Films You "Base Your Life On"

[IrishCanadian25]

Editor's Note: Special Thanks to Mighty NorCal for inspiring this thread on Facebook.​

Movies have a way of inspiring us, motivating us, driving us, and in some cases even shaping our personality. What I want to ask in this thread is which films do you feel particularly inspired by? Which film do you feel you've based aspects of your life / personality on, and why?

I generally go with Rudy. It was my nickname in High School wrestling because of my history. By sophomore year of high school, I weighed 235 lbs of pure unmitigated fat. My waist size was close to 42-44. That was NOT a good way to go to high school, so confidence and self-esteem took a hit. I had tried wrestling in 7th and 8th grade, but I decided to make it a big push in High School.

I subsequently went from 235 lbs to 190 lbs between October - February. I wrestled Junior Varsity and went 3-3. In practice, since I was out of shape and inexperienced, I was beat up quite a bit and spent a lot of time trying to get off my back with the heavyweights and 215-lb guys on me.

By Junior year, I weighed 167 lbs, and for a Spring / Summer tournament after Junior year, I was down to 160 lbs. I even had a girlfriend, who hapened to be a college Sophomore 4 years my senior. I was 1-1 Junior year, and then got mono and fucked up my shoulder. Cost me most of my season due to illness / injury, but aside from the week I missed school for mono, I never missed a practice and still ran with the team.

As a Senior, wrestling on a team of really good wrestlers, I was still a JV mainstay. I weighed 168 lbs, solid, went 8-0 JV and 2-1 varsity, with my lone loss at the hands of a state place winner who outweighed me by 22 lbs. He tried to pin me three times in the first period and couldn't keep me down. (i learned a year later when he and I sound up teammates in Montclair's college team that he remember being really frustrated / pissed at me because I wouldn't stay down.) Furthermore, I was the guy the coaches put with the top guys to drill with. When I asked why, I was told "because you're the only one who won't let them slow down, and you'll push them to try harder."

I wrestled 3 varsity matches in 3 years in high school, and lost 75 lbs. Despite getting my ass kicked early, I never quit, and I didn't miss practice. Coached nicknamed me "Rudy" for that reason. It's stuck with me every since.

 

[Nate DaMac]

Hmm... I suppose the only film I could say inspired me at all would be Knocked up. My girl getting pregnant was the only reason I ever finally grew the hell up. I was just as bad as Ben was, if not worse. I was a complete pothead, I really didn't give a shit about anything.

I'm still not exactly a model citizen, I no longer use any drugs or drink, I put what's in the best interest of others in front of my own. But I'm still kind of a loser. I'm starting school next month though so brighter days are on the horizon if I keep my shit together.

Having a kid changed my life more than anything ever has, and the slacker in Knocked Up inspired me to get my shit together in time to be a good father when she got here.

 

[armchairmouthpiece]

I don't know if these are movies I base my life on, but last year my most serious relationship i'd ever been in of 5 years ended, and one movie that really helped was Forgetting sarah Marshall. That whole journey Jason Segel's character goes on to recover and move on from the person he thought he was going to be with forever really helped me deal with it, so I guess that counts. Also being a musician I identified with my girlfriend not understanding my music.

Clerks is really awesome too, but I'm not sure if basing aspects of my life around any of those characters is a good idea!

 

[Mitch Henessey]

I think I'm going to go with Back To School (1986). This film is absolutely hilarious, and I have to thank my father for bringing this film to my attention. When I was a kid, my father would always watch this film (and he still does today). He couldn't stop laughing, and I could never understood why. I would take a look at it for a couple of seconds, but I would never take the time to watch the entire film, because it didn't appeal to me. Well, I decided to sit down and watch this entire film one day, and I couldn't get enough of it. I can't count the number of times I've watched this one over the years, and Back To School always makes me laugh, and this one scene will be burned in memory forever: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTv1Dmu5CYc

Back To School is an excellent comedy, Rodney Dangerfield does a great job with the lead role, and I really enjoy the story here. Thornton Melon (Dangerfield's character) is a wealthy man who uses his wealth to acquire anything he wants in life. He thinks he can buy his way through life, but towards the end of the film, he begins to change his outlook on life. Jason (his son) and one of his professors (who is also his love interest in the film) make him realize that money can't buy everything. Melon decides to turn his life around, as he studies hard for a big time mandatory exam. This exam determines if Melon is allowed to stay in school or not. At first Melon fears the exam (because he cheated his way through school), but Jason (Keith Gordon) and Diane (Sally Kellerman) wouldn't give up on him. They encouraged Dangerfield. He managed to pass the exam, and he fixed the broken relationship with his son.

In this film, Thornton and Jason are loaded with money. Dangerfield's character has to rise to the challenge at the end of this film, because his arch nemesis, Dr. Phillip Barbay wants him to fail. He thinks Melon is nothing more than a stupid and lazy rich man, who relies on his money for success in life. Jason on the other hand, is a hard worker who wants to earn his way through life. He doesn't want to be known as the rich boy, who uses daddy's money to move up in the world.

I've never been as rich as Dangerfield's character was in this film, but when it comes to money, I've never had any worries. And throughout my life, there were times, where I was given anything I asked for. A lot of people think I just live off of my parents money. They think I'm going to become this jobless guy, who sits on the couch, while eating every type of unhealthy food he can find, as he watches TV all day. I pay rent, and I always work hard at my job. Sure, I could have the "fuck it, I don't need this job" mentality. I could half-ass everything I do at work, they would eventually fire me, and to tell you the truth, it wouldn't effect me at all. My parents wouldn't kick me out of the house, but I won't go down that road, because I don't want to be known as that type of person. I don't want to be known as the couch potato, who sits at home all day, while wildly spending money that isn't his, as he leeches off his parents for survival.

As far as the school stuff goes, I haven't made it to college yet, and I don't know if I ever will, but I did have a hard time graduating high school. I was pretty lazy during my high school years, but I didn't want to be known as one of those people who didn't graduate. I began to realize how important the diploma was to me, and I didn't want to be another one of those losers, who takes pride in not caring about their grades. There were times, where I wanted to give up, but I managed to graduate, and I did put a lot more effort towards my school work in my senior year. I didn't get a straight A report card, but I passed, so I was happy. Dangerfield's character inspires me, but I feel more of a connection with Keith Gordon's character. He despised the spoiled brat label, and he took pride in working hard, and he wanted to prove his rival, Chas (the popular pretty boy on the swimming team) wrong. There were times where Jason almost gave up, but in the end, he refused to quit.

Back To School is high up on my favorites list. I enjoy Sam Kinison's wild tirades, the rivalry between Melon and the stuck up Dr. Barbay is always fun to watch, and this film does provide some good laughs. Back To School is still an inspirational film for me, and this film can still give me that motivational spark today.

 

[JWGunslinger]

There was a period in my life where my life was almost exactly like Saving Silverman, only I wasn't as big of a spazz as Jason Biggs is. Me and my two best friends hung out all the time, then I went on a dating rampage with a bunch of girls that were bitches and they saved me from them. After they saved me from stupid mistakes I was reunited with the girl I had a thing for when I was younger but had moved away, we started going out and now we're engaged. Only difference is Lee Ermy wasn't my football coach and Neil Diamond probably won't sing at our wedding

[YOUTUBE]uN_3my4WPlc[/YOUTUBE]

 

[JW'sGirl]

It's a really freaky coincidence, but my life is exactly like The House Bunny! I used to be a Playboy Bunny and then I got tricked out of the mansion and then I went to help a bunch of misfit sorority girls....I'm totally kidding.

The film I would most like my life to be like is Morning Glory. It wasn't a real popular movie so I wouldn't be surprised if you haven't seen it or heard of it, but it's about a girl who aspires to be an executive producer for the Today Show on NBC. It's sort of about her journey toward that and trying to find a job anywhere as a producer and then ending up at this little shithole network that's about to be taken off the air. She ends up turning it all around and bringing them back to the top of the ratings.

I want to produce live television in the future so to me this film is really inspirational. It's a tough line of work for a woman and she really pushed through and never gave up and in the end the Today Show wanted her. I'd be totally content at the last place shithole network personally, my dreams aren't quite as high as NBC, but still I'm going to face similar challenges and it's important that I don't get discouraged.