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There is always that special moment at the climax of a film that inspires the protagonist to turn their life around; they get in a fight with another character who tells them their priorities are wrong, they realize that they’re not with the right person, or that there’s more to life than waiting for a big opportunity. It’s the moment when audiences want to grab hold of the lead, shake their shoulders, and tell them to snap out of the haze.
This may come as a shock, but this could be you at any moment. With the new year having passed, 2026 is officially here. However, the question is: are your resolutions still here? An article published by Baylor College of Medicine1 shares that eighty-eight percent of people give up on their resolutions within the first two weeks of the year.
According to a Forbes article,2 most people quit their resolutions almost immediately because they focus too much on the end goal, forced to face disappointment when results aren’t instantaneous. Many don’t realize the number of steps that go into achieving a resolution; One example is fitness — you need to lace up your shoes before you can go for a run.
Recently, Gen Z has acknowledged this instant decline and decided to make it their mission to stay on top of their resolutions. The internet called this phenomenon “The Winter Arc‘ or “The Great Lock-In.” The aim was to start goal-setting weeks in advance, so progress would already be in motion by the time 2026 rolled around. This then makes it easier to continue resolutions into the new year and, therefore, makes you “unrecognizable” by the time the clock struck midnight.
Resolutions don’t have to start with the calendar year. Really, they can start whenever you want them to. You just have to do it. Yes, that is much easier said than done. What stops most people is the fear of the unknown. It’s very common to feel alone when it comes to achieving goals. Yet, there is one resource that is available year-round and is known for inspiring people around the world: films.
For over one hundred years, people have turned to films to find inspiration in their everyday lives. There are so many stories to be told, and every single one has the ability to impact its viewer in a new way. Because of this, films have been credited as a great source for inspiration, whether it’s for New Year’s resolutions or just a random idea in the middle of the year. Whether or not you’re looking to live bolder or to find joy in a small town, movies have your back.
Brittany Runs A Marathon (2019) — You Vs. You
Some people are able to take on fitness goals effortlessly, some require programs that make working out more exciting, and some aren’t able to fully commit at all. One major reason people cannot follow through on their resolutions is that they allow their ego to get in the way. The ego is a term from Freudian psychology; it’s the part of the psyche that keeps you grounded, aids in decision-making, and gives you the feeling of self-importance.
When the ego takes over, it causes a sense of pride to cloud your judgment. Why do you need to go for a run and eat better when you see no real issues with your health? For Brittany, played by Jillian Bell, her goals are set in motion when a cheap doctor prescribes her a diet rather than Adderall, like she was hoping.
Brittany Runs A Marathon (2019),3 directed by Paul Downs Colaizzo, is a movie about showing up for yourself when everything seems to be against you. Up until that moment, Brittany was a hard partier and drug user who didn’t care much about anything else, and constantly made fun of her downstairs neighbor, Catherine, for running. When faced with the reality of her health, it took some brutal news and a visit to an overpriced gym to actually start her running journey.
Realizing she couldn’t just throw money she didn’t have at a problem, Brittany took to the streets in active clothes. It’s not an easy transition, but after Catherine invites her to join a running club, Brittany is able to find friendship and pace. It’s not something Brittany ever imagined herself getting into; even after, she struggled to believe in herself.
Having a community to cheer you on can make a world of difference. Prior to joining the club, Brittany was surrounded by negative influences, nearly all of which were related to her roommate. Peer pressure set her back several times throughout the movie, and Brittany had to experience her “snap-out-of-it” moment when she realized she was being held back in her old environment.
Seth, Catherine, and Brittany were able to push each other to work hard and achieve their biggest goal, running the New York Marathon. Daily training and conscious consumption aided the three to be in the best shape of their lives. Everything seems to go according to plan until Brittany doesn’t get accepted to run. Even with her new friends’ help, she becomes isolated, constantly running to try to fix her problems. However, when she gives herself a stress fracture, Brittany loses hope.
After a year of rest and self-acceptance, Brittany makes it across the finish line all on her own. The connections she made along the way line the track to cheer her on. Brittany Runs A Marathon is based on a true story. Brittany O’Neill, a friend of Colaizzo’s, turned her life around by taking up running and working her way towards running in the New York Marathon.
This film doesn’t take place around the holidays. There is no mention of resolutions or “new year, new me.” It is simply just Brittany taking control of her actions and doing what would best benefit her long-term. Goals aren’t meant to collect dust while you wait for the year to wrap up. If you want to start over, lace up your shoes and go.
For Brittany, her unexpected journey allowed her to pick up healthy habits and find people who support and inspire her. Forming healthy habits can be incredibly daunting at first. It takes a lot of dedication and discipline to stick to your plan rather than your mood. However, nothing will change if you don’t take the actions towards that change. There is no way to know until it’s time to dive straight into the dream.
Dumplin’ (2018)– Dreaming Outside The Community
As Brittany learned, having a group of people you can trust makes working towards a goal much easier. For many, including Willowdean Dixon, played by Danielle Macdonald, a high school senior looking to prove a point, community is found where it is least expected. In the film 2018 Dumplin’,4 directed by Anne Fletcher, Will (also called Dumplin’) finds her community in her childhood best friend, a bubbly churchgoer, an extreme anti-patriarchal outsider, and a team of drag queens.
The story follows Willowdean, a plus-sized teen who is mourning the loss of her aunt and fulfilling the dream she was never able to see through. Will’s mom (Jennifer Aniston) is a former Miss Teen Bluebonnet and the organizer of the pageant. The town’s pageant is taken very seriously, so when Will and her best friend decide to sign up to honor her aunt, it inspires others to do the same.
Through the lead-up to the pageant, the group has ups and downs of inspiration. Clearly, outsiders among the rest of the girls, they feel pressure to quit their schemes and return to the background. Their chances of shaking up the status-quo feels fruitless until they find themselves at a dive bar outside of town that hosts drag shows.
When Will and her friends are welcomed in by the queens, they realize that being different is far from what they had thought. They take inspiration from their new friends and choose to put on a show instead of running away from it. The teens put on fabulous performances during the pageant, shocking the crowd. Watching the group embrace their differences rather than trying to hide away brings the town together in new ways.
To shake things up, you need to find comfort in where you are and where you want to go. When keeping with resolutions, it’s important to be proud of the progress that may not be visible; feeling comfortable to take a stand, to speak for who or what you care about, or gaining confidence to follow a dream is something to be celebrated.
It can feel incredibly isolating to stand out in a crowd. This movie has helped many people embrace their individuality. At no point do the characters feel the need to make themselves small to fit in. The story doesn’t ignore Will’s weight, but she doesn’t go through the emotions that usually come with heavier characters.
Many people struggle with feeling different. The production of movies like Dumplin’ makes it feel less patronizing to go after a dream you may deem yourself unfit for. You don’t have to change yourself to fit in; you just have to find the crowd that makes the space for you.
This dream also doesn’t have to isolate you. Opening up to those who believe in your vision can allow for some amazing teamwork. Will and her friends were able to bring a community together and truly change the town’s tradition for the better. There were moments when Will needed guidance from the one person she couldn’t talk to, her aunt, but seeking friendship from others gave her all the courage she needed.
The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty (2013) — Following Creativity & Passions
Building up the courage to act as your ideal self is not easy. One of the most popular resolutions that many people tend to keep to themselves is having more confidence to act as their authentic self. The fear of reality betraying you and making you look dumb is at the forefront of nearly everyone’s mind. No one wants to come across as out of touch. However, you will continue to be stuck in your daydreams if you never take action. You won’t know where you may end up until you try!
Walter Mitty daydreams much more than the average person. Chronically stuck in his head, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)5, directed by and starring Ben Stiller, tells the story of a man who has never done anything, going on the biggest adventure of his life. In his dreams, Walter is a hero through and through. Every imagined scenario plays out like an action movie, but instead, he just sits and stares into space.
When he and his department are about to lose their jobs at Life Magazine, Walter decides to finally act on his repressed instincts and go search for their top wildlife photographer, Sean O’Connell, played by Sean Penn. This journey is brought on by a missing negative photo Sean wants as the final cover of Life Magazine. Walter’s commitment to his job and sharing the beautiful photos from around the world set him up for the trip of a lifetime.
His trip to Greenland brings him to live out a life he would have dreamt of. He jumps into shark-infested waters and skateboards through the Icelandic countryside. After working metaphorically alongside Sean for nearly two decades, Walter is finally able to see him work in real life — witnessing the moment a photo was taken rather than just developing it in a dark room.
This movie has inspired many people to make one of their resolutions a reality and take up traveling when they can. Early on in the movie, the audience learns that Walter hoped to travel the world when he was a kid. Having never gone anywhere, besides Phoenix, Arizona, he jumps on the opportunity to finally do something with his life and fly out to Greenland to find Sean.
Slowly, Walter’s travels begin to mirror his daydreams. Instead of zoning out by the elevators, he’s zoning out in a helicopter. The audience goes on the trip of a lifetime with the guy who lived inside his head. He experiences what he had always hoped for as a kid, for the sake of his passion. It’s no wonder people were called to book a flight after watching the film for the first time.
People saw this as a sign to break away from their mundane lives and get out of the house — to get viewers to travel the world, or even just their community, and document what they find is just what the film wanted. It invites the audience to go see nature for what it is, rather than just looking at it through the eyes of others.
Sometimes it can feel like a million things are keeping you from checking off your dream travel destination. If one of your resolutions is to travel, or if you just want to be more spontaneous, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty will be the film for you. Walter likely would have gone his whole life dreaming of the world if he hadn’t lost his job and thrown caution to the wind.
By the end of the film, he has become the version of himself he had always wanted to be. He had cool stories to share, got out of his head, and found peace with himself and also in a relationship. Every misstep is still a step!
Get Comfortable To Get Uncomfortable
There are so many films out there that have inspired viewers to take action towards completing their New Year’s resolutions. If you have one, take a second to remember that the protagonist had to go through tough times to achieve their dream. If the goal were easier, there wouldn’t be a movie about it.
While it may seem safe to stay home and ignore everything that needs to get done, it likely isn’t the best choice. Now that’s not to say you shouldn’t watch movies, but apply the lessons within them to your own life. Take a leap of faith towards something you really want, but in the meantime, curl up on the couch and enjoy a good film.
Footnotes
- Barnes, Taylor. New Year’s Resolutions: Why Do We Give Up On Them So Quickly?. Baylor College of Medicine. January 11, 2024. ↩︎
- Lloyd, Maddie. New Year’s Resolutions: Nearly Half Cite Fitness As Their Top Priority. Forbes. January 12, 2024. ↩︎
- Colaizzo, Paul Downs. Brittany Runs A Marathon. Material Pictures. 2019. ↩︎
- Fletcher, Anne. Dumplin’. 50 Degrees Entertainment. 2018. ↩︎
- Stiller, Ben. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Twentieth Century Fox. 2013. ↩︎