Are you in need of some good stuff to watch this holiday season?
If so, why not pair your entertainment with some education and social awareness?
The films in this list are considered some of the best about homelessness; as well as relevant issues like poverty, mental health, hunger and addiction.
We hope you enjoy these Top 10 Movies About Homelessness.
1. Pursuit of Happyness
2006 – PG-13 – 117 minutes – Drama, BiographyWill Smith, Jaden Smith, Thandie NewtonDirected by Gabriele Muccino
Life is a struggle for single father Chris Gardner. Evicted from their apartment, he and his young son find themselves alone with no place to go. Even though Chris eventually lands a job as an intern at a prestigious brokerage firm, the position doesn't pay. The pair must live in shelters and endure many hardships, but Chris refuses to give in to despair as he struggles to create a better life for himself and his son.
2. The Lady in the Van
2015 – PG-13 – 104 minutes – Biography, Drama, ComedyMaggie Smith, Jim Broadbent, Alex JenningsDirected by Nicholas Hytner
The true story of Miss Shepherd, an eccentric homeless woman of uncertain origins, who `temporarily' parked her broken-down van in writer Alan Bennett's London driveway, and proceeded to live there for the next 15 years.
3. Time Out Of Mind
2014 – Unrated – 120 minutes – DramaRichard Gere, Jena Malone, Ben VereenDirected by Oren MovermanGeorge seeks refuge at Bellevue Hospital, a Manhattan intake center for homeless men, where his friendship with a fellow client helps him try to repair his relationship with his estranged daughter.
4. The Public
2018 – PG-13 – 119 minutes – DramaAlec Baldwin, Emilio Estevez, Taylor SchillingDirected by Emilio EstevezAn act of civil disobedience turns into a standoff with police when homeless people in Cincinnati take over the public library to seek shelter from the bitter cold.
5. The Soloist
2009 – PG-13 – 117 minutes – Drama, Biography, MusicJamie Foxx, Catherine Keener, Robert Downey Jr.Directed by Joe Wright
Los Angeles columnist Steve Lopez has reached an impasse in his life. His marriage is on the rocks, and he's disillusioned with his job. Then, while wandering through L.A.'s Skid Row, he spots a homeless man playing a two-stringed violin with a virtuoso's skill. Lopez initially thinks of the man, named Nathaniel Ayers, as just a story idea. But as he begins to unravel the mystery of Ayers' strange fate, Lopez realizes that a change is happening within himself.
6. The Fisher King
1991 – R – 137 minutes – Drama, Comedy, FantasyRobin WIlliams, Jeff Bridges, David Hyde PierceDirected by Terry GilliamA former radio DJ, suicidally despondent because of a terrible mistake he made, finds redemption in helping a deranged homeless man who was an unwitting victim of that mistake.
7. Same Kind Of Different As Me
2017 – PG-13 – 119 minutes – Biography, DramaGreg Kinnear, Renee Zellweger, Jon VoightDirected by Michael CarneyInternational art dealer Ron Hall must befriend a dangerous homeless man in order to save his struggling marriage to his wife, a woman whose dreams will lead all three of them on the journey of their lives.
8. Dark Days
2000 – Not Rated – 82 minutes – DocumentaryDirected by Marc SingerA cinematic portrait of the homeless population who live permanently in the underground tunnels of New York City.
9. Shelter
2014 – TV-MA – 165 minutes – DramaJennifer Connelly, Anthony Mackie,Directed by Paul BettanyHannah and Tahir fall in love while homeless on the streets of New York. Shelter explores how they got there, and as we learn about their pasts we realize they need each other to build a future.
10. A Street Cat Named Bob
2016 – Not Rated – 103 minutes – Biography, Drama, FamilyLuke TreadawayDirected by Roger SpottiswoodeBased on the international best selling book. The true feel good story of how James Bowen, a busker and recovering drug addict, had his life transformed when he met a stray ginger cat.* Some of these movies are not suitable for children due to profanity and graphic content. These are movies that have been included on many lists of the top movies about homelessness, and are not necessarily the recommendation of staff at Springs Rescue Mission. The information in this article was aggregated from IMDB and Wikipedia.
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