The Best Movies for Empaths to Watch

Updated January 11, 2019 1.1k votes 135 voters 4.2k views

List RulesVote up the films empaths will find comforting and inspirational.

On occasion, you just need to watch a movie that hits you right in the feels. For sensitive people, there are plenty of great movies to watch. When you frequently experience empathy, stories often induce tears and sometimes you need a good cry. If you're trying to get in touch with your emotional side, these empathetic movies can help!

These are films that bring our emotions to the surface. An empathic person needs to respond strongly to a film in order to get invested. The best movies for empaths are incredibly poignant and focus on a character's inner emotional journey. Whether it's the coming-of-age story of a character growing up and learning harsh life lessons or the saga of someone coping with a trying experience, these are good films to get the tears rolling. Just make sure to have a box of tissues ready if you select any of the flicks below for your next movie night.

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Forrest Gump
Tom Hanks, Sally Field
Released: 1994
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
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Beaches
Bette Midler, Mayim Bialik
Released: 1988
Directed by: Garry Marshall
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Terms of Endearment
Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito
Released: 1983
Directed by: James L. Brooks
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Stand by Me
Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Feldman
Released: 1986
Directed by: Rob Reiner
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My Girl
Jamie Lee Curtis, Macaulay Culkin
Released: 1991
Directed by: Howard Zieff
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E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Drew Barrymore, Erika Eleniak
Released: 1982
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
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Pollyanna
Hayley Mills, Jane Wyman
Released: 1960
Directed by: David Swift
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Marley & Me
Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston
Released: 2008
Directed by: David Frankel
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Inside Out
Amy Poehler, Diane Lane
Released: 2015
Directed by: Pete Docter
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The End of the Tour
Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Segel
Released: 2015
Directed by: James Ponsoldt
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Life Is Beautiful
Roberto Benigni, Horst Buchholz
Released: 1997
Directed by: Roberto Benigni
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Good Will Hunting
Ben Affleck, Robin Williams
Released: 1997
Directed by: Gus Van Sant
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Emma Watson, Nina Dobrev
Released: 2012
Directed by: Stephen Chbosky
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Juno
Jennifer Garner, Ellen Page
Released: 2007
Directed by: Jason Reitman
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The Pursuit of Happyness
Will Smith, Thandie Newton
Released: 2006
Directed by: Gabriele Muccino
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Gandhi
Daniel Day-Lewis, Ben Kingsley
Released: 1982
Directed by: Richard Attenborough
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Come and See
Aleksei Kravchenko, Liubomiras Lauciavicius
Released: 1985
Directed by: Elem Klimov
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Pay It Forward
Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt
Released: 2000
Directed by: Mimi Leder
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Amazing Grace
Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Gambon
Released: 2006
Directed by: Michael Apted
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My Left Foot
Daniel Day-Lewis, Fiona Shaw
Released: 1989
Directed by: Jim Sheridan
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Promised Land
Matt Damon, Frances McDormand
Released: 2012
Directed by: Gus Van Sant
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I Am Sam
Sean Penn, Dakota Fanning
Released: 2001
Directed by: Jessie Nelson
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Peaceful Warrior
Nick Nolte, Amy Smart
Released: 2006
Directed by: Victor Salva
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War Horse
Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston
Released: 2011
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
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Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks
Released: 2011
Directed by: Stephen Daldry
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