Against the odds movies and TV shows
The list contains the best, new and most relevant against the odds movies ordered by relevance. The recommendation service has sorted out realistic, touching, inspirational, serious, entertaining and feel good films and TV shows about / with against the odds, hopes, mentor, destiny, culture clash, catastrophe, transformation, storytelling, ambition and biopic plots mostly in Drama, Biography and Sport genres shot in USA, Australia, UK and other countries.
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TOP 10 movies tagged as against the odds: October Sky (1999), Remember the Titans (2000), The Theory of Everything (2014), 300 (2006), Apollo 13 (1995), In the Heart of the Sea (2015), Seabiscuit (2003), Temple Grandin (2010), The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), A Knight's Tale (2001).
Best films
New films
List of against the odds movies
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story is a movie based on the life story of world-renowned neurosurgeon Ben Carson from 1961 to 1987.
Style:
uplifting, sincere, inspirational, christian film, realistic ...
Audience:
family outing
Plot:
medical, african american, against the odds, neurosurgeon, human spirit, medicine, surgeon, ambition, biopic, medical school, physician, doctor ...
Time:
70s, 60s, 2010s, 20th century, 80s
Place:
cuba, usa, detroit, west germany
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min.
Story:
Based on a true story. Liz Murray is a young girl who is taken care of by her loving, but drug-addicted parents. Liz becomes homeless at 15 and after a tragedy comes upon her, she begins her work to finish high school.
Style:
sincere, serious, touching, captivating, realistic ...
Audience:
teens, chick flick, family outing, teen drama
Plot:
homeless, homeless teenager, against the odds, drug addict, youth, starting over, university, family problems, dysfunctional family, hopes, society, aids ...
Time:
90s, 21st century
Place:
nova scotia, america, new york, usa
Is relevant?
Genre: Adventure, Drama
Country: Australia, UK
Duration: 62 min.
TV show
Story:
A young woman is transported to the New South Wales penal colony in 1788.
Style:
serious, realistic, suspense, captivating, historical drama ...
Plot:
human spirit, against the odds, girl heroine, danger, on the run, escapades, female whipping, prisoner, society, injustice, life is a bitch, sailing ...
Time:
18th century, 1780s, georgian era
Place:
australia, england, europe
Is relevant?
111K
Genre: Biography, Drama, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min.
Story:
Based on the true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son who was inspired by the first Sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his father's wishes, and eventually became a NASA scientist.
Style:
inspirational, touching, realistic, sentimental, feel good ...
Audience:
teens, kids, family outing, date night, teen drama
Plot:
friendship, small town, teacher, follow your dream, teenage life, against the odds, competition, mathematics, generation gap, scientist, biopic, nerd ...
Time:
1950s, 50s, year 1957, year 1999, 90s ...
Place:
west virginia, virginia, usa, indianapolis indiana, appalachia ...
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 113 min.
Story:
After leading his football team to 15 winning seasons, coach Bill Yoast is demoted and replaced by Herman Boone – tough, opinionated and as different from the beloved Yoast as he could be. The two men learn to overcome their differences and turn a ...
Style:
touching, sentimental, inspirational, emotional, feel good ...
Audience:
kids, teens, chick flick, family friendly, family outing ...
Plot:
racism, high school, african american, american football, civil rights, racial tension, racial prejudice, against the odds, high school football, football, prejudice, life lesson ...
Time:
70s, 20th century, year 2000, y2k, 2000s
Place:
virginia, boston, usa, america, africa ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: UK, Japan, USA
Duration: 123 min.
Story:
The Theory of Everything is the extraordinary story of one of the world’s greatest living minds, the renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who falls deeply in love with fellow Cambridge student Jane Wilde.
Style:
touching, uplifting, inspirational, compassionate, sentimental ...
Audience:
kids, teens, chick flick
Plot:
genius, disability, love, cambridge university, physicist, mathematics, husband wife relationship, prodigy, supportive spouse, handicapped, against the odds, relationships ...
Time:
year 2014, 2010s, 20th century, 60s, 70s ...
Place:
oxford university, england, united kingdom
Is relevant?
907K
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: USA, Canada, Bulgaria
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
Based on Frank Miller's graphic novel, "300" is very loosely based the 480 B.C. Battle of Thermopylae, where the King of Sparta led his army against the advancing Persians; the battle is said to have inspired all of Greece to band ...
Style:
epic, exciting, visually stunning, visual, stylized ...
Audience:
boys' night, manly, adult
Plot:
sword fight, warrior, ancient, war, courage, battles, mythology, military, human spirit, gory, legends and myths, ancient world ...
Time:
middle ages, ancient times, 2000s, year 2006, 5th century
Place:
ancient greece, greece, hellas, persia, rome italy ...
Is relevant?
334K
Genre: Adventure, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 140 min.
Story:
The true story of technical troubles that scuttle the Apollo 13 lunar mission in 1971, risking the lives of astronaut Jim Lovell and his crew, with the failed journey turning into a thrilling saga of heroism. Drifting more than 200,000 miles from ...
Style:
factual, realistic, inspirational, suspense, breathtaking ...
Audience:
teens, family outing, kids, boys' night
Plot:
astronaut, nasa, survival, space travel, moon, disaster, rescue, space program, space exploration, race against time, trapped in space, against the odds ...
Time:
70s, year 1970, 20th century, year 1969, 60s ...
Place:
houston texas, usa, north america, texas, pacific ocean ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Adventure, Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA, Australia, Spain
Duration: 122 min.
Story:
In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex was assaulted by something no one could believe: a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance. The real-life maritime disaster would inspire Herman Melville’s ...
Style:
scenic, realistic, suspenseful, emotional, visually stunning ...
Audience:
kids, teens, adult
Plot:
survival, ocean, ship, sea, boat, disaster, man versus nature, starvation, whale, whaling, shipwreck, hunting ...
Time:
19th century, victorian era, year 2015, 1800s, 1820s ...
Place:
ecuador, pacific ocean, new england, america, massachusetts ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, History, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 140 min.
Story:
True story of the undersized Depression-era racehorse whose victories lifted not only the spirits of the team behind it but also those of their nation.
Style:
feel good, sentimental, inspirational, emotional, sexy ...
Audience:
girls' night, adult
Plot:
horse, horse race, racehorse, follow your dream, underdog, jockey, against the odds, marriage, self made man, racing, abuse, life philosophy ...
Time:
1940s, year 1938, 2000s, year 2003, 1920s ...
Place:
california, pasadena california, los angeles, chicago, albuquerque new mexico ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 107 min.
Story:
A biopic of Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who has become one of top scientists in humane livestock handling.
Style:
touching, inspirational, sincere, compassionate, feel good ...
Audience:
kids
Plot:
autism, teacher, female protagonist, human spirit, disability, genius, against the odds, inventor, biopic, asperger's syndrome, slaughterhouse, ambition ...
Time:
20th century, y2k, 60s, year 1951, 70s ...
Place:
arizona, boston, new hampshire, texas, usa ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional career.
Style:
inspirational, emotional, sentimental, uplifting, motivational ...
Audience:
family outing, chick flick, teens, family friendly
Plot:
homeless, life, human spirit, rags to riches, life philosophy, success, single father, poverty, rise to the top, family drama, life is a bitch, biopic ...
Time:
80s, year 2006, 2010s, 20th century
Place:
usa, california, bay area, san francisco, america
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 132 min.
Story:
William Thatcher, a peasant, is sent to apprentice with a Knight named Hector as a young boy. Urged by his father to "change his Stars", he assumes Sir Hector's place in a tournament when Hector dies in the middle of it. He wins. With ...
Style:
feel good, period piece, inspirational, romantic, costume drama ...
Audience:
boys' night, chick flick, date night, family outing, teens ...
Plot:
medieval, knight, sword fight, jousting, love and romance, love story, sword duel, against the odds, love, swords and armor, writers, fall in love ...
Time:
middle ages, medieval times, year 2001, ancient times, 14th century ...
Place:
england, europe, london, france, paris france
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: New Zealand, Japan, USA
Duration: 127 min.
Story:
The life story of New Zealander Burt Munro, who spent years building a 1920 Indian motorcycle -- a bike which helped him set the land-speed world record at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967.
Style:
inspirational, realistic, emotional, road movie, touching ...
Audience:
family outing, chick flick
Plot:
motorcycle, human spirit, against the odds, motorcycle race, follow your dream, car race, racing, auto mechanic, elderly, race, goodhearted, eccentricity ...
Time:
year 2005, 2000s, 20th century, year 1967, year 1914 ...
Place:
new zealand, california, nevada, utah, usa ...
Is relevant?
131K
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 129 min.
Story:
Against formidable odds -- and an old-school diving instructor embittered by the U.S. Navy's new, less prejudicial policies -- Carl Brashear sets his sights on becoming the Navy's first African-American master diver in this uplifting true ...
Style:
inspirational, touching, motivational, sincere, sexy ...
Audience:
girls' night
Plot:
racism, african american, courage, u.s. navy, racial discrimination, military, navy, racial segregation, human spirit, dream come true, diving, underdog ...
Time:
1950s, 20th century, year 2000, y2k, 60s ...
Place:
america, africa, usa, pacific ocean, cuba ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 131 min.
Story:
A twice-divorced mother of three who sees an injustice, takes on the bad guy and wins -- with a little help from her push-up bra. Erin goes to work for an attorney and comes across medical records describing illnesses clustered in one nearby town. ...
Style:
inspirational, touching, feel good, uplifting, factual ...
Audience:
girls' night, chick flick, adult
Plot:
environmental, justice, court, lawyer, contamination, small town, single mother, investigation, corporate crime, business, lawsuit, legal ...
Time:
year 1993, 90s, y2k, year 2000, 2000s ...
Place:
california, los angeles, usa, new jersey
Is relevant?
378K
Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, Sport
Country: USA, India
Duration: 127 min.
Story:
In the near-future, Charlie Kenton is a washed-up fighter who retired from the ring when robots took over the sport. After Charlie's robot is trashed, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max to rebuild and train an unlikely contender.
Style:
futuristic, inspirational, feel good, sentimental, entertaining ...
Audience:
teens, kids, family outing, chick flick, girls' night
Plot:
boxing, father son relationship, underdog, robot, androids and robots, technology, against the odds, boy, contests and competitions, giant robot, arena, artificial intelligence ...
Time:
future, near future, year 2011, 2020s, 2010s ...
Place:
usa, austin texas, iran, north america, brazil ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 118 min.
Story:
The King's Speech tells the story of the man who became King George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II. After his brother abdicates, George ('Bertie') reluctantly assumes the throne. Plagued by a dreaded stutter and considered unfit ...
Style:
inspirational, period piece, sincere, sentimental, uplifting ...
Audience:
chick flick, teens, adult
Plot:
british history, stuttering, world war two, british royal family, royal family, politics, queen, friendship, british monarchy, monarchy, historical character, king ...
Time:
1930s, year 2010, pre world war two, 50s, 2000s ...
Place:
england, britain, london, united kingdom, scotland ...
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Comedy, Sport
Country: Germany, USA
Duration: 92 min.
Story:
When megalomaniacal White Goodman, the owner of a trendy, high-end fitness center, makes a move to take over the struggling local gym run by happy-go-lucky Pete La Fleur, there's only one way for La Fleur to fight back: dodgeball. Aided by a ...
Style:
humorous, funny, entertaining, spoof, parody ...
Audience:
teens, adult
Plot:
underdog, dumb, against the odds, cheerleader, tournament, cheerleading, competition, gym, homoeroticism, redemption, rivalry, contests and competitions ...
Time:
year 2004, 2000s, 20th century, 21st century
Place:
las vegas, usa, nevada, los angeles, california
Is relevant?
269K
Genre: Action, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 115 min.
Story:
Ray Breslin is the world's foremost authority on structural security. After analyzing every high security prison and learning a vast array of survival skills so he can design escape-proof prisons, his skills are put to the test. He's ...
Style:
suspenseful, suspense, clever, twist ending, entertaining ...
Audience:
boys' night, manly, chick flick
Plot:
prison, prison escape, revenge, outsmarting, escape plan, betrayal, resourceful, escape, prisoner, maximum security prison, prison break, lone hero ...
Time:
year 2013, 2010s, future, 80s, 21st century
Place:
morocco, usa, miami, new orleans, colorado ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: Russia
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
The story of three Russian Olympic champions. Ordinary people, who have become the pride of their family and country, and made history of world sports.
Style:
captivating, inspirational, exciting, motivational, meditative ...
Plot:
olympics, gymnastics, rivalry, against the odds, stubbornness, rise to the top, happy ending, reputation, human spirit, champion, determination, victory ...
Time:
20th century
Place:
russia
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA, Australia
Duration: 129 min.
Story:
Lorenzo Odone was a normal child until the age of 7. After then, strange things began to happen to him: he would have blackouts, memory lapses, and other strange mental phemonenons. He is eventually diagnosed as suffering from ALD: an extremely rare ...
Style:
touching, sincere, inspirational, sad, melancholic ...
Audience:
family outing, kids
Plot:
terminal illness, against the odds, family relations, human spirit, hopes, child illness, death, medical, life is a bitch, cure, disability, family drama ...
Time:
20th century, 90s, year 1984, year 1983, year 1986 ...
Place:
washington d.c., pittsburgh, edinburgh scotland, london, england ...
Is relevant?
131K
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
Although strangers Sara and Jonathan are both already in relationships, they realize they have genuine chemistry after a chance encounter – but part company soon after. Years later, they each yearn to reunite, despite being destined for the altar. ...
Style:
romantic, feel good, touching, sentimental, sweet ...
Audience:
chick flick, date night, girls' night, teens
Plot:
destiny, fall in love, coincidence, serendipity, christmas, true love, love and romance, friendship, looking for love, fate, love, friends ...
Time:
year 2001, 2010s, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
new york, usa, california, san francisco, new jersey
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, Australia
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
The story of Margaret Humphreys, a social worker from Nottingham, who uncovers one of the most significant social scandals in recent times – the forced migration of children from the United Kingdom. Almost singlehandedly, Margaret reunited ...
Style:
realistic, serious, sincere, captivating, motivational ...
Plot:
child abuse, deportation, social worker, against the odds, uncover truth, fighting the system, injustice, society, state affairs, life is a bitch, rebellion, family reunited ...
Time:
80s, 20th century, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
england, united kingdom, australia, europe, south australia ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, Drama, Family, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 112 min.
Story:
Soul Surfer is the inspiring true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton. Bethany lost her left arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through her sheer determination and unwavering faith.Bethany ...
Style:
touching, christian film, inspirational, sentimental, feel good ...
Audience:
teens, chick flick, kids, family outing, girls' night ...
Plot:
surfing, human spirit, christian, disability, shark, teenager, hospital, surfer, volunteer, shark attack, survivor, against the odds ...
Time:
year 2011, 20th century, 2000s, future, 21st century
Place:
hawaii, usa, thailand, california
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Sport
Country: Germany
Duration: 118 min.
Story:
The movie deals with the championship-winning German soccer team of 1954. Its story is linked with two others: The family of a young boy is split due to the events in World War II, and the father returns from Russia after eleven years. The second ...
Style:
feel good, sentimental, exciting, realistic, serious ...
Plot:
soccer, athlete's life, working class, pow, human spirit, follow your dream, against the odds, hopes, contests and competitions, boy, football, society ...
Time:
year 2003, 20th century, 50s, post world war two, 1950s
Place:
west germany, budapest, europe, germany, hungary ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, Drama, Family, History, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 123 min.
Story:
Housewife and mother Penny Chenery agrees to take over her ailing father's Virginia-based Meadow Stables, despite her lack of horse-racing knowledge. Against all odds, Chenery - with the help of veteran trainer Lucien Laurin - manages to ...
Style:
inspirational, sentimental, romantic, touching, tear jerker ...
Audience:
kids, family outing, family friendly, teens
Plot:
horse, horse race, racehorse, horse riding, stallion, animal training, jockey, underdog, against the odds, equestrian, animal, rise to the top ...
Time:
70s, 20th century, year 1973
Place:
usa, kentucky, california
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: Iran
Duration: 74 min.
Story:
A girl reaches the age of nine and is supposed to act as a grown woman according to her family. A girl participates in a bike race against the will of her husband. An elderly woman decides she wants to buy all the things she always wanted but could ...
Style:
touching, stylized, talky, thought provoking, serious ...
Plot:
feminism, culture clash, against the odds, injustice, feminist, life is a bitch, rebelliousness, society, women, husband wife relationship, mother daughter relationship, bicycle ...
Time:
90s
Place:
iran, middle east, persia, japan, paris france
Is relevant?
108K
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 128 min.
Story:
The powerful story of Jackie Robinson, the legendary baseball player who broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier when he joined the roster of the Brooklyn Dodgers. The film follows the innovative Dodgers’ general manager Branch Rickey, the ...
Style:
sentimental, period piece, touching, factual, intense ...
Audience:
family outing, kids
Plot:
racism, baseball, athlete and trainer, african american, rise to the top, racial segregation, civil rights, athlete's life, against the odds, biopic, black history, justice ...
Time:
1940s, year 1946, 2010s, year 2013, 20th century ...
Place:
africa, new york, usa, pasadena california, empire state building manhattan new york city ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min.
Story:
Bumbling Navy lieutenant Tom Dodge has been given one last chance to clean up his record. But Admiral Graham, his nemesis, assigns Dodge to the Stingray, a submarine that can barely keep afloat. To add insult to injury, the Stingray is to be the ...
Style:
parody, witty, humorous, not serious, light ...
Audience:
kids, teens
Plot:
submarine, u.s. navy, military, navy, rivalry, underwater, nothing goes right, goofy hero, stupidity, against the odds, boat, sailing ...
Time:
year 1996, 20th century
Place:
usa, florida, russia, san francisco
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
