90s feel good dramas
April 17, 2023 7:28 PM Subscribe
Due to my previous question, I have recently watched Flyaway Home. And then I watched October Sky. And then I thought about watching The Horse Whisperer but couldn’t find it streaming. Please recommend similar movies that include at least most of the following traits: 90s feel good dramas with a young protagonist featuring animals or science.
Second Hand Lions counts. Sports films don’t.
Second Hand Lions counts. Sports films don’t.
In 1996, a teenage Elijiah Wood was in a movie update of the old show Flipper.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:07 PM on April 17, 2023
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:07 PM on April 17, 2023
Apparently I like talking animals: Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
posted by bluloo at 8:21 PM on April 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by bluloo at 8:21 PM on April 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
Iron Giant? (I would embed a link if I were skilled)
posted by clownschool at 5:39 AM on April 18, 2023
posted by clownschool at 5:39 AM on April 18, 2023
Ugh just saw you mentioned October Sky in the question - sorry!
It’s a hair past the 90s but Whale Rider
posted by Mchelly at 6:30 AM on April 18, 2023 [5 favorites]
It’s a hair past the 90s but Whale Rider
posted by Mchelly at 6:30 AM on April 18, 2023 [5 favorites]
WHALE RIDER yes watch it
posted by ojocaliente at 7:05 AM on April 18, 2023
posted by ojocaliente at 7:05 AM on April 18, 2023
Can the animal be a gigantic forest creature and wait in the rain for magical cat-buses? If so, the ultimate happiness-inducing movie with a young protagonist interacting with non-human beings (well, #2 after Whale Rider) is My Neighbor Totoro.
posted by ojocaliente at 7:13 AM on April 18, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by ojocaliente at 7:13 AM on April 18, 2023 [2 favorites]
Iron Will, 1994, features a teenage protagonist doing a dogsledding race in 1917, faces adversity, happy ending. Warning: contains Kevin Spacey.
Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken, 1991, teenage girl works for a traveling fair doing horse diving acts, lots of drama, bittersweet but mostly happy ending, based on a true memoir although the author says the film is not that accurate.
Wild America is not that solid cinematically speaking, but it is feel-good, 90s, and features a lot of animals. (I mean, I recall it as being GREAT, but that was due to my massive crush on '90s heartthrobs Jonathan Taylor Thomas + Devon Sawa).
posted by castlebravo at 8:04 AM on April 18, 2023
Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken, 1991, teenage girl works for a traveling fair doing horse diving acts, lots of drama, bittersweet but mostly happy ending, based on a true memoir although the author says the film is not that accurate.
Wild America is not that solid cinematically speaking, but it is feel-good, 90s, and features a lot of animals. (I mean, I recall it as being GREAT, but that was due to my massive crush on '90s heartthrobs Jonathan Taylor Thomas + Devon Sawa).
posted by castlebravo at 8:04 AM on April 18, 2023
Somewhat science-y, feel good: Radio Flyer
Nthing Whale Rider
posted by hydra77 at 8:44 AM on April 18, 2023
Nthing Whale Rider
posted by hydra77 at 8:44 AM on April 18, 2023
Two options that might sneak in, depending how strict these categories are:
As Good As It Gets includes both an adorable kid and one of the cutest dogs ever captured on film.
The Black Stallion is earlier, but I'm going to submit it for consideration anyway based on how often I replayed my VHS copy during the early 90s. As animal stories go, it's really spectacular.
posted by veery at 11:56 AM on April 18, 2023 [1 favorite]
As Good As It Gets includes both an adorable kid and one of the cutest dogs ever captured on film.
The Black Stallion is earlier, but I'm going to submit it for consideration anyway based on how often I replayed my VHS copy during the early 90s. As animal stories go, it's really spectacular.
posted by veery at 11:56 AM on April 18, 2023 [1 favorite]
It's noughts, but, from the director of The Black Stallion and Fly Away Home, comes a film about the relationship between a white South African boy and a cheetah: Duma. I'm still thinking a little bit about some of the colonialist and racial themes in it, but I think it delivered.
posted by straw at 3:41 PM on April 18, 2023
posted by straw at 3:41 PM on April 18, 2023
80s, but young protagonists + science = Explorers, or possibly Flight of the Navigator.
Young protagonist + cute dog + story that absolutely had me bawling = My Dog Skip. It's not "ha ha" feel good, but it's more "right in the feels" kinda feel good.
posted by xedrik at 4:03 PM on April 18, 2023
Young protagonist + cute dog + story that absolutely had me bawling = My Dog Skip. It's not "ha ha" feel good, but it's more "right in the feels" kinda feel good.
posted by xedrik at 4:03 PM on April 18, 2023
more elijah wood: Deep Impact ... think it still qualifies as "feel good" despite the end of the world.
posted by pjenks at 5:01 PM on April 18, 2023
posted by pjenks at 5:01 PM on April 18, 2023
Not 90s, but otherwise fits : Nim's Island. Very sciencey!
posted by Vegiemon at 12:00 PM on April 19, 2023
posted by Vegiemon at 12:00 PM on April 19, 2023
This thread is closed to new comments.
Shiloh is about a boy trying to save a dog from an abusive owner.
Just a heads up in case you're sensitive to this type of content and it isn't already clear from my plot summaries: Both have happy endings so I guess they count as "feel good" but both feature copious amounts of animal cruelty/abuse. (I wish I could think of a movie that answers your question that doesn't feature that stuff but it seems like "awesome kid saves animal from terrible fate" was a pretty common theme in the 90s.)
posted by RobinofFrocksley at 7:49 PM on April 17, 2023 [1 favorite]