope to allow for Bueller to narrate the events of the day. A classic comedy.
13. Coming to America (Released in 1988)
What if the Nigerian prince who just wants to share his money is real and it isn’t just a scam? Well, we have Coming to America next on our list, which stars Eddie Murphy as the prince of a fictional African kingdom, who comes to America to find a woman for marriage who doesn’t do it just because of his status or riches. What follows is the trademark Eddie Murphy flick; lots of comedy, lots of physical and dark comedy and the humorous attempts of an African prince to woo an American girl, whose father initially rejects him thinking he’s too poor. The movie is a classic comedy, as evidenced by its box office numbers.
14. Shrek (Released in 2001)
Ah yes, Shrek. The darling of the internet and starring in every sort of memes ever since the internet took off. Starring Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz, Shrek follows the titular ogre as his peace is disturbed when the Lord Farquaad banishes the fairy creatures from his kingdom, settling on Shrek’s swamp. The ogre then negotiates a deal with the king; he’ll retrieve the princess Farquaad intends to marry in exchange for him removing the fairy creatures from his swamp. The movie then follows as Shrek busts out the princess alongside the help of his partner Donkey and discover they have feelings for each other during the course of the movie. It is a well-rounded movie that still stands strong, 20 years after release.
15. Back to the Future (Released in 1985)
Starring Michael J Fox, Back to the Future has become a cult-classic ever since its release in 1985, and its easy to see why. In the movie, Marty McFly accidentally travels back in time, jeopardizing his and his sibling’s existence as his (younger) mother seems to be infatuated with him, instead of his father, George. Things seemingly take a turn for the worst when their plan to introduce George to Lorraine goes awry when local bully Biff steps in, but George saves the day and the dance, allowing Marty to return back to a much better life, as his father is no longer a bullied person, rather a strong, successful author.
16. Toy Story (Released in 1995)
One of the most memorable movies for millennials of today and one of the first CGI movies to knock it out of the ballpark, not to mention where Pixar got its start, Toy Story remains a classic, now 26 years old. It follows Andy and his toys, two of which seem to share the spotlight; Buzz, a Space Ranger toy and Woody, a sheriff toy, who both joust for the attention of Andy. The entire movie set the bar for future Pixar releases; a fun, campy movie that teaches an important lesson to children and teenagers alike along the way. In Toy Story’s case, the message is that everybody has its own place, and that friendship must prevail even in the most difficult of circumstances.
17. The Lego Movie (Released in 2014)
It does not get any campier than this. It’s The Lego Movie, where popular culture and Legos meet to create a movie that many accuse of being a simple cash grab, but is of good entertainment value nonetheless. It follows Emmett Brickowski, who, as a regular simpleton of Bricksburg, works in construction and is destined to be The Special, which he himself does not know. With support from Wyldestyle and the old Vitruvius, Emmett finds his calling and saves the Lego land from Mr Business’ evil plans. Starring Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell and Elizabeth Banks, The Lego Movie is just plain old good fun, despite accusations of being a cash grab for people to buy more Legos, as if people aren’t already buying it out of the gazoo.
18. Space Jam (Released in 1996)
Rightfully called ‘the Citizen Kane of live-action-animated hybrid movies’, Space Jam is 90’s personified. Everything that was big in the ‘90s; Michael Jordan, The Looney Tunes and Bill Murray all are in the movie, with heavy participation. Despite the movie being a basketball affair, the animation side along with the inclusion of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and the whole ensemble make for a movie that is still enjoyable, even by the now-grown up millennials. You could call it nostalgia, but Space Jam is just irresistibly good with its soundtrack and ground-breaking animation.
19. The Iron Giant (Released in 1999)
Based on a novel, The Iron Giant is a movie that introduced many kids to the animated feature-length movies, and while the animation certainly pales in front of what today’s CGI is capable of, The Iron Giant maintains its position as a cult-classic owing to its story, which follows an alien robot of huge size, which is discovered and befriended by a Rockwell kid named Hogarth. Set in the Cold War-era USA, the armed forces are understandably suspicious of the robot, and try to blow him up on several occasions, only to be thwarted by the kid. In the end, however, after a nuked is fired at the town inadvertently (originally meant for the giant), the robot flies off, intercepts it and blows up. A classic feel-good movie to watch on your birthday.
