10 Best Movies About Unrealised Dreams

10. Of Mice And Men

The 1992 adaptation of John Steinbeck's brilliant novel follows George and the mentally-disabled Lennie, workers struggling to make ends meet during the Great Depression. The two move from job to job as they attempt to save up enough money to buy their own piece of land, a dream that Lennie constantly asks George to tell him about. Unfortunately, Lennie's health issues frequently cause problems for the pair, and eventually, they prove to be the undoing of their relationship.

One of Lennie's quirks is that he enjoys petting soft things. One day, while working at a ranch, he has a private moment with the wife of the ranch owner's son, who offers to let Lennie stroke her hair. Lennie does so, but, unaware of his own strength, he begins to stoke too hard, pulling the wife's hair. As she struggles and tries to get away, Lennie tries to keep her quiet, and accidentally breaks her neck.

This results in a lynch mob - led by the wife's husband - chasing Lennie down. So, in order to spare Lennie a violent and painful death, George performs a mercy-kill, describing their dream to him (giving him a feeling of happiness and comfort), before shooting him in the back of the head.

The movie concludes on this dour note, with George still in pursuit of a better life. With Lennie gone, he has only the thought of their now-shattered dream to keep him going.