Best movies like A Year in My Life
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
In 1950s France, a young boy is taken in by a couple after spending a few months in the care of social service.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 224
Genere: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: sentimental, uplifting, touching, sincere, captivating, feel good, serious, realistic, contemplative
Best tv shows and movies like A Year in My Life (2006):
Similar in 75%
The Secret of the Ant-Child (2011)
Plot Summary:
Traveling in North Benin, Cécile crosses the path of a young African mother deposited him, distraught, a baby in arms ... Cecile will adopt this child will grow African and Lancelot in France. The year of its seven years, she left with him to the country of its origin and attempts to pierce the secrecy surrounding its abandonment.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 105
Genere: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, emotional, realistic
Similar in 83%
Maddened by His Absence (2012)
Plot Summary:
After ten years, Jacques comes back to France to handle his father’s succession. He had left France to live in the USA to escape a painful past he shared with Mado, his former wife, who in the meantime built a new life with Stéphane and their 7 year old son, Paul. Upon his return, Jacques and Mado meet again; he asks to meet her son Paul; Mado hesitates, then accepts but hides it from her husband. Soon, Paul and Jacques get close and they start to see each other secretly.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 277
Genere: Drama
Country: France, Belgium, Luxembourg
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, realistic, gloomy
Similar in 85%
Time of the Wolf (2002)
Plot Summary:
A boy is orphaned and his only surviving relatives, an ageing aunt and uncle, somewhat reluctantly, take him in. The aunt, still traumatised by the death by drowning, years earlier, of her own two sons, has little idea how to handle the boy. As if, losing his parents and not really feeling welcome in his new home, were not enough, the boy is bullied at school. He seeks sanctuary from all of his troubles in the open air, in the company of wolves and particularly in the presence of a young wolf whose life he has saved.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 294
Genere: Drama
Country: Germany, Canada
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: touching, uplifting, serious, emotional, realistic, gloomy
Similar in 88%
Is There Life Out There? (1994)
Plot Summary:
Lily Marshall (McEntire) has a loving, supportive husband, two great kids and an unfulfilled dream: to return to college and get the degree she always wanted. "Is there life beyond her family and home?", Lily wonders. The hole in Lily's life is soon filled by too much. There's a confusing new social life on campus, schoolwork keeping her up late, a part-time job keeping her from her husband and kids whose mom is turning into a stranger. Lily's strength, love and perseverance are the only things that can help her now.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 223
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: sentimental, sincere, uplifting, touching, feel good, emotional, realistic
Similar in 79%
Yuki & Nina (2009)
Plot Summary:
When Yuki finds out that her parents are separating and she is moving to Japan with her mother, she and her best friend Nina devise ways to reunite the feuding adults.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 370
Genere: Drama
Country: France, Japan
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, stylized, slow cinema, aesthetic, realistic
Similar in 78%
My Friend Victoria (2014)
Plot Summary:
Aged eight, Victoria spends a night in the home of a wealthy white family; years later, she encounters them again and her life is changed forever.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 347
Genere: Drama
Country: France, Belgium
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, emotional, realistic
Similar in 75%
Mondo (1995)
Plot Summary:
Mondo is a homeless young boy, with a big smile, who wanders around Nice looking for food and a place to sleep.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 610
Genere: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: touching, feel good, serious, realistic
Similar in 81%
In Mom's Head (2007)
Plot Summary:
Lulu's mother is depressed and has been as far back as she can remember, Lulu is determined to discover the truth behind her listlessness.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 407
Genere: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, emotional, captivating, realistic
Similar in 76%
I'm Glad My Mother Is Alive (2009)
Plot Summary:
This finely acted, delicate and provocative new film by one of France’s most impressive filmmakers—working here with his son, Nathan—depicts the troubled life of an adopted boy who, as a taciturn adult, visits his birth mother and strikes up a relationship fraught with tension and emotion.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 574
Genere: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: sincere, serious, captivating, tense, emotional, realistic
Similar in 76%
The Orheim Company (2012)
Plot Summary:
A strong, human tale about a boy growing up with an alcoholic father, but also an energetic story about teenage lust, pain and passion – about liberation and redemption.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: Norway
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: realistic, touching, serious, emotional, captivating, sincere, stylized
Similar in 87%
Anonymes (2009)
Plot Summary:
A teenager unwittingly reveals a terrible family secret to her new neighbors.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 211
Genere: Drama
Country: Tunisia, Switzerland, France
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: sincere, thought provoking, serious, sentimental, realistic, contemplative
Similar in 82%
The Mighty Celt (2005)
Plot Summary:
Centred around greyhound racing in a Catholic community after the "Troubles" have ended but where their legacy remains strong. Donal is a 14-year old who works in a greyhound racing kennel owned by Good Joe. If Donal's favourite greyhound, The Mighty Celt, wins three races in a row, Good Joe has promised him full ownership.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 956
Genere: Drama
Country: Ireland, UK
Duration: 82 min
Plot tags: emotional, sentimental, realistic, captivating, sincere, uplifting, touching, serious
Similar in 83%
Women or Children First (2002)
Plot Summary:
Tom, a Spaniard, is married to Sylvie and lives a quiet but a bit boring life in the Britanny countryside (west of France). Trouble comes when Tom ex girlfriend reappears, asking for help, announcing him that she had a girl from him 9 years ago.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 264
Genere: Drama
Country: France, Spain
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: touching, emotional, sentimental, captivating, sincere, serious, realistic, gloomy
Similar in 77%
Little Men (1998)
Plot Summary:
In this adaptation of the classic novel by Louisa May Alcott, two street kids from Boston find themselves at Plumfield, a rural boarding school run by Jo and her husband -- and they soon learn academic and life lessons they won't ever forget.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 615
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: juvenile, independent film, sentimental, uplifting, touching, feel good, serious, realistic, romantic, clever
Similar in 78%
The Devil in the Skin (2011)
Plot Summary:
Coming-of-Age drama telling the story of the strong bond between Xavier and his little brother Jacques and their struggle to remain together despite all odds.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 71
Genere: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 82 min
Plot tags: touching, sentimental, serious, realistic
Similar in 90%
Pope Dreams (2006)
Plot Summary:
In the vein of Good Will Hunting and Garden State, POPE DREAMS is a coming of age tale about a young man at a crossroads in life. Filled with heart, music, life, and loss. And a set of drums. Oh, and the Pope. POPE DREAMS is about a directionless nineteen-year old boy, Andy Venable, who works for his hard-case dad in a store warehouse during the day and plays drums in a loud heavy-metal band at night. His only clear goal at the moment is to get his sick mother, a devout Catholic, to meet the Pope before she dies. While he's busy with that, he falls for a girl who's totally out of his league and gets discovered by two Broadway producers for a musical talent that just might be his true calling. Andy's a dreamer. But dreaming is easy. It's reality that's hard.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 285
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: realistic, touching, psychological, sentimental, independent film, serious
Similar in 78%
Anita B. (2014)
Plot Summary:
After World War II, Anita, a young survivor of Auschwitz, becomes involved in an intense and passionate affair that almost shatters her until she gains the strength to start a new life.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 356
Genere: Drama
Country: Italy, Hungary, Czech Republic
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: realistic, psychological, sentimental, captivating, uplifting, touching, serious, gloomy
Similar in 85%
Max & Lenny (2014)
Plot Summary:
Max and Lenny is the story of a friendship between two girls fighting for survival in a northern area of Marseille.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 51
Genere: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, realistic
Similar in 77%
Booky's Crush (2009)
Plot Summary:
The Thomsons - parents Thomas and Francie, and children Willa, Arthur, Beatrice (nicknamed Booky) and Jakey - are a loving working class family living in the Depression era in Toronto. Arthur is showing aptitude in drawing, and although his parents want to support his skill, Thomas in particular wants him to take up a vocation that is a little more stable. Willa, the part time librarian, is attracted to Russell, the medical student she meets at the library. And 11-year old Booky is happy that she has been asked to tutor the new older sixth grade student, Georgie Dunlop, in spelling, since she has a crush on him, her first ever. She just can't wait for him to ask her to the school dance. But she begins to have mixed feelings about Georgie based on a gift he gives to her. Digging a little deeper, Booky begins to understand both the good and bad of Georgie.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 144
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: sentimental, sincere, touching, feel good, humorous, realistic, semi serious
Similar in 90%
A Shine of Rainbows (2009)
Plot Summary:
An orphaned boy named Tomás is adopted by Maire O’Donnell to live on a whimsical Irish isle filled with new friends, secret caves and a lost baby pup seal stranded on the coast. But when Maire's reluctant husband Alec refuses to accept Tomás as his own son, the boy drifts down a fateful path of adventure and self-discovery, illuminating how rainbows can shine around - and within - us all.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Family
Country: Canada, Ireland
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: uplifting, feel good, sentimental, sincere, touching, serious, realistic, christian film, motivational
Similar in 84%
Eskil & Trinidad (2013)
Plot Summary:
Eskil moves from town to town with his father in Northern Sweden. He misses his mother and sucks at playing hockey, the main activity among the boys his age. Things changes when he meets Trinidad, a mysterious woman who lives outside society spending her time building a great ship that perhaps could take Eskil to his mother.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 185
Genere: Drama, Family
Country: Sweden
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, realistic, feel good, sentimental, light, sincere, captivating, exciting, tense
Similar in 77%
Just Like the Son (2006)
Plot Summary:
A petty thief's mentoring of an apparent orphan takes a profound turn when he kidnaps the boy from a foster home and drives him cross-country to his sister's house in Texas.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: emotional, realistic, touching, captivating, independent film, serious
Similar in 78%
The Christmas Bunny (2010)
Plot Summary:
The Christmas Bunny tells the story of a lonely foster child (Sophie Bolen) who finds a lost, injured rabbit in the woods on Christmas Eve. The rabbit is nursed back to health by The Bunny Lady (Florence Henderson), who runs a rabbit rescue in an old barn behind her Michigan farmhouse.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 854
Genere: Drama, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: sentimental, uplifting, touching, sincere, captivating, light, serious, realistic, gloomy
Similar in 77%
Rails & Ties (2007)
Plot Summary:
A deadly collision between a train and car lead to an unlikely bond between the train engineer and a young boy who escapes the carnage.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: touching, emotional, realistic, sincere, psychological, sentimental, captivating, sad, anamorphic, serious
Similar in 75%
A Fine Step (2014)
Plot Summary:
A Fine Step is an uplifting family drama centering on Cal Masterson (Luke Perry, Beverly Hills 90210) an award winning horseman whose relationship with his beloved horse Fandango allows him to achieve multiple championship wins. However tragedy strikes when Cal and Fandango are involved in a serious accident, ending Cal's horse riding days forever. Cal's devastation is slowly overcome when his new neighbour, 14 year old Claire Mason (Anna Claire Sneed, Glee) takes an interest in Fandango and convinces him that Fandango's competing days might not be over.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 394
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: sentimental, sincere, captivating, emotional, touching, serious, realistic
Similar in 83%
The Last Hammer Blow (2014)
Plot Summary:
When he first enters the Montpellier Opera House, Victor knows nothing about music. Nor does he know his father, Samuel Rovinski, who is there to conduct Mahler’s 6th symphony. To change the course of his suddenly uncertain future, for Nadia his mother, for Luna whom he has fallen in love with, Victor has decided to step out of the shadows. He’ll go as far as he needs to.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 520
Genere: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 82 min
Plot tags: realistic, sentimental, touching, emotional, captivating, sincere, serious
Similar in 87%
A Time in Quchi (2013)
Plot Summary:
Bao stays with his grandfather for the summer and is shocked to see there are no modern appliances.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 130
Genere: Drama
Country: Taiwan
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: realistic, touching, atmospheric, captivating, serious
Similar in 89%
Bilal's Stand (2010)
Plot Summary:
Bilal, a Muslim high school senior works at his family's long-owned taxi stand. "The Stand," as they call it, has been the source of all activity and money for the family for the last sixty years. It seems like Bílal is about to carry the torch. He secretly submits a college application and takes up the art of ice carving in order to win a scholarship. However, he is forced to decide whether he will continue working at the Stand - the only life he's ever known - or take a chance at social mobility.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 99
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: sentimental, sincere, touching, realistic, independent film, uplifting, serious, captivating, spiritual, educational
Similar in 82%
Mommy Is at the Hairdresser's (2008)
Plot Summary:
Summer 1966. It's time to enjoy the summer holiday, total freedom. Teenage Élise discovers that the sudden departure of her mother completely disrupts the family. Her brother Coco seeks solace in the garage, building a super racing car. Her youngest brother Benoît throws himself into his own inner world. The father seems absolutely knocked out by the situation. Élise decides to take control of her family, in an eloquent attempt to save them. With the assistance of flourishing nature around her, she stands on the threshold of an incomparable summer.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 922
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: emotional, sentimental, touching, serious, realistic, disturbing, sexy, sincere, captivating, sexual
Similar in 88%
Face (2002)
Plot Summary:
Genie, a Chinese-American teenager, develops feelings for a charming African-American DJ, but her grandmother forbids their romance forcing Genie to choose between family and love.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 350
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, emotional, sentimental, serious, realistic, contemplative