I’m a sucker for a happy ending.
You might not guess that to be true…and I wouldn’t blame you. If you take a look at my favorite movies, the data really pivots from “And they all lived happily ever after” to “And everyone dies” like a metronome.
I mean…two of my all-time favorite movies are Moulin Rouge and The Princess Bride. That probably says all you need to know.
But hey.
The world is scary. The times seem pretty dark. I’ve talked before about escapism growing darker and darker—about fantasy losing its whimsy. In the grand ocean of streaming services, it seems like there’s another dark and foreboding tale around each bend—murder and violence and despair.
It can be hard to see past the blinders.
So let’s talk about hope.
Let things be cheesy!
The way I see it, there are two kinds of hopeful stories: the ones with cheese, and the ones without.
Maybe you like your stories dairy-free. That’s great! And we’ll get to that in a second.
But let’s not underestimate the power of silliness.
Not everything has to be heavy. Not everything needs to be heavy. Don’t feel embarrassed or ashamed for liking some old-fashioned corny fun!
The secret is…the best cheesy stories know what they are. They’re not trying to trick you or be condescending. The best light, corny stories want you to have fun. And we shouldn’t be bullied into only enjoying the heavy, dark angst (and spoiler: angst can be cheesy too). And personally, the best part of cheesy stories is when, for a minute or two, they get so serious. The TV show Psych is fantastic at this. That speaks to our humanity, I think—we more strongly appreciate the serious stuff when it’s wrapped up in cheese. The angst works best as the chicken in a cheese quesadilla.
In that case, it’s clear that cheesy stories can still have interesting characters and believable plots. Because guess what?
People are cheesy.
It’s true.
Not every person is a brooding cloud of darkness, with homicidal tendencies and slowly growing hate.
People are…goofy.
We’re so quick to forget that.
Stick to the very end for some cheesy (but wonderful) recommendations!
Dairy free? No problem.
Not every happy ending needs to be cheesy. Hope is deeper than we give it credit for.
And I suppose it’s all a huge sliding scale. What does it mean to be cheesy? Where’s the line? It’s all up to taste, I guess. (I’m trying not to make a Boxtrolls reference right now.)
But hope is bigger than the dairy plants and cornfields.
As a Christian obsessed with pop culture, I constantly have to remind myself that hope is HUGE! I get so used to reviewing stories and trends and tropes that I forget about hope—real hope. I know hope is a this amazing, powerful thing, so why am I so cynical sometimes when it comes to stories?
Why do tragic endings—shocking endings, bloody endings, dark endings—usually have a prejudice towards them? They’re so often considered…deeper. Better. More “realistic.”
But that’s silly. The world is full of happy endings, we just like to ignore them. I wonder if it’s because tragedy makes for better headlines…
In any case, oftentimes it seems that happy endings aren’t done justice in storytelling. Like any ending, they can be written poorly. And I think a big part of it comes down to a misconception—not every happy ending needs to have everything work out fine.
Hope isn’t always tied to “everything went the way I wanted it to.” As I said, hope is bigger than that. Hope can exist when there are scary things. When there’s death, or loss, or lots of action. And that makes sense, right? Hope shines best in the darkness.
It’s my unabashed hot take that Moulin Rouge has a hopeful ending. In a sense…by my metric, it’s got a happy ending. Despite all the heartbreak and loss and pain the narrator goes through…he still believes in love. He still holds fast to the truth he knows, that “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.” He writes it in tears, but he still knows it’s true.
And that gives me hope.
Yes, it’s a tearjerker.
But it gives me hope.
It reminds me that I can go through pain and trials and loss and still know that it was worth it. That my experience doesn’t define the truth. And, from a Christian worldview, I can’t deny that the movie reminds me that Jesus gave up his life for me out of love. The greatest thing I’ll ever know is how much Jesus loves me. Loves all of us. And that’s the most hopeful thing of all.
Looking for something?
Want some movies and shows just BURSTING with hope? I’ve got some options for ya, ranging from cheesy to not-so-cheesy. However, I believe that all great movies have a hint of goofiness. I mean, come on! Take your comedy where you can get it, even if it’s in small doses.
Here are seven hopeful stories for ya! Five movies, one TV show, and one mini-series—just for the sake of variety.
I’ve already seen this twice. Both times felt like the first time.
This movie is a breath of fresh air. I can’t remember the last time I saw a new movie that felt so classic.
This movie is teeming with hope, down to the score (which I was listening to while writing this whole blog).
I could go on and on about how visually beautiful this film is. It’s got a grain to it, and an overall realness. I swear, they must’ve storyboarded this film, because every shot felt so intentional.
Not only does the filmmaking style of this movie give me hope, but so does the message. Ryan Gosling wanted to make a movie for his kids, and it shows.
This movie doesn’t really pull its punches. The stars are dying—the earth is in danger. Space is scary. This movie had every chance to be dark and dismal, but instead it’s about hope and working together.
It says, “Times are scary, but we’ll figure it out.”
I went into this movie with no idea what to expect.
Actually, I pretty much expected it to be something along the lines of, “Religion is bad, people are terrible, check please.”
Dare I say, it’s the opposite of that.
Father Jud is a delightful character. My favorite review of this movie described him in a way I can’t top. “He’s not just a good guy who’s a priest,” this person said. “He’s also a really good priest. Like, he’s so so good at being a priest.”
Blanc and Jud disagree fundamentally on a lot of things. But no matter what happens, Jud stands on his faith, and Blanc is there for him.
This movie shows bad people twisting good things around. It shows good people exposing darkness and bringing light.
And, on top of all of that, it’s a super fun murder mystery with wonderful cinematography!
I don’t understand the hate this movie has gotten. It was fun, it was visually beautiful, and it was all about seeing the best in people.
I’ve been thinking a lot about this movie recently, since I’ve been on a Smallville kick.
This movie honestly captures the sweet, boy-scout behavior of Clark Kent, just like Tom Welling’s depiction of him.
It’s about being human. Lex’s idea of humanity and Clark’s idea are at odds (as always), and it was beautifully done. Lex’s rage pitted against Clark’s optimism.
And Clark and Lois?! Don’t even get me started. She’s a realist, and he’s a ray of sunshine—their dynamic is the cherry on top of this hopeful sundae.
This movie captures Clark Kent as the lovely Boy Scout he is, and it’d been a looooong time since I’d left the movie theater smiling from ear to ear.
I hadn’t planned on seeing this movie. Marvel and I had fallen out of love, so to speak. But I went with a few friends, and was delightfully surprised.
This movie felt like classic Marvel. It had that realistic, witty feel of the The Avengers—maybe because, like the good ol’ days, New York City was under siege by unknown forces of mass destruction.
But beyond the wonderfully fun cast of misfits, this movie surprised me with its themes.
It’s about banding together. It says, “Hey, the darkness will come, but it can only get to you if you’re alone.”
It tackles the topics of depression and self-condemnation, and the theme of “have I gone too far to be saved?” all while maintaining a thread of humor.
I laughed. I teared up. I cheered. I gasped.
This is a fun time with a hopeful message, and a great film to watch with rowdy friends.
Oh look, Ryan’s back!
I think I’ve actually lost count of how many times I’ve seen this movie.
This movie blends beautiful action (and spectacular practical stunts) with a delightfully cheesy, clean romance.
It’s so much fun. I can’t stress how much fun this movie is.
And…it’s got its corny moments. In the best way—in a very human way, actually. The whole point is that these aren’t vigilantes or superheroes or anything. They’re just normal people who get swept up in a crazy plot.
It’s so witty and sweet and charming and I promise it will make you smile.
And, on top of all that, the stunt work is fantastic! It’s hopeful even in the sense that it got stuntmen to be recognized for all their hard, amazing work.
This is my go-to comfort show. I know most of the early-season episodes by name. So trust me when I say that there is truly no other show quite like Psych.
This show knows what it is. And it wields that fact like a dangerous weapon. This show has made me laugh until my sides split, and then hit me with the most gut-wrenching moments in the same episode.
The characters have so much wonderful depth to them, which gradually gets revealed as the show goes on.
But truly, there has never been another show about murder that keeps things so goofy and light.
I hope Steve Franks, the creator, gets another gig soon. In the world of gritty tv, we could really use another bright light like Psych!
This one is for all the Jane Austen fans.
Good regency romance is hard to find these days, isn’t it? It’s all filled with so much spice…
But let me tell you—this show is SO much fun. It’s an indie mini-series, and it’s totally clean.
It. Is. So. Cheesy. In the best way possible—in the way that all good regency romance should be cheesy.
It hits all the classic Austen romance marks, with a sort of…gothic literature feel to it. I haven’t read the books it’s based on, but I can’t help but feel like this show captured the vibe.
And it’s got this idea that…people can change. When you want to grow up a little, and be a better person, you can.
Low budget, high marks. I saw it twice and had a blast both times.
Here’s your reminder that we’re allowed to like cheesy things. It’s a part of who we are.
Hope is a powerful thing
I hope these movies inspire you (ba-dum tssss!)
If you have any to add to this list, let me know if the comments below!
Happy to see Ryan Gosling twice-represented. Saw Project Hail Mary the other night, and I loved the creativity and so much of what you’re saying about it. It could have been 40 minutes shorter IMHO, but I’ll take what I can get. 🙂
Great article.
Ryan Gosling has been a running bit in my family for years now, so I’m glad he’s getting the spotlight he deserves, haha! Personally I thought it was a super well-paced movie, but I can see where you’re coming from.
Glad you liked the article! Thanks 🙂
I am FERAL for Seeking Persephone. It was literally SO good that I’ve watched it like 4 times in two weeks. These are great recomendations.
Yesss I’ve seen it twice but…it wasn’t enough, lol. It’s the perfect blend of cheese and angst, TBH
Dairy-free, LOL. I love it.
Also some top-notch movie recs! I still gotta see Wake Up Deadman!
I’m of the opinion that stories impact us more deeply, and stick with us longer when they make us feel a wider range of emotions. As a writer, it’s easier to make your readers cry, if you’ve made them laugh first. That’s why I think I’ll always prefer comedies. That’s also one of the reasons why I love Shakespeare. Even his tragedies are funny.
I mean, Shakespeare’s darkest play had basically the first “your mom” joke in it, so… yes XD
And yes, I agree–a winder range of emotions!