Hollywood is no amateur when it comes to creating heart-warming and empowering films that highlight the importance of self-love and acceptance; some of the greatest cinema classics inspire the proverbial "you" to "believe in yourself" and realize your worth. It’s refreshing to see a movie that contains a positive and uplifting message without coming off as preachy and trite. Some of life’s best lessons can be demonstrated on the big screen, providing comfort and support to those who truly need it. Hollywood successfully relays such messages through an array of genres, whether it be through humor, romance, or moving drama.
Updated: April 25, 2023: To keep this article fresh and relevant by adding more information and entries, this article has been updated with additional content by Evan Lewis.
From modern-day Cinderella stories to a fourth-grade rock band and even a sorority queen taking on Harvard, cinema loves a good story about self-love. Now, it may be important to take a step back from worrying about being loved by someone else and discern how well you actually love yourself. Let’s take a look at some of the best movies about learning to love yourself.
14 The Holiday
Nancy Meyer’s 2006 rom-com Christmas staple The Holiday features the excellent foursome of Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, and Jack Black. The cozy winter film follows Amanda (Diaz) and Iris (Winslet), two lovelorn women on opposite sides of the world who arrange a home exchange in an effort to evade their heartbreak during the holiday season. Despite trying to escape their messy love lives, the ladies find two worthy suitors who immediately capture their attention: Iris’ brother Graham (Law) and film composer Miles (Black).
The Holiday is a beautiful and moving story that inspires audiences to embrace who they are, flaws and all. Amanda is chastised by past flames for being emotionally distant, but she ultimately overcomes her roadblocks. Silver screen legend Eli Wallach co-stars as a famous screenwriter from the Golden Age of Hollywood, and poignantly reminds insecure Iris, “In the movies we have the leading ladies, and we have the best friend. You, I can tell, are a leading lady, but for some reason you are behaving like the best friend.”
13 A Good Person
While A Good Person may not have received the best reception, the mixed-rated film is still sure to strike a chord with some audience members. Especially those who are looking for a lead character who goes through a journey of questioning her self-worth, and working her hardest to believe that she is truly a good person at heart. The interpersonal conflict stems from an event where she was the driver of a fatal car accident, which she ended up surviving. This led her down the path of opioid addiction and grief that lingers even years after the fact.
Creating a bond with the deceased's father, who also would have been her father-in-law, they have each other's backs during this difficult process. Audience reviews differ greatly from the critics' opinions, so anyone who considers themselves a fan of Florence Pugh and tear-inducing dramas should be sure to check in for her amazing performance and the sappy, but heartwarming story.
12 Mulan
A lot of Disney movies touch on themes of self-love and self-acceptance, but perhaps none more than Mulan, the best 2D-animated Disney princess movie. This movie explores the way that Fa Mulan, the main character, sees herself and her place in society, and her family. The whole film she struggles with finding the real her — someone she can look in the mirror and recognize. The real story, more than saving China or finding a love interest, is Mulan finding her true self.
This film has proven decade after decade, and adaptation after adaptation, that the story at its core never gets old. The lecturing on acceptance still rings true today, which is why Mulan is a must-watch for anyone who somehow failed to ever see it in their lifetime, and a must-rewatch for those who've neglected it for a while because it is a classic that retains that title for a very good reason.
11 The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
This inspiring movie stars Ben Stiller as the titular Walter Mitty, a man who works for Life magazine processing photos. Walter feels unaccomplished in his life, letting himself be bullied by others and struggling to meet anyone with his online dating profile. He has a long list of unfulfilled dreams and a habit of losing himself in epic and adventurous daydreams that allow him to escape from his disappointment.
Abruptly spurred into action by a riveting quest to find an important missing cover photo, Walter wakes up out of his vivid, lucid daydreams and into a great adventure, discovering bravery that he wasn't sure he had within himself, on his epic quest to find a legendary photojournalist and the missing picture.
10 Legally Blonde
The iconic and beloved 2001 comedy Legally Blonde follows sorority queen Elle Woods, who attempts to win back her Ivy League boyfriend Warner by earning a degree at Harvard Law School. Along the way, she discovers that she’s much more than just a pretty blonde and triumphs against stereotypes and naysayers. Starring the charming Reese Witherspoon as the determined Elle Woods, Legally Blonde showcases the character’s growth and realization that she’s capable of so much more than simply fitting in the status quo.
Elle’s fighting spirit and can-do attitude are admirable, and it’s wonderful to watch her come into her own and rattle some cages along the way. CNN perfectly summed up the message of the movie, proclaiming it to be a “sassy satire that retains its message: believe in yourself and follow your dreams.”
9 School of Rock
The 2003 beloved comedy film School of Rock is an endearing and hilarious flick that centers on struggling rock guitarist Dewey Finn, who is kicked out of his band and becomes a substitute teacher at a stuffy elementary private school. After witnessing the musical talent of some of his students, he forms a band of fourth-graders to win the Battle of the Bands contest.
Starring the charismatic and always funny Jack Black as Dewey Finn, the movie depicts the diverse group of students embracing their talents and overcoming their insecurities in a heart-warming way. Dewey also grows as his reasons for joining the contest become about more than just money or fame; he genuinely loves teaching and inspiring his students. School of Rock was a critical and commercial hit and is both an inspiring and rocking good time for moviegoers.
8 The Help
2011’s period drama The Help is based on the Kathryn Stockett novel, and follows an aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s as she writes a book detailing the African American maids’ point of view on the white families they work for. The moving and emotionally driven film features a talented cast including Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Jessica Chastain, and Octavia Spencer. The Help is a beautiful tale of self-love and expression and encourages viewers to find their voice and hold on tightly to it. The women were able to be honest and feel heard during a time in which their voices were trying to be stifled.
The drama was nominated for four Academy Awards, with Spencer winning for Best Supporting Actress. The other performances are also worth writing home about, as the entire cast put a valiant effort in portraying the story in a way that would be effective, and believable.
7 Last Holiday
The 2006 romantic dramedy stars Queen Latifah as department store assistant Georgia, who learns that she has a rare brain condition and only has a few weeks to live. She decides to spend her remaining money on a glamorous European vacation and experience life to the fullest before her time is up.
Based on the 1950 British film, Last Holiday highlights Georgia's embrace of who she is and all the beauty and wonder the world has to offer, letting go of her inhibitions and fears while entertaining audiences along the way. Respected critic Roger Ebert praised the Queen Latifah comedy, saying that the movie “takes advantage of the great good nature and warmth of Queen Latifah, and uses it to transform a creaky old formula into a comedy that is just plain lovable.”
6 A Beautiful Mind
Ron Howard’s 2001 Oscar-winning biographical drama A Beautiful Mind is a touching and eye-opening film that stars a gifted group of actors such as Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, and Paul Bettany. The film centers on the brilliant but asocial John Nash, a gifted mathematician who develops paranoid schizophrenia and endures delusional episodes, while painstakingly watching the burden his condition brings to his wife and loved ones.
Crowe serves up a powerhouse performance as Nash, and the picture was inspired by Sylvia Nasar’s Pulitzer Prize-nominated book. Nash must go on a journey of self-acceptance and understanding of his mental illness, as he attempts to fathom his new reality and what it means for the life he thought he knew.
5 Yes Man
Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel star in the 2008 romantic comedy Yes Man, which follows the negative Carl Allen (Carrey) who decides to embrace the power of yes after attending a self-help seminar. Carl’s new positive outlook on life leads to transformative, worldview-shaping experiences, such as a new job promotion and a budding romance with songstress Allison (Deschanel). Despite all the good that comes his way, Carl realizes that too much of anything (even something positive) can have its downfalls. He can’t completely give up the person he was, but must remember that life is worth living, even acknowledging the bad that comes with it.
Yes Man highlights the power of positive thinking and self-acceptance while reminding audiences it is important to have a healthy balance of both sides. Also, it is worth noting that most movies with Jim Carrey or Zooey Deschanel are a good use of time, as they are both charismatic and make the most of their screen time.
4 Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion
The 90s cult classic comedy Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion stars Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow in the title roles as two discouraged women who prepare for their 10-year high-school reunion. Fearing they haven’t lived up to the success of their former classmates, the pair decide to invent fake careers in order to impress their old classmates.
The good-natured flick celebrates the power of friendship and the importance of remaining true to yourself, as Romy and Michele ultimately realize that they're fine just the way they are and do not need anyone’s validation. It’s a sweet and quirky comedy that inspires moviegoers to believe in themselves, and of course, love themselves for who they are, without the need to compare their successes to others. If the undying taste for some good old-fashioned nostalgia needs to be satiated, this one is more than certain to do the trick in that department.
3 Rye Lane
Rye Lane is a zany and tongue-in-cheek London-based romantic comedy that was released on March 31st, 2023, and was instantly met with a rush of rave reviews that revered it as a near-masterpiece of the genre.
The film follows two young adults that are struggling to find their place after breakups. The two leads meet each other in a chance scenario, and decide that fate wanted them to get to know each other — so that is exactly what they do. Throughout the story, they try to complete tasks that are necessary for them to move on entirely, and they also go through some revelations that reveal they might actually be enjoying their time together more than they thought they would at first. Rye Lane is a lighthearted and unexpected indie hit that provides all the lessons that a viewer looking for a film centering around the topic of self-love has to offer.
Rye Lane can be streamed on Hulu, and possibly more services in the future, and we can assure you that it is worth your full, devoted attention.
2 Isn't It Romantic
Rebel Wilson plays the lead role in this movie that mocks romantic comedies. The lead character, Natalie, is an architect who has internalized a lesson she was taught as a child — that men don't look at her, and that she isn't worth much or noticed. She is shy about her work, and cynical about love — especially the kind that is shown in romantic comedies.
She hits her head and falls into a surreal situation where her life has become a romantic comedy, moving through all the clichés, such as the stereotypical gay best friend, and even the red herring love interest, who is then substituted for the real love interest. It feels predictable, right up until the final wedding scene, when Natalie's best friend, whom she has realized she loves, is about to marry another woman. Natalie bursts through the door and interrupts the wedding, to profess her love to him. But at the end of her speech, she says, "I love... me."
The movie flashes back to the way she's grown through her experience and opened herself up, taking risks. She has shined, and she realizes at that moment, she also fell in love with herself. It's a beautiful and moving spin on the typical ending of rom-coms, and it ends with Natalie as a more confident and glowing version of herself, finally free to pursue her career, and love, because of that crucial foundation of loving herself.
1 A Cinderella Story
Hilary Duff stars in the 2004 teen rom-com A Cinderella Story, which is a modern-day retelling of the classic Cinderella fairytale. The premise revolves around two internet pen pals who plan to finally meet at their high school’s Halloween dance. The movie features an impressive cast of Chad Michael Murray, Jennifer Coolidge, and Regina King, and follows the downtrodden Sam (Duff) as she combats her wicked stepmother and low high school social status while dreaming about meeting her internet beau (Murray).
Over the course of the famously sweet film, Sam realizes her own self-worth and is able to recognize value lies beyond a ridiculous high school hierarchy and her miserable, hateful stepmother’s antics. She finds her own voice and confidence, and that is a relatable message worth following.
While there are a lot of iterations of this narrative, this one is sure to remind those who grew up with it in the 2000s of a much simpler time, and that is something that we all need occasionally; a fun, inspiring break from the world's harsh realities.