Cue the montage.

March 26, 2014 3:16 PM

Suggest films where a lead character starts out meek and overshadowed, and eventually blossoms into someone strong and empowered? Especially interested in films where empowerment develops while learning a gruelling physical skill.

Million Dollar Baby (minus the spinal cord injury) would be a good example. Thanks!

posted by pseudostrabismus to Media & Arts (35 answers total)

Karate Kid
Rocky?
Conan the Barbarian (sorta, he was a tough little kid, but he got bigger pushing that damn wheel)
posted by ian1977 at 3:21 PM on March 26, 2014

The Hudsucker Proxy! One of my favorite movies.
posted by phunniemee at 3:21 PM on March 26, 2014 [2 favorites]

Romancing the Stone.
posted by Cocodrillo at 3:23 PM on March 26, 2014

Dirty Dancing
posted by to recite so charmingly at 3:23 PM on March 26, 2014

Someone said every good Hollywood story is either about going from meek to strong (finding your inner warrior) or uncaring to caring (finding your inner healer). George McFly isn't the main character in "Back to the Future" but a big part of the journey of the story is that he goes from weak to standing up to Biff. What about "District 9?"
posted by steinsaltz at 3:23 PM on March 26, 2014 [1 favorite]

Yeah I thought of Conan the Barbarian first thing.

Maybe Whip It where the grueling physical skill is roller derby.
posted by RobotHero at 3:24 PM on March 26, 2014

Strictly Ballroom!
Mulan!
posted by Erasmouse at 3:31 PM on March 26, 2014 [2 favorites]

The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962)
posted by facetious at 3:33 PM on March 26, 2014

The Secret of My Success
Working Girl
Brokeback Mountain?
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
posted by Melismata at 3:33 PM on March 26, 2014

Fight Club
posted by cnc at 3:44 PM on March 26, 2014

Tampopo
posted by Runes at 4:00 PM on March 26, 2014 [1 favorite]

Educating Rita (grueling mental skill, rather than physical)
posted by Mchelly at 4:11 PM on March 26, 2014

Kill Bill
posted by bleep at 4:27 PM on March 26, 2014 [2 favorites]

The Station Agent - Not so much about physical training, more like learning to be comfortable in one's own body
Little Voice - Singing, if that counts as strenuous
The Hobbit - Ok, not a finished trilogy yet. But in the first movie, Bilbo does learn how to NOT eat seven meals a day, hike all day, and fight scary creatures everrryday.

I agree with steinsaltz that pretty much every half-decent Hollywood movie will have this template of weak/overlooked/shy protagonist turning into strong/empowered/promising leader.
posted by myntu at 4:28 PM on March 26, 2014

Disney's Hercules, particularly One Last Hope. It's DeVito! It's catchy.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 4:34 PM on March 26, 2014 [1 favorite]

TVTropes: Took a level in Badass
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 4:44 PM on March 26, 2014 [2 favorites]

Team America: World Police
Training Montage list from TV Tropes
Hard Work Montage list from TV Tropes
posted by Rob Rockets at 4:45 PM on March 26, 2014

Circle of Friends (the book moreso, but still)
posted by jgirl at 5:05 PM on March 26, 2014

The original Star Wars trilogy. Luke goes from meek farmboy to badass space wizard, and his training on Dagobah looks pretty tough.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 5:14 PM on March 26, 2014

Sky High
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 5:52 PM on March 26, 2014

By the way, arguably the Harry Potter canon, taken as a whole, fits the bill.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 5:56 PM on March 26, 2014

Teen Witch, "I Wanna Be The Most Popular Girl."
posted by Temeraria at 6:00 PM on March 26, 2014

The Matrix, although they kind of skipped the montage by just uploading all the skills into Neo's brain.
posted by JoeZydeco at 6:16 PM on March 26, 2014

A Knight's Tale
How to Train Your Dragon
Bring it On
Dodgeball
Bloodsport
Center Stage
posted by TwoStride at 6:23 PM on March 26, 2014

I thought of "Vision Quest" (1985), high school wrestling.
posted by forthright at 6:29 PM on March 26, 2014

The Forbidden Kingdom
posted by gudrun at 6:31 PM on March 26, 2014

Pretty much every kung fu movie ever... Drunken Master and maybe the 36th Chamber of Shaolin come to mind
posted by Dmenet at 7:15 PM on March 26, 2014

Nobody mentioned 'Enough' with Jennifer Lopez? Battered woman becomes ninja badass and gets revenge on her abusive husband.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 8:37 PM on March 26, 2014

Fried Green Tomatoes
posted by BoscosMom at 1:00 AM on March 27, 2014

Holes.
posted by dlugoczaj at 6:54 AM on March 27, 2014

You want grueling? You want montage?

Jackie Chan: Classic Kung Fu Training!!!!
(scenes from Drunken Master, Dragon Lord, New Fist of Fury, Snake in the Eagle´s Shadow, Fearless Hyena, Shaolin Wooden Men, Spiritual Kung Fu)
posted by jammy at 9:20 AM on March 27, 2014

Bones Brigade? It's a documentary, but you see some real boys go from different flavors of aimless, uncool, etc., to stellar athletes and (in most cases) self-assured people.
posted by toomuchkatherine at 12:29 PM on March 27, 2014

Jack London's novel "The Sea Wolf" has this theme. It was made into a 1941 film with a good cast.
posted by SemiSalt at 4:32 PM on March 27, 2014

G.I. Jane?
posted by JimN2TAW at 5:29 PM on March 27, 2014

Private Benjamin
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 7:21 PM on March 27, 2014 [1 favorite]