Movies That Motivate | The Adventures of Motivatorman!: March 2020

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Tip#1189: Learning through Movies, Part 8 – COVID-19 – Outbreak Movie

This is Day 14 of the COVID-19 quarantine/social distancing/self-isolation here in Toronto, Canada.

It’s two weeks into this massive global lifestyle change and I’m extremely grateful for being safe and well at home. I’ve been spending most of my time on social media not just as entertainment relief but also learning more educational information about this virus and how the world is dealing with it.

I found there was really good information circulating online and there is also misinformation too. Here is an excellent video I highly recommend watching from Professor Kim Woo-Joo, Infectious Diseases from Korea University Guro Hospital. South Korea has one of the best responses for having contained the pandemic and so this video is a must-see!

WATCH NOW:
Part 1: Urgent Advice from COVID-19 Expert From South Korea (13min.)
Part 2: Urgent Advice from COVID-19 Expert From South Korea (13min.)
Part 3: Urgent Advice from COVID-19 Expert From South Korea (9min.)

You will learn many important, life saving insights to know and take immediate action with:

• Being more self aware of actions we take for granted every day when we are out in public and with what we touch: Handles, transit poles, stairwell and escalator railings, credit card interfaces
• Difference between “droplet transmission” and “airborne transmission” and how long the droplets stay on surfaces
• Understanding the 6 feet social distancing

Another way to educate yourself while also relieving stress and anxiety is engaging the power of cinema! Below is my write-up of the film Outbreak already topping Netflix Top 10 along with the Contagion movie I featured in Tip#1187.

Outbreak (1995)

The medical disaster film, Outbreak, is about a group of scientists, led by Colonel Sam Daniels (Dustin Hoffman) to contain and find a cure for a deadly virus spreading rapidly in the US. This gripping story is also thrilling cinema that features srong performances by Hoffman as well as Rene Russo, Morgan Freeman, Donald Sutherland, Cuba Gooding Jr., Kevin Spacey and Patrick Dempsey.
See: movie trailer
Watch/rent or buy now: Amazon Prime Video

I have always enjoyed this movie and I was compelled to watch it again during this pandemic. I found that Colonel Daniels inspired me as a fantastic cinematic role model for leadership, perseverance, resilience and indestructible optimism while demonstrating his drive and passion for wanting to save others. And the dedicated, courageous teamwork is a highlight in solving an overwhelming, deadly problem.

There are many scenes in the film that also help to remind us of social distancing and staying at home that brutally reinforce our most important, lifesaving duties we each need to be aware of. See some examples…

Example 1: Virus quickly spreads via droplets in public places (movie theatre)
Example 2: Showing the virus going airborne scene

Movies have always been a vehicle to provide entertainment that can be uplifting and reduce our stress and anxiety. Today, more than ever, films can provide valuable awareness of insights we need to adapt into our new daily lifestyle during this global pandemic. Let a film inspire and educate you today so you can make positive, life-saving changes in your life and the lives of those you love.

For more of my uplifting movie tips: www.MoviesForMotivation.com

Related Tips:
Tip#1181: Learning through Movies, Part 7 – The Assistant
Tip#1187: How To Build Indestructible Optimism, Part 2 - Contagion
Tip#1188: The Uplifting Power of Cinema, Part 10 - Dave

SEE EMMANUEL's:

• Top Movies as Inspirational Learning Tools: www.Movies for Motivation.com

• Award-winning Illustrations: www.EmmanuelLopez.com

• Social Media Consulting Services: www.SocialMediaWingman.com

Remember How Movies Can Help You:
A) Entertain & Escape
B) Re-energize & Release
C) Inspiration & Motivation

Emmanuel Lopez-Motivatorman
Award-winning Illustrator | Movie Blogger | Speaker | Foodie
Discover Movies As Inspirational Learning Tools!
See website: www.MoviesForMotivation.com

© Emmanuel Lopez 2020

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Tip#1188: The Uplifting Power of Cinema, Part 10 - COVID-19 - Dave

Life has become so surreal! I am writing this on Day 7 of self-isolation and social distancing to help flatten the rise of COVID-19 aka corona virus. Here is a brief timeline of my experiences so far here in Toronto Canada:

Saturday March 14, 2020
At 7:45am I witnessed the start of panic buying at No Frills, Shoppers Drug Mart for food and essentials like toilet paper.

Monday, March 16, 2020
Began self-isolation and social distancing in Canada and the USA. Movie theatres, restaurants, schools, businesses and other services shut down. People asked to work from home. Thankfully essentials and takeout services still open.

Tuesday, March 17, 2020
Celebrities sharing video messages from home on social media while Late Night talk show hosts Stephen Colbert, Ellen DeGenerous, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and others start doing shows from their homes which are fun, uplifting and very unique and personable.

I am amazed to think it was just over a week ago that I spent a few days with my photographer friend Derek Lang enjoying foods like new taste sensations from The Dirty Bird Chicken & Waffles and Dipped Donuts Inc. And then I was so grateful for our Friday, March 13th bing-watching of Star Trek: Picard episodes. That’s when Derek later recommended we watch a light comedy film from the 90’s to make us feel good called Dave. That’s when I re-experienced and was so grateful for the uplifting power of cinema!

Dave (1993)

The romantic comedy, political film, Dave, is about Dave Kovic (Kevin Kline) who bears an uncanny resemblance with President Bill Mitchell (Kevin Kline) and is called upon to impersonate the incapacitated President on an ongoing basis. This highly entertaining and hilarious movie has several memorable moments and great performances by all including Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Frank Langella, Kevin Dunn, Ving Rhames, Charles Grodin, Ben Kingsley and a parade of cameos.
See: movie trailer
Watch, rent or buy now: Amazon Prime Video

I was so blown away by how much I enjoyed this movie! It had a warmhearted Frank Capra feel to the characters and overall tone that I was able to suspend my disbelief that Dave could fool everyone close to the real President including his wife! I loved the chemistry between Kline and Weaver while Rhames, who plays the President’s bodyguard, was another standout performance.

There are also many inspirational moments such as Dave comforting a homeless child and where Dave works with his Whitehouse staff to cut the national budget. And every speech he gives while playing the President is powerful and motivational! His character is just so full of positivity, innocence and enthusiasm for life and had a passionate desire to do good in the world. I highly recommend seeing or rewatching this comedy gem!

Feel good films are such a perfect tonic for the anxiety and uncertainty of our current times. Rewatching a favourite comedy or romcom has the potential of re-energizing, rejuvenating and re-vitalizing our spirit. Find a film today that will inspire and reboot your resilience, perseverance and indestructible optimism!

Former President Barack Obama once told Kevin Kline “‘I love ‘Dave.’ I love watching it when I’m depressed because you make it look so fun, you make it so easy.’”
Variety Magazine, 2018 on the 25th anniversary of the film “Dave”

Related Tips:
Tip#828: Motivatorman’s Top 10 Feel Good Movies
Tip#1127: Top Feel Good Movies, Pt 7 – Green Book
Tip#1177: The Uplifting Power of Cinema, Part 9 - Knives Out

SEE EMMANUEL's:

• Top Movies as Inspirational Learning Tools: www.Movies for Motivation.com

• Award-winning Illustrations: www.EmmanuelLopez.com

• Social Media Consulting Services: www.SocialMediaWingman.com

Remember How Movies Can Help You:
A) Entertain & Escape
B) Re-energize & Release
C) Inspiration & Motivation

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Tip#1187: How To Build Indestructible Optimism, Part 2 - COVID-19 - Contagion

The threat of the coronavirus has saturated the news around the world and yet there is a silver lining in this dark cloud if you choose to see it. One of the greatest gifts that came from years of suffering from clinical depression and seasonal affective disorder (winter depression, S.A.D.) are the decisions I made to take mental health programs like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) that helped me feel hopeful again and rewrite my brain for positive thinking. They helped activate and rejuvenate my indestructible optimism!

I gained the ability to feel less anxiety and hopelessness and was able to fully recognize the silver lining of whatever dark cloud I was under. The coronavirus/COVID-19 has become a shared dark cloud since January 2020 causing many countries and cities to declare a state of emergency. This pandemic hit people harder when actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson announced, in mid March via his social media, they had tested positive with corona virus. Soon after Prime Minister Trudeau’s wife Sophie Grégoire also tested positive. Services, schools and stores are currently closing and employees are being asked to work from home.

So what is the silver lining of this dark time? I feel this is each person’s opportunity to develop what I call “indestructible optimism”. It’s to feel a sense of peace and calm like standing in the eye of a hurricane. It’s a chance to rewire your brain to take clear, positive actions rather than waste time and energy on negative thoughts and discussions.

I highly recommend taking CBT group therapy programs or other methods to reprogram your thoughts. These programs take time so for now I recommend regularly looking at simple, clever infographics posted on social media such as these two examples that can help shift a pessimistic mindset to an optimistic one…

There are also so many movies demonstrating indestructible optimism that I’ve created top recommended lists to inspire you:

• Top 20 Inspiring Movies for Indestructible Optimism!
• See more of my movie tips and personal stories on optimism

And usually I would feature a film about optimism here but because of the coronavirus I wanted to recommend seeing the movie Contagion as an inspirational learning tool.

Contagion (2011)

The thriller drama film, Contagion, follows the rapid progress of a lethal airborne virus that kills within days and is about the brave people working hard to alert and help others on a global scale. This highly gripping story features outstanding performances by Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Elliot Gould, Jennifer Ehle and Kate Winslet.
See: movie trailer
Watch, rent or buy now: Amazon Prime Video

When the coronavirus started to dominate the news this film suddenly increased in popularity and attention. There is a lot of science behind this movie and it contains many lessons for you to be mindful of related to self-care and reducing the growth of a deadly virus. Though it is not classified as a horror film it could also scare you into making life changes you may normally ignore or be in denial of. So please see this film again or for the first time. Being informed via entertainment is just another step to building your indestructible optimism.

It is rare that people around the world are united by a common threat and it can be so easy to complain or waste time dwelling and discussing the negatives. This is the ideal time for you to activate and develop your indestructible optimism especially when we don’t know how long this situation will last. This time is a gift for you. Be mindful of your thoughts and remember to see the glass as half full and not empty.

Related Tips:
Tip#998: Top 20 Inspiring Movies for Indestructible Optimism!
Tip#1167: Remember Your Indestructible Optimism, Part 9 - Dolomite Is My Name
Tip#200: How To Build Indestructible Optimism - Top 9 Movie Tips
Tip#535: You Can Rewrite Your Life, Part 1 – The Cabin in the Woods

SEE EMMANUEL's:

• Top Movies as Inspirational Learning Tools: www.Movies for Motivation.com

• Award-winning Illustrations: www.EmmanuelLopez.com

• Social Media Consulting Services: www.SocialMediaWingman.com

Remember How Movies Can Help You:
A) Entertain & Escape
B) Re-energize & Release
C) Inspiration & Motivation

Sunday, March 08, 2020

Tip#1186: Be Inspired by Someone’s Journey, Part 3 - COVID-19 - Fanny’s Journey

I’ve been following daily updates on the coronavirus news and it feels absolutely surreal and frightening for what is happening around the world. The Collision Conference 2020 scheduled in Toronto for June that I usually work at was just cancelled and my other travel plans to the US have been put on hold. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo also just declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus/COVID-19 this weekend.

This is a global challenge that will affect us all in some way and all I know is it will take a strong, resilient mindset with a lot of courage to get through this. And like any challenge or problem the coronavirus can cause us to focus on the worst, feel overwhelmed, stressed or even hopelessness.

This is where I’m hoping my years of experience and therapy work for clinical depression and seasonal affective disorder kicks into high gear. It’s a time where I feel that learning many tools and methods to rewire my brain for positivity will help in dealing with this dark unknown future. And, once again, I was led to seeing a film as one of these tools that would further inspire me to stay strong no matter what!

Fanny’s Journey (2016)

The children’s war drama film, Fanny’s Journey, is based on a true story of a group of French Jewish children separated from their families In Vichy France, 1943 who were once sheltered must now flee to neutral Switzerland. This riveting story features astonishing performances from all the child actors including Léonie Souchaud as Fanny, Fantine Harduin, Juliane Lepoureau, Ryan Brodie, Anaïs Meiringer, Lou Lambrecht, Igor van Dessel, Malonn Lévana, Lucien Khoury and Cécile de France as Madame Forman.
See: movie trailer
Watch now, rent or buy: Amazon Prime Video

It’s rare to see a World War II film focused on a group of children surviving the Nazi regime and this movie was so powerful and inspiring on many levels. Fanny was only 12 years old but she demonstrated incredible courage and leadership qualities when suddenly thrust into that role. The story also showed the great compassion of people along the journey like Madam Forman for risking their lives in order to help this group of children escape France. And knowing Fanny is based on a real person makes this story much more compelling.

What was most touching was how Fanny and the other kids kept their happy childhood world alive during their dangerous journey. There were several moments during dark moments when their sense of play came alive and their gleeful joy helped re-energize and rejuvenate their positive emotional energy and attitudes.

Inspiring Themes:
• Courage
• Confidence
• Perseverance
• Resilience
• Indestructible Optimism
• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Supportive Relationships
• Childhood Play & Passion

There will always be times when we face frightening unknowns and challenges. And this is always an opportunity to find our inner strengths and potential for allowing our courage and confidence shine bright for our selves and for others to see. Just remember you are not alone and there is always a solution if you persevere and remain optimistic. Your happy inner child will help re-energize your journey if you allow it!

Related Tips:
Tip#1100: Be Inspired by Someone’s Journey, Part 2 - Dances with Wolves
Tip#1158: Be Inspired by Amazing True Stories, Part 12 – Jungle
Tip#1178: Real-Life Heroes in Movies Inspire, Part 6 - Bombshell
Tip#291: Persevere and Find Your Hidden Strengths – The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Tip#892: Resilience Resources, Part 18 – Problem Solving - The Martian

SEE EMMANUEL's:

• Top Movies as Inspirational Learning Tools: www.Movies for Motivation.com

• Award-winning Illustrations: www.EmmanuelLopez.com

• Social Media Consulting Services: www.SocialMediaWingman.com

Remember How Movies Can Help You:
A) Entertain & Escape
B) Re-energize & Release
C) Inspiration & Motivation