While box office disappointment is not necessarily a reflection on the quality of a motion picture, it is surprising to discover a really inspiring movie that initially failed to win over audiences. It is easy for films with a lot of heart to be labeled corny or overly sentimental, which can be one of the things that might prevent such a movie from being a hit. These are 10 films that flopped when they were originally released but still have the power to inspire those who are willing to give them a chance.
Related: 10 Real-Life, Romantic Love Stories from World War II
10 Slow Dancing in the Big City
The 1978 romantic drama Slow Dancing in the Big City is remembered as a huge flop. Overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles in order to achieve an ambition is a major theme that runs through this movie, which also involves the relationship between talented but ailing young ballerina on the cusp of fame, Sarah Gantz, and an earthy, out-of-shape newspaper columnist Lou Friedlander. So it’s no wonder publicity for the film compared it to Rocky, which was such an enormous hit just a few years earlier. The movie actually has many things in common with Rocky,” including the same director, John G. Avildsen, composer Bill Conti, and an underdog storyline.
Slow Dancing in the Big City turned out to be the failure that many people had expected the low-budget Rocky to be. The flaws of Slow Dancing in the Big City are apparent. Lou (Paul Sorvino) generally comes across as a doormat, and the inexperience of newcomer Anne Ditchburn, who plays Sarah, is obvious enough. Additionally, the scaled-back, unrefined style, which was so appealing in Rocky, did not work in this film. However, it is still very watchable and succeeds at inspiring audiences.
As Roger Ebert said, the movie: “cheerfully exists in the world of big hearts and brave tears and happy endings that make you blow your nose. It’s a classic of melodramatic overachievement.”[1]
9 Author! Author!
Al Pacino received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance as playwright Ivan Travalian in the 1982 comedy Author! Author!, but the movie bombed with critics and audiences alike. The plot revolves around Ivan’s efforts to mount his latest play on Broadway while struggling as an unlikely single father to his blended family when his unfaithful wife Gloria (Tuesday Weld) suddenly leaves him and the children. Amid all the chaos, Ivan complicates things further by embarking on an affair with a free-spirited actress, Alice Detroit (Dyan Cannon).
The timing of its release was likely one of the things that hurt this movie at the box office since it was such a big year for blockbuster action flicks like First Blood and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, but Author! Author! is far from perfect. One problem is the lack of focus. With so much going on in the story, the audience is as distracted as Ivan himself would have been on a typical day. On the plus side, Pacino’s depiction of Ivan is an impressive and heartwarming departure from his most memorable characters. Ivan’s love and commitment to these otherwise unwanted kids come shining through, and we root for him to succeed as he juggles family life with the theater.[2]
8 The Rewrite
Hugh Grant has starred in more than his fair share of romantic comedies, and the 2014 film The Rewrite is often labeled as such, but it only partially fits into this category. It is just as much an inspirational movie about comebacks and self-discovery. Grant plays a down-on-his-luck screenwriter, Keith Michaels, whose career started to flounder after penning one legendary hit film many years earlier.
Struggling to pay bills, he reluctantly moves cross country to take a teaching job at Binghamton University in New York, where he is a complete misfit and nearly gets fired for his unorthodox approach. However, Keith is surprised to find that he has a real calling to teach, and he must choose whether to keep the position or accept an opportunity to work in the film industry again.
There’s plenty of humor and a sweet romance between Keith and single mom Holly (Marisa Tomei), but inspiration is at the heart of the story, which is very much about soul searching and starting over in life. Despite being written and directed by Grant’s frequent collaborator Marc Lawrence and featuring an impressive supporting cast, The Rewrite was a major commercial disappointment that mostly drew lukewarm reviews, but when it comes to films that encourage us to explore new horizons, it definitely hits the mark.[3]
7 Lost in Yonkers
The 1993 dramedy Lost in Yonkers, about a dysfunctional family in WWII-era Yonkers, New York, is based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning Neil Simon play and features critically acclaimed performances from Mercedes Ruehl and Irene Worth reprising their Tony-winning stage roles for the screen adaptation. However, all this was not enough to make it a hit at the box office. This film, which follows two adolescent brothers, Jay (Brad Stoll) and Arty (Mike Damus), who are left with their father’s eccentric family one summer, may have been too offbeat to achieve mainstream popularity, but that’s also part of its charm.
The movie, which memorably co-stars Richard Dreyfuss, centers on the boys’ childlike Aunt Bella, who dreams of a home and family of her own, only to be deterred by her tyrannical mother. Lost in Yonkers veers between farcical, poignant, heartbreaking, and ultimately inspiring as Bella finds independence.[4]
6 Beautiful
Some of the most inspiring films feature storytelling, which manages to be soul-stirring but not overly sentimental. This is the case with the dramedy Beautiful, starring Minnie Driver as professional beauty pageant contestant Mona. Mona must come to terms with her role as a mother to her young daughter Vanessa (Hallie Eisenberg), mainly being brought up by her roommate Ruby (Joey Lauren Adams), posing as Vanessa’s mom so that Mona can be eligible to compete in the pageants.
However, when Ruby is arrested for a crime she didn’t commit, Mona is forced to take on real maternal responsibility for the little girl and, in so doing, begins to confront issues rooted in her own painful childhood. Though it failed to turn a profit when released in 2000, Beautiful succeeds at being a feel-good movie that powerfully communicates the importance of making family a top priority.[5]
5 84 Charing Cross Road
The quirky but heartwarming 1987 film 84 Charing Cross Road, starring Anne Bancroft as brash, struggling New York writer Helene Hanff and Anthony Hopkins as her unlikely pen pal, reserved London bookseller Frank Doel, isn’t the type of movie that is expected to be a hit at the box office. It was also fairly predictable that the film would be embraced by critics, considering the impressive cast and critical acclaim of the source material, which was Hanff’s bestselling autobiographical book.
Both of these things came true, but one surprising benefit of watching 84 Charing Cross Road is how inspiring it turns out to be. Helene’s frequent requests for obscure, vintage books and Frank’s skill for obtaining these rare volumes bring them together. It’s very moving to see how these two people, who are so different from one another, form a meaningful long-distance relationship through written correspondence without ever meeting. Knowing this was based on a true story makes it even more inspiring.[6]
4 Children of Men
Well-made dystopian dramas are often among the most inspiring films, which makes sense considering how easy it is to root for a character who’s trying to save the world. Based on a novel by P.D. James, the 2006 sci-fi action thriller Children of Men is set in a disastrous world where humans have lost the ability to reproduce. Clive Owen stars as Theo Faron, a one-time activist turned cynical bureaucrat, who agrees to take a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea.
Julianne Moore plays Theo’s radical ex-girlfriend, Julian, who re-enters his life and compels him to join her in a mission to effect positive change. One of the most inspiring things about this movie is Theo’s transformation from someone who could be seen as symbolic of the growing pessimism in society into a hero who is fighting for the future of humanity.
Despite all the film has to offer in the way of exciting and thought-provoking entertainment, it was not a financial success but did earn plenty of critical acclaim. In a Time Magazone article about Children of Men, the publication praised the work of director Alfonso Cuarón and called the film “a cautious incantation for a hopeful future.”[7]
3 Dominick and Eugene
The 1988 drama Dominick and Eugene is a raw but uplifting film about the complex relationship between medical student Eugene (Ray Liotta) and his intellectually challenged fraternal twin brother Nicky (Tom Hulce). Nicky is helping to put his brother through school by working as a garbage collector. To Eugene’s new girlfriend, Jennifer (Jamie Lee Curtis), it seems like he is taking advantage of Dominick, but Eugene plans to pay him back once he becomes a brain surgeon by supporting his brother for the rest of his life.
Eugene’s intention to go away for two years to complete an internship at Stanford and other changes threaten the twins’ closeness. Eventually, their bond strengthens through adversity and the exploration of a traumatic past. While it has received a lot of praise, especially for the actors’ performances, this inspiring film was not a financially lucrative project. However, Dominick and Eugene is now considered to be a cult classic.[8]
2 It’s a Wonderful Life
Given its legacy as one of the greatest Christmas films of all time, a lot of movie fans would be shocked to learn that the now iconic It’s a Wonderful Life was a flop when it premiered in 1947. With its strongly conveyed themes of hope, faith, gratitude, and individual purpose, this fantasy drama is about the suicidal George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart), who gets a new lease on life after an angel shows him the valuable impact he’s had on his family and community. It is a prime example of how inspiring some originally unsuccessful films can turn out to be.
However, the film didn’t inspire much when it was first released besides mixed reviews from the critics. Financially, it didn’t even break even, but the picture did get nominated for five Oscars. As with many box office duds that go on to develop a cult following, It’s a Wonderful Life later gained popularity when it was shown on television, leading it to become a holiday tradition.[9]
1 The Shawshank Redemption
Prison movies aren’t usually particularly inspiring, but The Shawshank Redemption, a 1994 drama starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, is one of the exceptions. A commercial flop when it was first released, this film, written by Stephen King and Frank Darabond and directed by Darabond, lives up to its tagline, “Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.” Robbins plays Andy Dufresne, falsely convicted of murdering his wife and her lover in 1947.
Instead of allowing himself to be eaten up by bitterness at his unjust circumstance, Andy’s positive attitude and compassion see him through the experience, which lasts for more than two decades. Nominated for seven Oscars and many other awards, the critical reception was mainly positive, with reviewers highly praising the movie, especially for its compellingly delivered message of hope and for the impressive performances. The film’s popularity has grown enormously with movie fans and is now considered a cult classic.[10]