Movies about the different strides of life.

[Quarterquack]

Idol/Cine seem to give great suggestions, so I thought I'd throw my question in here as well.

I enjoy movies that show the scope of a person's life. Not necessarily an autobiographical piece, it could be fantasy-based (for example Benjamin Button). However, I quite like the kind of movies that have volumes of life experience in them, and show me an alternate life that I may never experience. I'm not sure if there's a specific name for this sub-genre, but at any rate, a few examples I can think of are The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Forrest Gump and The Time Traveler's Wife. I'm sure people can recommend examples that I will enjoy much more, but I seem to be stumped when searching for such movies.

I always get stuck with movies about potheads doing incredibly bad things to one another. :(

[gamesover]

I'll recommend some even though I'm not entirely sure what your looking for. It sounds like you are in fact looking for movies that are autobiographical, they show the life span (usually of someone famous) of a person from their roots growing up to where they ended up after they became famous. From birth to death. Actually they don't always start when the person was a child, but there is always a long chronology of events spanning many years in their life leading up to the end of the movie. Anyways here's some I liked:

Malcolm X; Lady Sings the Blues; Hoffa; Gotti; Lenny; The Babe; Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling; Cobb

[Stinson]

My first thought would be Trainspotting. It definitely depicts a different kind of life than most of us probably have.

[megabyteme]

Giant and Oldboy. Both happened to me once...

[cinephilia]

here's some very few ones i can think of now :

Andrey Rublyov (1966)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060107/
note:+3 hours long and not 'accessible' to the general public.

A few days from the life of Ilya Ilyich Oblomov (1980)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079619/

The duellists (1977)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075968/

Bird (1988)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094747/

American Splendor (2003)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0305206/

Klimt (2006)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417871/


also, i'd recommend you read Zadig by Voltaire, i'm sure you'll like it :yup:

[The_Martinator]

This is right of the IMDB top 250, but nonetheless, have you seen City of God?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317248/

[IdolEyes787]

here's some very few ones i can think of now :

Andrey Rublyov (1966)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060107/
note:+3 hours long and not 'accessible' to the general public.

A few days from the life of Ilya Ilyich Oblomov (1980)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079619/

The duellists (1977)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075968/

Bird (1988)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094747/

American Splendor (2003)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0305206/

Klimt (2006)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417871/


also, i'd recommend you read Zadig by Voltaire, i'm sure you'll like it :yup:
My interwebs was out .:(
The Duelists is a fan-fucking- tastic movie . Robert Ebert actually said that in his review.
I didn't realize that the Chicago Tribune was so liberal. :mellow:

Btw don't watch it without a good encode or else it will suck .

Also
Before Night Falls - Wonderful movie chronically the life of poet Reinaldo Arenas played by a then relative unknown Javier Bardem .Bonus is that he's ghey so it will be right up your alley.

Reds - Big, big movie about commie bastards that Warren Beatty won a bunch of Oscars for . Also in the commie bastard vein, Dr Zhivago - chicks love this one if they manage to say awake through the incredibly long running time that is .

Papillon - Great ,maybe the greatest prison movie ever.Close your eyes when the guy from Barney Miller dies. Sorry if I spoiled anything for you ,at least I didn't mention that he gets impaled on a spike trap.

Orlando - Strange recounting of a man who when commanded by Queen Elizabeth I to stay forever young manages over centuries to do precisely that.

Bicentennial Man - with Robin Williams .A robot becomes human( sort of ) over the course of 200 years .Wonderful original story by Asimov turned to mostly treacle by ( as he does with most everything ) director Chris Columbus.

[Quarterquack]

Well, thank you, everyone. Started watching a couple of them as soon as the recommendations flowed in. Can't say I regret asking (except for the fact that I've read The Duel/Point of Honor and movies never do books justice; I might give that a try towards the end).


also, i'd recommend you read Zadig by Voltaire, i'm sure you'll like it :yup:

I had Candide on my list not too far down; added Zadig to that. I'll let you know how that one goes. :)

[MagicNakor]

I have a fondness for Jude (1996) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116722/). Although it ends more optimistically than the novel, (http://www.amazon.com/Jude-Obscure-Barnes-Noble-Classics/dp/1593080352/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291206492&sr=1-3) by no means is it an uplifting tale but compelling all the same.

:shuriken:

[fxcoaching]

I will never forget the Facing the Giants and Fireproof - so Inspiring and a lot of moral lessons to learn