Eat Pray Woot

Published Aug. 12, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.

Movies can have a powerful effect on us. Star Trek and Star Wars inspired more than one generation to set their sights on the stars and beyond, It's a Wonderful Life gave us a reason to believe in the good in everyday people, and Secretary inspired that lengthy and incredibly awkward conversation with Human Resources. And apparently Eat Pray Love and the accompanying wave of Oprah-fueled PR inspired a bunch of lonely people to spend all their money trying to buy enlightenment in ashrams only to find out that, well, ashrams are kind of lame. Which sucks, because we could've told you that for like half the price.

Lunacy of such plans aside, if you're going to base major life-altering decisions on movies at least pick a decent movie! Don't go with some low-rent rehash of a mediocre book. In fact, you could find a lot more inspiring tales in some of the following flicks...

 

Batman

Midlife crisis got you wondering what's the point of it all? Just send your parents to the opera (make sure it's that opera on the seedy side of town) and wait for them to be brutally murdered. Then you can spend a summer embarking on a journey of self discovery and vigilante justice as you prowl the rooftops of your city instilling paralyzing fear on the criminal element. Take a crafty cue from the tool-making montage and make your own animal-themed ninja weaponry!

The Goonies

What better way to find yourself than while finding treasure? Get some friends together and head for the Oregon coast. You'll find adventure, deformed new friends, and a new distrust for Italians. Be sure to bring your favorite marble bag; you never know what could end up in there!

Au Hasard Balthazar

Life feeling too complicated? Head for the French countryside and embrace the fact that you are, at your essence, a beast of burden. Owners may come and go, tasks may barely alternate between monotonous and grueling, but there you'll stand: steadfast and dull. Lives may revolve around you, some even crashing irrevocably, but you'll be so focused on the task at hand you won't even think to bray about it. A great way to overcome your procrastinating!

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Bettering yourself is great, but what's more gratifying than improving the lives of others? Take a cue from Randle Patrick Murphy and rub elbows with society's forgotten, the institutionalized mentally ill. You'll experience a great deal of personal growth as you question authority and inspire others to do the same. This won't be a cakewalk, but the real work on yourself never is. You may also come away with a stoic Native American friend!

The Deer Hunter

What could be more exotic than a vacation to the wild forests of Vietnam? Take your best friends from high school and see if you can beat the locals at whatever fun and interesting games they come up with! Who knows? You might love the place so much you'll end up staying!

Got a better "inspirational" movie that caused you to drop everything (including your wallet) and make a significant life change? Let us know in the comments below.

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