The 43 Films That Changed Your Lives

As part of Film Club's ' Films That Changed My Life ' campaign, we asked our followers on Twitter which movie changed their lives.

The responses ranged from earnest and moving ( Schindler's List - It made me understand my grandparents' hardships just a little more) to downright weird ( Blade Runner - Since watching i've gone out and retired replicants or people who I think are replicants). Take a look below to see them all.

For those who aren't following us on Twitter, post your own in the comments below.

Touching

A Christmas Story, watched my dad watching the movie made me realize he did get it because he was a kid once too @morganglory

Casablanca taught me that sometimes there are more important things than your own personal happiness. @ashleighrajala

Schindler's List - because it made me understand my grandparents' hardships just a little more. Amazing a film can do that. @rebeccabass

Ghandi. The only time I went to the cinema with my mum. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.Confucius @DavidHuntington

One of the movies that changed my life is Good Will Hunting. I have had to overcome to obstacles in my life so it inspires me @MyCatIsOnFire

Earnest

Jaws changed my life, ever since I was a child have wanted to be a marine biologist. Have now travelled the world studying them! @ste_routledge (Based on some of Ste's other responses, we're not entirely sure we believe him - ed)

The Man Who Would Be King - money isn't as important as friendship, and Michael Caine is a brilliant actor!! @PoodleWrestler

Dead Poets Society taught me never to miss opportunities and i've since lived every moment as if it was my last! "CARPE DIEM" @becciepile

Crash by Paul Haggis changed the way I see things, I never rely on first impressions of people anymore, I get to know them first @wylthenemesis

An Inconvenient Truth made me cut down my flights, be more thoughtful about energy use and vote for The Green Party. @garytomwilliams

Swingers. Because I realized it was about me and decided to make some changes. @DVDsnapshot

"Kinsey" helped changed my perspective on love and freedom. @rzr

The Notebook. I've always felt like I should have been alive in the 30's-40's. That POWERFUL movie is like Imagned my love life. @code911

Forman's Amadeus as it taught me grief and made me grow-up and Slumdog as it gave me back hope. Couldnt choose only one. :) @Monicutza03449

The Life of David Gale, it's a remarkable story, it makes me believe they kill innocent people over the real killers in the US. @ eatcoastfilm

"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" made an indelible mark on me. Society's notion of mental is clearly a convenience solution. @xpqz

Fandango: taught me that when u are jealous, it's more dignified 2 be quiet and let others have the limelight, than 2 be selfish. @huwlangridge

I first saw Night Of The Living Dead on C4 when I was 9, it was the first time I realised that not everything has a happy ending. @_dangerous

Next: Inspired [page-break]

Inspired

Amores Perros. Simply because after seeing it I wanted to be a filmmaker. Which is what I am doing... sort of. @williusfox

Children Of Men. Its themes and narrtive. And THAT tracking shot are what made me go into film making @ghovo

Aliens. Got stuck in Germany for a week when I was 12 and watched on repeat. The first film I ever loved and got me into film. @formulaic666

The Crow - at the age of 15, it made me realise i wanted to be in the movies: writing, directing etc. Now im on my way there. @EmoFlower

Peter Tscherkassky's Instructions for a Light & Sound Machine because until then I didn't know cinema could be so wonderful. @midnightmovies

Bambi, simply because it was the first film I ever saw. From that moment on I was hooked. @PymbleWizard

Coming To America because it made me fall in love with film @NafRas

Shaun of the Dead (and Spaced) as Edgar Wrights work here inspired me to make my own films. Not as funny though, makes me sad. @semiknockedout

Godard's Weekend - like swapping Hollywood's 9-5 conformity for a 48hr drink'n'drugs riot in the company of a deranged Frenchman @kinnemaniac

Speed - evil journalists in it put me off being one for years, now I'm an underpaid one, curse you Keanu Reeves! @destroytheearth

Apocalypse Now - Watched it repeatedly in college, wrote my MA dissertation on it and am now a sometime film hack thanks to it. @adamprincebilly

Next: Weird & Wrong [page-break]

Weird

The film that rocked 1977 and set itself up for numerous spoofs and homages. Yes, the one and only Smokey and The Bandit @bubbahotep32

Ferris Bueller. Do I need to explain? A character that manages to make Broderick uber-cool. There's a life template. @stu_hamilton

Nil By Mouth: coz it made me ache in every way possible @editoriale

The Breakfast Club: I was an 8 yr old wondering what a hot beef injection was, now an adult whose sarcam is influenced by Bender @SaraDeee

One Missed Call changed my life. After that dross I never wanted to see a crap "horror" film ever again! @AlGalpin

Blade Runner. since watching i've gone out and retired replicants or people who I think are replicants, keep making unicorns tho! @ste_routledge

Fellowship of the Ring - not only did it cement my undying love for cinema, it introduced me to the Bible, AKA Lord of the Rings. @stonecypher

The Matrix taught me that as sucky as my day-to-day office life may be it's possible that there might be a much worse alternative @peterlillie

Los amantes del circulo polar from Julio Medem.. i don't know why but i love it hahaha @Karamabel

The Big Lebowski. I had just moved to LA and it was the perfect "noir" setting. I have never heard dialogue like that, either. @fryeallen

Michael Clayton because it made me realise any idiot can make a film and get it released, crap or not. @EthanRunt

The film that changed my life is The Empire Strikes Back, from that magical point on I knew I was destined to be a Total Nerd! "sigh" @Tielzebob

Just Plain Wrong

I'd never considered killing as a hobby til I saw American Psycho. Thanks to that film I'm now knee deep in the blood of my foes. @imissdan

Let The Right One in turned me off 12 year old girls for life. HIYO! @lee_b

What movie changed your life? Let us know in the comments.


This poll was conducted in collaboration with FILMCLUB , a network of unique after-school events that offers children free weekly access to thousands of classic and popular films.

FILMCLUB is launching ‘Films That Changed My Life’, a season bringing to life the significance of film in people’s personal and cultural development. The 100 films nominated by celebrities, children, teachers and the British public will be available for FILMCLUB members at www.filmclub.org .

For more information about FILMCLUB (including how to set one up at your school) check out
filmclub.org or see our E-zine .

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine.