Movie in which youth change the world (for the better)
October 21, 2010 1:14 PM   Subscribe

I need an uplifting movie about young people engaged in social justice.

If "social justice" seems limiting or undefined, it can simply be about youth making a positive change of some kind in their communities.

Additional caveats:

  • PG13
  • upbeat/inspiring/empowering is preferred
  • preferably feature-length (no shorter than 45 minutes)
  • bonus points for non-U.S. context


  • I have had zero luck with google. All help is appreciated.
    posted by philotes to Media & Arts (17 answers total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
     
    DEFINITELY the PBS documentary Bringing Down a Dictator.
    posted by WidgetAlley at 1:15 PM on October 21, 2010


    I think the 1984 classic Red Dawn fits the letter, but not the spirit, of what you're asking for. Still, it's an awesome movie and we watched it in my America Through Cinema class in high school.
    posted by Oktober at 1:20 PM on October 21, 2010


    Corny as this might sound, if you're interested in fiction you might want to try Newsies. It's a little silly and its historical accuracy isn't what it could be, but at its heart it's a film about young people making themselves heard and fighting for change that benefits their whole community.

    I attended a social justice fundraiser a few months ago that took the form of a Newsies sing-along (it's a musical, incidentally) and I had a few moments during the show of being genuinely moved. It was obvious that many of the young activists in that room were connecting with the story for reasons beyond kitchy 90s nostalgia.
    posted by Narrative Priorities at 1:22 PM on October 21, 2010


    Not sure if this is what you're looking for but Occupation is a great documentary. It's about Harvard students who organize a sit-in of the college President's office after the university's janitors fail to secure a Living Wage. You can watch it online here.

    Bonus! It stars one of my friends, Aaron, who is now leading this awesome organization PUSH in our neighborhood in Buffalo :)
    posted by particular at 1:25 PM on October 21, 2010


    The Milagro Beanfield War. Uplifting, social justice, PG-13, and very entertaining.
    posted by alms at 1:30 PM on October 21, 2010


    Stand and Deliver.
    posted by Melismata at 1:31 PM on October 21, 2010 [1 favorite]


    Check out The Sensei
    posted by tman99 at 1:40 PM on October 21, 2010


    Sophie Scholl: The Final Days
    posted by cazoo at 1:43 PM on October 21, 2010


    Akeelah and the Bee.
    posted by BlahLaLa at 1:48 PM on October 21, 2010


    Amazing Grace and Chuck

    Oktober: "I think the 1984 classic Red Dawn fits the letter, but not the spirit, of what you're asking for."

    So does Akira, but that doesn't make it a good answer...
    posted by mkultra at 1:55 PM on October 21, 2010


    A documentary called "The Education of Shelby Knox" is a great one about a teenager from Lubbock who takes on the abstinence only education policy of her local school district. West Texas is pretty much a foreign country.
    posted by jph at 1:56 PM on October 21, 2010


    The Goonies!
    posted by londonmark at 2:53 PM on October 21, 2010


    October Sky
    posted by Cool Papa Bell at 3:45 PM on October 21, 2010


    Pay It Forward.
    posted by hermitosis at 4:21 PM on October 21, 2010


    Berkeley in the Sixties.
    posted by Beardman at 5:43 PM on October 21, 2010


    See if there is a movie made about the Orange Revolution in Ukraine. That seemed inspirational and youth oriented.
    posted by gjc at 6:19 PM on October 21, 2010


    Walkout, definitely.
    posted by Grafix at 6:33 AM on October 22, 2010


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