Movies to help you get your groove back

Running a business is hard work and it’s easy to let it get on top of you.

Why not escape to the movies and get your entrepreneurial groove back at the same time?

While there are plenty of ways small business owners can maintain their mojo, watching a great movie is a fantastic way to re-energise.

This Christmas we’ve picked out some films to way that will help you get over the hump and attack the new year with renewed passion.

These seven movies about folks that overcame the odds to make big things happen are just what you’ll need to recharge over the Christmas break and kick some big goals in the new year.

Ed Wood (1994)

The infamous filmmaker Edward D. Wood Jr., director of train wrecks like the ultimate anti-masterpiece Plan 9 From Outer Space, might seem like an unlikely subject for inspiration. But under the deft directorial hand of Tim Burton Ed Wood (Johnny Depp) becomes an unlikely hero – able to surmount countless challenges, including his own limited talents, in pursuit of his filmmaking dream. If he can achieve his goals, we all can!

Joy (2015)

If you’re looking for entrepreneurial inspiration, it’s hard to go past David O. Russell’s Joy. Covering the story of Joy Mangano (Jennifer Lawrence), who achieved major success with the invention of the self-wringing mop, it’s hard not to inspired by her tenacity in the face of countless challenges along the way.

The Imitation Game (2014)

Alan Turing, the brilliant but unapproachable mathematician who helped turn the tide of World War II towards allied victory was treated appallingly in his own lifetime, leading to his untimely death. In The Imitation Game, director Morten Tyldum helps to partially redress this injustice with this powerful account of Turing’s work in cracking the Enigma Code, the key to the encryption of all top secret German communications at the time. We all owe this man a debt, and there’s plenty to learn from the strength of his resolve to achieve his mission.

Working Girl (1988)

Mike Nichol’s tale of one woman’s rise from receptionist to big shot may be an oldie, but it’s a goodie. When receptionist Tess McGill (Melanie Griffith) comes up with a big idea she’d like to pitch to her company, she’s met with nothing but roadblock after roadblock. Luckily, Tess is made of the right stuff, and by the time the credits roll you’ll be inspired to make that big idea happen.

The Right stuff (1983)

Speaking of the right stuff, this is the Philip Kaufman directed classic story of America’s first manned space flight. As far as challenges go, willingly stepping into a giant rocket and being shot into space at 8000km/h is a pretty big one, especially when nobody else has ever it given it a go (well, technically the Russians pipped them by three weeks). You’ll be glued to your seat as these air force pilots-turned-spacemen train for the most dangerous aviation mission in the history of civilisation. Now that’s inspiring!

Gravity (2013)

Flash forward to the 21st century, and the inspirational space race continues. In Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity, Sandra Bullock plays an astronaut who’s already face her share of adversity before the camera even rolls. But things get substantially worse when space debris tears her space shuttle to pieces leaving her floating in space with zero chance of making home. Eighty nail-biting minutes later, this tale of one human being’s ability to overcome impossible odds will leave you breathless, and truly inspired.

Erin Brockovich (2000)

We all know this one. Steven Soderbergh directs Julia Roberts in the role of Erin Brockovich, the unemployed single mother who took on a corporate giant and won…. And then got a law degree and became a super-hero advocate for marginalized folks everywhere. This is what a hero looks like, people.

Aside from being the Social Media Lead at MYOB, James Curnow is a film obsessive currently working through a PhD in Film Studies. In his spare time, he has a role as the Assistant Festival Director of the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival, and runs his own contributor-based film blog, CURNBLOG.com.