How to change your life in one easy lesson

November 12, 2007 11:41 AM

I love stories about transformations and life changes, be they cheesy or serious. Recommend some to me!

I love books and movies in which the protagonist completely changes his or her life (hopefully for the better). Whether they're serious literature or feelgood films, fiction or non-fiction, I can't get enough of them. What are your favourite 'makeover' books and movies? Thanks!

posted by different to media & arts (33 comments total)

Eva. "After a terrible accident, a young girl wakes up to discover that she has been given the body of a chimpanzee." How's that for transformation? I can't remember if this was a good book or not, all I know is that it has stuck with me since I read it at about 11 years old.
posted by amro at 11:49 AM on November 12, 2007

The Japanese anime series Kamichu! begins with a middle school girl who has just become a major Shinto deity, a kami. Is that the kind of change you're talking about?

(The title is short for Kamisama de Chuugakusei which means "God is a middle school student".)
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 11:50 AM on November 12, 2007

As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.
posted by Aloysius Bear at 11:52 AM on November 12, 2007 [1 favorite]

I think the OP is looking for 'struggle through adversity, turn your life around epiphany' type stories, rather than manga or Kafka...
posted by Happy Dave at 12:01 PM on November 12, 2007

Malcolm X -- Autobiography and Movie.
posted by milarepa at 12:03 PM on November 12, 2007

you're probably looking for Animorphs
posted by Greg Nog at 12:05 PM on November 12, 2007

I'm not sure how strict you are on "completely", but some of my favorite films about this:

Ruby in Paradise.

Spring Forward.

Box of Moonlight.
posted by zebra3 at 12:12 PM on November 12, 2007

Going Postal by Terry Pratchett
posted by selfmedicating at 12:13 PM on November 12, 2007

I think the OP is looking for 'struggle through adversity, turn your life around epiphany' type stories

A bit of Kafka would do him good then.
posted by Aloysius Bear at 12:15 PM on November 12, 2007 [2 favorites]

Boogie Nights
posted by rhizome at 12:18 PM on November 12, 2007

Not a book, but The Sun Magazine has lots of these every issue.
posted by patricio at 12:25 PM on November 12, 2007

Knocked Up is not about a makeover, but does see the characters actively pursuing change in order to become better parents.
posted by schroedinger at 12:34 PM on November 12, 2007

Oh, right, and just in time for Christmas: Scrooged and Trading Places.

Don't forget the immaculate Born Yesterday.

There's also Hairspray.

Somehow I forgot Passion Fish and The Accidental Tourist, which are also fantastic.

Maybe my favorite of all is I Heart Huckabees.
posted by zebra3 at 12:39 PM on November 12, 2007

Nick Hornby's How To Be Good fits your criterion pretty much exactly.

That said, uh, I didn't care for it, but plenty of other people seem to like it, so . . . *trails off*
posted by Skot at 12:43 PM on November 12, 2007

Office Space, of course...
posted by gnomeloaf at 12:44 PM on November 12, 2007

Shopgirl, Lilo and Stitch, and The Weather Man. Also, the entirety of Six Feet Under, especially that final episode.

...

Also:

MetaFilter: you're probably looking for Animorphs
posted by Sticherbeast at 12:46 PM on November 12, 2007

The Truman Show
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 12:49 PM on November 12, 2007

Love this genre, too, and also have no reservations about the "quality" of the material.

Baby Boom.

The Flying Scotsman.

Sliding Doors.

Educating Rita.

Legally Blonde.

The Secret Garden.

Will think on more and get back to you.
posted by Lieber Frau at 12:56 PM on November 12, 2007

Hmmm,

I've always kinda liked Bedazzled... but that may be for the ridiculously short skirts Liz Hurley wears. Still it has a kind of a redemption story in it, its very funny, and Brendan Fraser is an underrated actor.

Seconding Ruby in Paradise.

Groundhog Day

Regarding Henry

The Professional.. sort of. It's a kind of a creepy change.

Secretary
posted by elendil71 at 12:57 PM on November 12, 2007

I thought immediately of Ponyboy Curtis and Gregor Samsa.
posted by Soup at 1:02 PM on November 12, 2007

Cheesy? You got it. The first movie that comes to mind is called "Before and After." It's a 70s movie with Patty Duke, in which she transforms from an overweight, unhappy housewife into slender, beautiful woman with a handsome lover. There's obviously much more to the story, but that's the "life-changing" part in a nutshell.
posted by Ruby Doomsday at 1:03 PM on November 12, 2007

Man Into Beast: Strange Tales of Transformation edited by A.C. Spectorsky. Out of print, but used copies can be found.
posted by OlderThanTOS at 1:26 PM on November 12, 2007

Cache of Molatar's Castle.

Pay special note to the section on how to P-shift.

I post this only semi-ironically. It's a fascinating read.
posted by Sticherbeast at 2:05 PM on November 12, 2007

Normallly I can't bear to watch Melanie Griffith but loved Working Girl.
posted by ceri richard at 2:07 PM on November 12, 2007

My favorite short story, What You Pawn I will Redeem by Sherman Alexie.



and it's free!!
posted by sully75 at 2:30 PM on November 12, 2007 [2 favorites]

A documentary I cannot recommend highly enough: Murderball.

Yeah, it sounds worse than it is. From the synopsis:

Quad rugby as played by the US team, between 2002 games in Sweden and the 2004 Paralympics in Athens. Young men, most with spinal injuries, play this rough and tumble sport in special chairs, seated gladiators. We get to know several and their families. They talk frankly about their injuries, feelings in public, sex lives, competitiveness, and love of the game. There's also an angry former team member gone north to coach the Canadian team, tough on everyone, including his viola-playing son. We meet a recently injured man, in rehab, at times close to despair, finding possible joy in quad rugby.

One of the most moving and heart-warming films I've seen in a long while, without being digustingly schmaltzy. Mostly because of the no-nonesense attitude of the people in front of the camera.
posted by slimepuppy at 2:47 PM on November 12, 2007

October Skies, about the Rocket Boys. Hell, there are a ton of films in the educational-transformation sub-sub-sub-genre. Some quick examples:

Stand and Deliver
To Sir With Love
Dangerous Minds (mmm, Pfeiffer)

...which reminds me of LadyHawk, which has personal and physical transformations! A toofer!
posted by trinity8-director at 2:56 PM on November 12, 2007

For something a bit different but definitely transformative: Keri Hulme's The Bone People. It's not easy subject matter, and people tend to love it or hate it. I love it. Chock-full of life-changing catalytic events leading to healing and redemption.
posted by andraste at 4:14 PM on November 12, 2007

Good Will Hunting
posted by phrontist at 4:21 PM on November 12, 2007

I just finished reading Brave Story and while it's more of a fantasy-adventure novel, it's about a young boy who sets off on an adventure to change his life and then ends up learning a Valuable Lesson (tm).

The book lmay look like it's for children, but some parts of it seem like it's written for a more mature reader.
posted by nakedsushi at 4:47 PM on November 12, 2007

I decided to finally create an account just to add my contribution here: Shaun of the Dead.
posted by sleeping bear at 11:36 PM on November 12, 2007 [1 favorite]

Captain's Courageous by Rudyard Kipling
posted by lazy robot at 7:08 PM on November 13, 2007

I just got back from seeing Into the Wild. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 8:37 PM on November 13, 2007