Movies like Ellen Foster
If you like "Ellen Foster" you are looking for uplifting, touching and bleak movies about / with adoption, youth, foster child, child abuse, disease, child care and dysfunctional family themes of Drama genre shot in USA.
Find your next favorite and similar movies in two steps:
1. Identify all themes of interest from this film (block below).
2. Look for them in the presented list.
Ellen Foster (1997)
705
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
After her mother's death, a young girl is separated from her abusive father and is sent between her various friends and relatives, always longing to find a place to call home.
Style:
uplifting, touching, bleak, serious, emotional, realistic, contemplative, reflective
Plot:
adoption, youth, foster child, child abuse, disease, child care, dysfunctional family, innocence lost, homeless, abusive father, human spirit, life is a bitch, self fulfillment, society, family problems, leaving home, against the odds, death in the family, hopes, unfulfillment, young heroes, death, father daughter relationship, mother daughter relationship, grief ...
Time:
90s
Movie in categories
Most similar movies to Ellen Foster
The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out realistic, serious, touching and emotional films with plots about family relations, youth, family problems, life is a bitch, hopes, parents and children and society mostly in Drama genres. Some movies like Ellen Foster: An Unexpected Family (1996), My Louisiana Sky (2001), America (2009), Nobody Owns Me (2013), For the Love of a Child (2006). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
Genre: Drama
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
When Ruth Whitney abandons her two children with her sister Barbara is left to take care of them, at first none of them like it but soon they grow to like each other. Then over a year later Ruth comes back saying she wants her kids and Barbara goes ...
Style:
contemplative, psychological, realistic, uplifting, touching ...
Plot:
youth, guardian, redemption, family relations, adoption, custody, family life, hopes, human spirit, legal, life is a bitch, legal action ...
Time:
90s
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min.
Story:
A girl comes to terms with her mentally challenged parents.
Style:
serious, sentimental, emotional, touching, melancholic ...
Audience:
girls' night
Plot:
youth, self discovery, family life, society, family problems, parents and children, disability, small town life, child's point of view, mother daughter relationship, father daughter relationship, compassion ...
Time:
50s, 20th century, 1950s
Place:
louisiana, usa
Similarity:
100%
722
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min.
Story:
In "America," Dr. Maureen Brennan, a psychiatrist at a youth treatment center, encounters her newest patient, a bi-racial boy named America. Through their sessions, Dr. Brennan helps America come to terms with his roller-coaster life, ...
Style:
uplifting, serious, realistic, psychological, sincere
Audience:
family outing
Plot:
adoption, youth, human spirit, teenage life, custody, family problems, society, hopes, life is a bitch, doctors and patients, family in crisis, sexual abuse ...
Time:
21st century
Similarity:
52%
Genre: Drama
Country: Sweden
Duration: 104 min.
Story:
The story of a lone father's relationship with his daughter, of the destructive power of alcohol, of a child's vulnerability, but also of love, betrayal and socialist politics in 1970s Sweden. A unique and moving story freely based on Åsa ...
Style:
touching, bleak, emotional, serious, realistic ...
Plot:
working class, parents and children, life turned upside down, single parent, disorder, dysfunctional family, family problems, family relations, youth, parents, children, addiction ...
Time:
20th century, 80s, 70s
Place:
eastern europe
Similarity:
51%
Movie in collections
Genre: Drama
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
1959, support from US troops based in Asia and later from the Sates enables two actresses to start a charity for mixed-race 'orphans' who are locally neglected as outcasts. Thus originates Childhelp, which later runs multi-disciplinary ...
Style:
disturbing, touching, rough, serious, realistic ...
Plot:
child abuse, orphan, adoption, rescue, life is a bitch, danger, parents and children, dysfunctional family, selflessness, family relations, family problems, abuse ...
Time:
50s, 20th century, 60s
Similarity:
51%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
Edward's father walked out on his family years ago. In the years since, his mother has become a fundamentalist Christian and fallen for the school's self-righteous principal, Henry Howland. When Howland begins to mistreat Edward's ...
Style:
contemplative, realistic, serious
Plot:
dysfunctional family, arson, sibling relationship, youth, coming of age, vengeance, betrayal, society, single parent, family life, teenage life, school ...
Time:
90s
Place:
usa, wisconsin
Similarity:
50%
Genre: Drama
Country: South Africa, UK, USA
Duration: 87 min.
Story:
This movie is of Hally, an adolescent white South African. He is stuck between his intolerant father's outlook of him and those of his caretaker, Sam. Sam is a black waiter and Hally's friend and teacher. Hally is required to laugh at his ...
Style:
touching, serious, emotional, captivating, gloomy ...
Plot:
youth, hopes, friendship, racism, interracial relations, human spirit, redemption, family problems, dysfunctional family, social decay, life is a bitch, teaching the ways of the world ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
south africa, africa
Similarity:
50%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
Story of a man Bill Januson whose pride in being the head of his family won't let him accept help from his sick daughters doctor. He has to prove to his kids that even with the death of his wife and the loss of his job that they can and will ...
Style:
crying, serious, realistic, emotional, gloomy ...
Plot:
starving child, starvation, youth, doctor, single parent, unemployment, family problems, family relations, life is a bitch, human nature, human spirit, society ...
Time:
20th century, 90s
Place:
usa
Similarity:
49%
813
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 109 min.
Story:
12-year-old Eli finds himself at summer CAMP
Style:
realistic, serious, emotional, sentimental, christian film ...
Plot:
child abuse, boy, summer camp, camp counselor, youth, kids in trouble, friendship, life is a bitch, hopes, family problems, teaching the ways of the world, parents and children ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
usa
Similarity:
49%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
When Lori Reimuller learns that her young son Robbie has epilepsy, she first trusts the judgment of the hospital staff in how best to bring it under control. As Robbie's health slides radically downhill, however, she becomes frustrated and ...
Style:
edutainment, controversial, uplifting, serious, realistic ...
Plot:
blaster, health, medicine, slice of life, medical, youth, child hero, family relations, hospital, bittersweet, family problems, family life ...
Time:
90s
Place:
usa, baltimore
Similarity:
49%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 111 min.
Story:
Willard Young is a 10-year-old boy who is sent by his mother to stay with her best friend Lily Reed, who lives in the Delta shrimp-fishing country in a town called Paradise. Lily and her husband Ben have been living in an unmentioned emotional ...
Style:
emotional, sentimental, touching, sad, cult classic ...
Audience:
chick flick, girls' night
Plot:
small town, bullying, love, friendship, coming of age, youth, death, loss of son, child's point of view, village, children, childhood love ...
Time:
year 1991, 90s
Similarity:
48%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min.
Story:
Baby Annie is HIV positive and has been left in the clinic by her drug addicted mother. To prevent that she's deported to a home where they'd just wait for her to die, nurse Susan takes charge of Annie at her home. Two years later she ...
Style:
realistic, serious, sentimental, emotional, touching
Plot:
adoption, aids, hiv, medicine, child illness, child care, foster child, foster parent, women, orphan, poverty, homeless ...
Time:
90s
Similarity:
48%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min.
Story:
Friends and family of Cory, a young man who has died of an overdose, gather at a Baltimore-area karaoke bar for his wake and compare stories about him. Gradually, as it becomes clear that there are many holes in their recollections about Cory, they ...
Style:
sincere, emotional, contemplative, realistic, serious ...
Plot:
family problems, dysfunctional family, drug abuse, death in the family, social relations, estrangement, life is a bitch, hopes, introspection, family in crisis, father daughter relationship, overdose ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
usa, maryland, baltimore
Similarity:
48%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
In seeking her own redemption from the one man of whom she is most afraid, 10-year-old Cadi Forbes discovers a secret sin haunting her community of Welsh immigrants in 1850s Appalachia.
Style:
emotional, christian film, serious, sincere, touching ...
Audience:
family friendly
Plot:
christian, girl, redemption, family problems, christianity, hopes, parents and children, society, death in the family, faith, religion, dark secret ...
Time:
19th century, 1850s
Place:
appalachia
Similarity:
48%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min.
Story:
A woman with two children believes she has three and her husband and oldest daughter play along with her to keep her balanced (or as close to balanced that a woman with an invisible child can be). However, when the family hires a new nanny, it is ...
Style:
realistic, serious, emotional, sentimental, touching
Plot:
imaginary friend, youth, evil child, family relations, dysfunctional family, mental illness, couples, estrangement, family problems, master and servant, couple relations, betrayal ...
Time:
90s, 20th century
Similarity:
48%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
Making good on a promise he made to his dying wife, a widower (Jones) opens a reading room, a place where people can learn to read. Despite his goodwill, problems in the neighborhood threaten his establishment.
Style:
uplifting, sincere, touching, feel good, serious ...
Plot:
against the odds, last wish, hopes, human spirit, teachers and students, poverty, homeless, family relations, power relations, youth, society, dealing with death ...
Time:
21st century
Similarity:
48%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min.
Story:
When her daughter Sara unexpectedly passes away, Natalie retreats to the summer home where she and Sara used to visit. Time with her best friends and some of Sara's friends help her deal with her loss.
Style:
serious, sincere, touching, realistic, emotional ...
Plot:
family problems, homecoming, dysfunctional family, tragic love, best friend, couples, single parent, orphan, hopes, life is a bitch, starting over, parents and children ...
Time:
21st century
Similarity:
48%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min.
Story:
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.
Style:
emotional, realistic, touching, captivating, independent film ...
Plot:
adoption, friendship, family relations, custody, on the road, introspection, petty criminal, redemption, hopes, road trip, boy, foster home ...
Place:
new york, usa, texas
Similarity:
48%
Movie in collections
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
Single mother Tyree Battle struggles to keep her young son Thaniel away from the gang-plagued city streets that he is mixed up in. Under severe gang pressure, Thaniel accidentally shoots Jewish shopkeeper Eli Zeal in a botched robbery attempt. ...
Style:
realistic, touching, serious, emotional, independent film ...
Plot:
family relations, gang, homecoming, family problems, self discovery, aging, redemption, single parent, youth, going straight, parents and children, family life ...
Time:
90s
Place:
usa, louisiana
Similarity:
48%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
Knowing the past changes the future. Seeking a connection to her heritage, Rebecca Hoffman sets out on a journey of discovery following the deaths of her adoptive parents. She finds that connection with her birth family in the Navajo community. But ...
Style:
sincere, serious, realistic, touching, sexual
Plot:
self discovery, adoption, starting over, couple relations, life is a bitch, hopes, couples, twins, society, family life, orphan, youth ...
Time:
90s, 20th century
Place:
arizona
Similarity:
48%
Genre: Drama
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
For as long as she can remember, 16 year-old Gracie has been raising her four siblings, each of whom has a different, absent father and their mother is on the fast track to self-destruction. When these children's lives are about to be pulled ...
Style:
sentimental, emotional, sincere, touching, realistic ...
Audience:
teens, chick flick, teen drama
Plot:
custody battle, teenage girl, coming of age, custody, youth, responsibility, abusive mother, teenager, family values, dysfunctional family, parents and children, siblings relations ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
nova scotia
Similarity:
48%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min.
Story:
Based on the book by Caroline B. Cooney, a girl happens to look down at a milk carton one day and she sees herself on the back! Could her parents really have kidnapped her?
Style:
realistic, serious
Audience:
teens, teen drama
Plot:
love, abused child, kidnapping, family relations, uncover truth, life is a bitch, coming of age, love and romance, young heroes, youth, siblings relations, fall in love ...
Time:
20th century, 90s
Place:
usa
Similarity:
48%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min.
Story:
Four sisters who disagree about everything... except what matters most. Family.
Style:
realistic, serious, emotional, touching, independent film
Audience:
family outing, girls' night
Plot:
family life, family problems, parents and children, single parent, family gatherings, society, hopes, small town, death in the family, bittersweet, family relations, siblings relations ...
Time:
90s, 20th century
Place:
philadelphia
Similarity:
48%
Movie in collections
297
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 107 min.
Story:
A young man dying in prison brings his family together for a fateful visit, and proceeds to put his life back together.
Style:
touching, emotional, serious, realistic, independent film ...
Plot:
prison, prison life, redemption, destiny, society, rehabilitation, life is a bitch, hopes, family life, parents and children, black, blaxploitation ...
Time:
90s
Similarity:
47%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min.
Story:
One summer morning, 12-year-old Arnold Hillerman and his 17-year-old brother Eugene wake at dawn to pick peas and perhaps shoot a wild duck on their family's Montana farm. In a nearby pasture, Arnold's gun fires accidentally. His brother ...
Style:
contemplative, serious, realistic, psychological, touching ...
Plot:
farm, coming of age, boy, youth, little boy, grief, hunting, depression, death of brother, guilt, family relations, death in the family ...
Time:
80s
Place:
montana, usa
Similarity:
47%
Genre: Drama
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
The difficult relationship between a british postal officer and his adoptive son.
Style:
serious, emotional, sentimental, touching, realistic
Plot:
orphan, social worker, man boy relationship, child abuse, adoption, single parent, absent father, coming of age, family problems, parents and children, hopes, family relations ...
Time:
90s, year 1994
Place:
england, europe, wales
Similarity:
47%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
Casey Powell is a young teenage girl who is secretly suffering from anorexia nevosa, a mental and physical illness of deliberately starving herself or self-induced vomiting, because of her troubled home life and problems at school in which her ...
Style:
psychological, contemplative, serious, realistic, uplifting ...
Audience:
teens, girls' night
Plot:
eating disorder, bulimia, psychopath, self-help, mental disorder, trouble, mental illness, anorexia, family relations, power relations, unfulfillment, elderly ...
Time:
80s
Similarity:
47%
473
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min.
Story:
Charles Burnett directs this movie about John, a man of many talents, including one forbidden skill: he can read. When he teaches a young slave girl named Sarny to read and write, she learns an unforgettable lesson about the power of words and the ...
Style:
contemplative, realistic, serious, uplifting, sentimental ...
Plot:
racism, slave, slave trade, slavery, illiteracy, teaching, plantation, racial discrimination, black slave, american civil war, racial issues, blaxploitation ...
Time:
19th century
Place:
america
Similarity:
47%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min.
Story:
Life as a Mormon missionary isn't what 19-year-old Brandon Allen expected: so many rules and so few successes. Los Angeles is as unrepentant as Sodom and Gomorrah. He's forced to share a small apartment with five young prank-loving ...
Style:
realistic, sincere, touching, serious, psychological ...
Plot:
missionary, couples, redemption, self discovery, life is a bitch, youth, working class, terminal illness, disorder, family relations, tragic hero, couple relations ...
Time:
90s
Place:
california, los angeles, usa
Similarity:
47%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min.
Story:
Family members struggle to heal their emotional wounds after an incident of sexual abuse.
Style:
touching, emotional, sincere, realistic, contemplative ...
Plot:
psychiatrist, dysfunctional family, haunted by the past, parents and children, domestic disturbance, family in crisis, life is a bitch, hopes, family problems, redemption, estrangement, teenager ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
usa
Similarity:
47%
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