5. Awakenings (1990)
There are very few films I can say actually had a profound impact on me or changed my life. At the risk of sounding dramatic, Awakenings, Penny Marshals film staring Robin Williams and Robert De Niro did just that. If you are ever feeling depressed, sad, or like the world owes you something, watching this film will make you appreciate your life again, or at least it probably should. For those who have yet to see this remarkable film, Awakenings tells the true story of the British neurologist Oliver Sacks (in the film, he was changed to the fictional Malcolm Sayer played by Robin Williams) who began administrating the then new drug L-Dopa (used for patients with Parkinson's disease) on a large group of people who had been left completely paralyzed after an epidemic in the early 20th century, unable to really walk, move, talk, or do anything... locked in their bodies but completely awake. After decades of complete catatonia, the drug completely cured these people, led by a brilliant (arguably his best) performance by Robert De Niro. However, the drugs effects were very short lived, allowing them to appreciate their lives once again, having to adapt to a new time period and an aged body, before causing their symptoms to all rapidly come back to them. Tragic. The film has such raw, emotional power because of the knowledge that this remarkable story isn't fictional, and though perhaps unbelievable and so unimaginable to most peoples lives, this group of brave people actually had to live in this completely paralyzed state for many, many decades. The real emotion comes through De Niro's performance, and relationship with his doctor, played by Williams (in another career best performance). De Niro plays the character of a patient who begins to appreciate life and a new found freedom, before having it all taken away from him by the films end. Truly heart breaking, gripping and powerful stuff. If you don't cry at this film, or are in no way moved by it, then you deserve the purple heart for bravery (or should see a psychiatrist) . If you haven't seen this Academy Award nominated film yet then rent it now. I guarantee you won't have seen a film quite like this one.