While box office disappointment is not necessarily a reflection on the quality of a motion picture, it is surprising to discover a really inspiring movie that initially failed to win over audiences. It is easy for films with a lot of heart to be labeled corny or overly sentimental, which can be one of the things that might prevent such a movie from being a hit. These are 10 films that flopped when they were originally released but still have the power to inspire those who are willing to give them a chance.

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10 Slow Dancing in the Big City

The 1978 romantic drama Slow Dancing in the Big City is remembered as a huge flop. Overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles in order to achieve an ambition is a major theme that runs through this movie, which also involves the relationship between talented but ailing young ballerina on the cusp of fame, Sarah Gantz, and an earthy, out-of-shape newspaper columnist Lou Friedlander. So it’s no wonder publicity for the film compared it to Rocky, which was such an enormous hit just a few years earlier. The movie actually has many things in common with Rocky,” including the same director, John G. Avildsen, composer Bill Conti, and an underdog storyline.

Slow Dancing in the Big City turned out to be the failure that many people had expected the low-budget Rocky to be. The flaws of Slow Dancing in the Big City are apparent. Lou (Paul Sorvino) generally comes across as a doormat, and the inexperience of newcomer Anne Ditchburn, who plays Sarah, is obvious enough. Additionally, the scaled-back, unrefined style, which was so appealing in Rocky, did not work in this film. However, it is still very watchable and succeeds at inspiring audiences.

As Roger Ebert said, the movie: “cheerfully exists in the world of big hearts and brave tears and happy endings that make you blow your nose. It’s a classic of melodramatic overachievement.”^[1]

9 Author! Author!

Al Pacino received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance as playwright Ivan Travalian in the 1982 comedy Author! Author!, but the movie bombed with critics and audiences alike. The plot revolves around Ivan’s efforts to mount his latest play on Broadway while struggling as an unlikely single father to his blended family when his unfaithful wife Gloria (Tuesday Weld) suddenly leaves him and the children. Amid all the chaos, Ivan complicates things further by embarking on an affair with a free-spirited actress, Alice Detroit (Dyan Cannon).

The timing of its release was likely one of the things that hurt this movie at the box office since it was such a big year for blockbuster action flicks like First Blood and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, but Author! Author! is far from perfect. One problem is the lack of focus. With so much going on in the story, the audience is as distracted as Ivan himself would have been on a typical day. On the plus side, Pacino’s depiction of Ivan is an impressive and heartwarming departure from his most memorable characters. Ivan’s love and commitment to these otherwise unwanted kids come shining through, and we root for him to succeed as he juggles family life with the theater.^[2]

8 The Rewrite

Hugh Grant has starred in more than his fair share of romantic comedies, and the 2014 film The Rewrite is often labeled as such, but it only partially fits into this category. It is just as much an inspirational movie about comebacks and self-discovery. Grant plays a down-on-his-luck screenwriter, Keith Michaels, whose career started to flounder after penning one legendary hit film many years earlier.

Struggling to pay bills, he reluctantly moves cross country to take a teaching job at Binghamton University in New York, where he is a complete misfit and nearly gets fired for his unorthodox approach. However, Keith is surprised to find that he has a real calling to teach, and he must choose whether to keep the position or accept an opportunity to work in the film industry again.

There’s plenty of humor and a sweet romance between Keith and single mom Holly (Marisa Tomei), but inspiration is at the heart of the story, which is very much about soul searching and starting over in life. Despite being written and directed by Grant’s frequent collaborator Marc Lawrence and featuring an impressive supporting cast, The Rewrite was a major commercial disappointment that mostly drew lukewarm reviews, but when it comes to films that encourage us to explore new horizons, it definitely hits the mark.^[3]

7 Lost in Yonkers

The 1993 dramedy Lost in Yonkers, about a dysfunctional family in WWII-era Yonkers, New York, is based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning Neil Simon play and features critically acclaimed performances from Mercedes Ruehl and Irene Worth reprising their Tony-winning stage roles for the screen adaptation. However, all this was not enough to make it a hit at the box office. This film, which follows two adolescent brothers, Jay (Brad Stoll) and Arty (Mike Damus), who are left with their father’s eccentric family one summer, may have been too offbeat to achieve mainstream popularity, but that’s also part of its charm.

The movie, which memorably co-stars Richard Dreyfuss, centers on the boys’ childlike Aunt Bella, who dreams of a home and family of her own, only to be deterred by her tyrannical mother. Lost in Yonkers veers between farcical, poignant, heartbreaking, and ultimately inspiring as Bella finds independence.^[4]

6 Beautiful

Some of the most inspiring films feature storytelling, which manages to be soul-stirring but not overly sentimental. This is the case with the dramedy Beautiful, starring Minnie Driver as professional beauty pageant contestant Mona. Mona must come to terms with her role as a mother to her young daughter Vanessa (Hallie Eisenberg), mainly being brought up by her roommate Ruby (Joey Lauren Adams), posing as Vanessa’s mom so that Mona can be eligible to compete in the pageants.

However, when Ruby is arrested for a crime she didn’t commit, Mona is forced to take on real maternal responsibility for the little girl and, in so doing, begins to confront issues rooted in her own painful childhood. Though it failed to turn a profit when released in 2000, Beautiful succeeds at being a feel-good movie that powerfully communicates the importance of making family a top priority.^[5]

5 84 Charing Cross Road

The quirky but heartwarming 1987 film 84 Charing Cross Road, starring Anne Bancroft as brash, struggling New York writer Helene Hanff and Anthony Hopkins as her unlikely pen pal, reserved London bookseller Frank Doel, isn’t the type of movie that is expected to be a hit at the box office. It was also fairly predictable that the film would be embraced by critics, considering the impressive cast and critical acclaim of the source material, which was Hanff’s bestselling autobiographical book.

Both of these things came true, but one surprising benefit of watching 84 Charing Cross Road is how inspiring it turns out to be. Helene’s frequent requests for obscure, vintage books and Frank’s skill for obtaining these rare volumes bring them together. It’s very moving to see how these two people, who are so different from one another, form a meaningful long-distance relationship through written correspondence without ever meeting. Knowing this was based on a true story makes it even more inspiring.^[6]

4 Children of Men

Well-made dystopian dramas are often among the most inspiring films, which makes sense considering how easy it is to root for a character who’s trying to save the world. Based on a novel by P.D. James, the 2006 sci-fi action thriller Children of Men is set in a disastrous world where humans have lost the ability to reproduce. Clive Owen stars as Theo Faron, a one-time activist turned cynical bureaucrat, who agrees to take a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea.

Julianne Moore plays Theo’s radical ex-girlfriend, Julian, who re-enters his life and compels him to join her in a mission to effect positive change. One of the most inspiring things about this movie is Theo’s transformation from someone who could be seen as symbolic of the growing pessimism in society into a hero who is fighting for the future of humanity.

Despite all the film has to offer in the way of exciting and thought-provoking entertainment, it was not a financial success but did earn plenty of critical acclaim. In a Time Magazone article about Children of Men, the publication praised the work of director Alfonso Cuarón and called the film “a cautious incantation for a hopeful future.”^[7]

3 Dominick and Eugene

The 1988 drama Dominick and Eugene is a raw but uplifting film about the complex relationship between medical student Eugene (Ray Liotta) and his intellectually challenged fraternal twin brother Nicky (Tom Hulce). Nicky is helping to put his brother through school by working as a garbage collector. To Eugene’s new girlfriend, Jennifer (Jamie Lee Curtis), it seems like he is taking advantage of Dominick, but Eugene plans to pay him back once he becomes a brain surgeon by supporting his brother for the rest of his life.

Eugene’s intention to go away for two years to complete an internship at Stanford and other changes threaten the twins’ closeness. Eventually, their bond strengthens through adversity and the exploration of a traumatic past. While it has received a lot of praise, especially for the actors’ performances, this inspiring film was not a financially lucrative project. However, Dominick and Eugene is now considered to be a cult classic.^[8]

2 It’s a Wonderful Life

Given its legacy as one of the greatest Christmas films of all time, a lot of movie fans would be shocked to learn that the now iconic It’s a Wonderful Life was a flop when it premiered in 1947. With its strongly conveyed themes of hope, faith, gratitude, and individual purpose, this fantasy drama is about the suicidal George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart), who gets a new lease on life after an angel shows him the valuable impact he’s had on his family and community. It is a prime example of how inspiring some originally unsuccessful films can turn out to be.

However, the film didn’t inspire much when it was first released besides mixed reviews from the critics. Financially, it didn’t even break even, but the picture did get nominated for five Oscars. As with many box office duds that go on to develop a cult following, It’s a Wonderful Life later gained popularity when it was shown on television, leading it to become a holiday tradition.^[9]

1 The Shawshank Redemption

Prison movies aren’t usually particularly inspiring, but The Shawshank Redemption, a 1994 drama starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, is one of the exceptions. A commercial flop when it was first released, this film, written by Stephen King and Frank Darabond and directed by Darabond, lives up to its tagline, “Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.” Robbins plays Andy Dufresne, falsely convicted of murdering his wife and her lover in 1947.

Instead of allowing himself to be eaten up by bitterness at his unjust circumstance, Andy’s positive attitude and compassion see him through the experience, which lasts for more than two decades. Nominated for seven Oscars and many other awards, the critical reception was mainly positive, with reviewers highly praising the movie, especially for its compellingly delivered message of hope and for the impressive performances. The film’s popularity has grown enormously with movie fans and is now considered a cult classic.^[10]

Expectations have a lot of power when it comes to movies and their success at the box office, and nowadays, Hollywood has capitalized on that power with the universal tool that is the internet. But that doesn’t stop certain projects from being a victim of their own hype online. Certain movies that have created a major sense of excitement with audiences ended up being major disappointments, and these flops always seem to hurt more. Here are 10 major movie flops people thought would be great:

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10 Entourage (2015)

After 8 seasons on the air, Entourage finally ended its run on HBO in 2011. The show about young actor Vincent Chase and his group of friends and business partners was super popular during its time on air, despite the later seasons often being criticized for their decline in quality. Fans were sad to see it end, but there was a real sense of excitement when it was announced around the time of the finale that an “Entourage” movie was planned to be released in theatres, as a final chapter for the characters of the show.

Unfortunately, it seemed like the “Entourage” movie simply came too little too late. Despite being a true sensation during its early seasons, the show failed to retain its relevancy in pop culture, and, by the time the movie finally arrived in theatres (4 years after the show ended), people were already over it and nobody was really interested in watching more Entourage. Furthermore, the few who actually saw the movie were left quite underwhelmed by it, and word of mouth quickly killed any chances it had to do well at the box office… so it flopped.^[1]

9 Sucker Punch (2011)

Zack Snyder is largely known for being a fairly divisive director. From “Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice” and his extremely polarizing adaptation of “Watchmen”, Snyder has no shortage of debates surrounding his work. But if one of his movies has made unanimity over the years, it is his 2006 hit “300”, which is considered to be his the best film of his career. And that is why the hype for his next project after “Watchmen”, “Sucker Punch”, was at an all time high in 2011. The trailers promised a true visual spectacle of action, and an epic return to form for Snyder in his first original screenplay. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned…

While “Sucker Punch” was praised for its inventive action sequences, the rest of the film was absolutely blasted for its awful performances and incoherent storytelling. The movie crashed and burned at the box office, losing millions of dollars in the process, and it has since been widely named as Zack Snyder’s worst movie to date. Since then, it seems like people can never agree on any of his films, and they always become controversial topics of debates amongst movie fans.^[2]

8 Glass (2019)

2016’s “Split” marked the triumphant comeback of director M. Night Syamalan. The story of three kidnapped teenage girls being held captive by a man whose mind is split in 24 different personalities caught audiences off guard, and the movie became a sleeper hit that gave Shyamalan his status of legendary director, following a series of flops. The real punch of the movie, though, came with the final revelation of it being an indirect sequel to Shyamalan’s 2000 cult classic “Unbreakable”, and the subsequent announcement of a third movie titled “Glass” bringing both “Split” and “Unbreakable” together in an epic finale, the hype went through the roof. And then… the movie came out.

“Glass” turned out to be a massive disappointment for audiences and critics alike. Some were surprised by the movie being such a let down, and others weren’t, due to Shyamalan’s reputation of being a hit or miss director. Despite the absolute star power present in the film (Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Paulson, James McAvoy, Bruce Willis), “Glass” simply could not stick the landing, and its box office, while decent, was still considered to be highly disappointing by the studio. Shyamalan eventually admitted to crying because of the reception the movie got. Yikes.^[3]

7 Only God Forgives (2013)

Nicolas Winding Refn is easily one of the most polarizing directors Hollywood has ever known. Some see him as a repressed genius, while others perceive him as more of a pretentious artist who favours style over substance in most of his movies. That said, his 2011 film “Drive” is widely considered to be a masterpiece and, as a result, there was a gigantic sense of excitement around his following project “Only God Forgives”, especially when it was announced that Refn would be teaming up with Ryan Gosling one more time. People were expecting it to be even crazier than “Drive”, and the anticipation built for 2 years.

“Only God Forgives” was notoriously booed when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2013. The movie was panned and highly criticized for its excessive and gratuitous violence, which some claimed was only used to mask a boring plot with no depth to offer. Gosling was praised for his performance as main character Julian Thompson, but every other aspect of the film was shunned. “Only God Forgives” eventually bombed at the box office and disappeared from theatres as quickly as it arrived.^[4]

6 The Dark Tower (2017)

Stephen King has indirectly created an absolute empire of cinema and television in the past decades, and that empire has been at the top of its game in the last ten years. With “IT”, “Doctor Sleep”, “11.22.63” and other projects taking the world by storm, and with King inspired projects like “Stranger Things” becoming as popular as ever, audiences get excited as soon as the author’s name is attached to a new movie, even if they have never heard of the source material. And when a “Dark Tower” adaptation starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConnaughey came on the horizon, people were ecstatic.

The trailer teased an ambitious movie that was actually a prequel of the original novel by Stephen King, which was quickly followed by the announcement of a TV show that was going to continue the story of the film into the book. The project was definitely thinking out of the box, and people were excited to see what was coming… and then it came.

“The Dark Tower” was an absolute disaster. From the movie, the financial repercussions of its gigantic failure, and the reputation of the film’s director Nikolaj Arcel, who has yet to direct a movie again. Stephen King himself admitted to hating the film and criticized producer Ron Howard for his choice to make the movie R-rated. Every plant for potential sequels were cancelled, and the TV show that was meant to continue the story of the film died in its development stage, leaving audiences with a colossal sense of disappointment.^[5]

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5 After Earth (2013)

When a trailer for a science-fiction movie gave the world Will Smith and his young son Jaden Smith teaming up on an alien planet to survive in an environment that isn’t theirs, people quickly got very, very excited. But when the trailer revealed the alien planet to actually be a distant future version of Earth, all hell broke loose. Not only did the idea of Will Smith and his kid going on a sci-fi adventure seem extremely appealing, but the mystery behind the story of the film had people hooked. That is why the disappointment that ensued was so brutal.

It turns out that M. Night Shyamalan was the director of “After Earth”, a detail the marketing campaign made a point not to mention, due to audiences having lost interest in his movies after movies like “Lady In The Water”, “The Village”, “The Happening” and the notoriously dreaded “The Last Airbender” buried his reputation six feet under.

“After Earth” was described by many as horrible, and many were disappointed to find out that Will Smith (who was the big draw) was barely in the movie, and the story was actually all about his son, who gave a terrible performance that is still being mocked a full decade later. Will Smith even apologized for the film’s very existence in an interview, citing it as being the most painful failure of his career.^[6]

4 The Tourist (2011)

2010 saw the announcement of “The Tourist”, a remake of the critically acclaimed 2005 French thriller “Anthony Zimmer”. While the news of that remake initially failed to generate any buzz, it all shifted when Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie joined the project, confirming they were going to appear the screen together for the very first time. The involvement of these two legendary actors became subject to a lot of anticipation, and the hype for “The Tourist” began to rise… but that hype came to a screeching halt when the movie came out.

Despite performing decently at the box office (mainly due to international audiences), “The Tourist” was absolutely destroyed by critics and audiences. Many criticized it for being boring and putting all of its focus on pretty visuals, while others panned the writing of the film and saw it as lazy and uninspired. Both Angelina Jolie’s and Johnny Depp’s performances were met with massive disappointment, and the movie’s popularity overseas quickly faded as it disappeared from audiences’ memories.^[7]

3 The Last Airbender (2010)

Nickelodeon’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender” is widely considered to be one of the greatest animated shows of all time. It has one of the largest and most devoted fandoms out there, and when the announcement of a movie adaptation directed by M. Night Shyamalan (yes, him again) came in 2009, there was a lot of noise. But, in addition to the hope behind the project, the very first teaser for the movie was so pitch perfect that even the most skeptical of fans joined the hype, and “The Last Airbender” became one of the most anticipated movies of the 2010’s.

Now considered to be one of the worst movies of all time, the adaptation of Avatar was a highly publicized disaster on almost every level imaginable. Not only was the movie panned for its awful acting, mediocre writing and subpar visual affects, it also crashed and burned at the box office and failed to generate a profit, which led to Paramount Pictures cancelling the sequels. “The Last Airbender” currently sits on an abysmal 5% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and, to this day, M. Night Shyamalan still finds himself addressing the movie’s existence during interviews.^[8]

2 Suicide Squad (2016)

When the disappointing reception of “Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice” in March 2016 hit, DC’s next film “Suicide Squad” was right around the corner. The trailers promised a fun action extravaganza with a large cast of amazing actors and, of course, the introduction of Jared Leto’s Joker, the first live action iteration of the character since Heath Leadger’s legendary portrayal in 2008’s “The Dark Knight”. People were excited for the spectacle to come, and given how good the movie appeared to be, DC fans hoped “Suicide Squad” would be the saving grace to fix the problems of “Batman V Superman”. Needless to say, it wasn’t.

“Suicide Squad” ended up being criticized for making very little sense and for overall being a weirdly messy movie with a terrible villain. Just like its predecessor, it underperformed at the box office, but nothing compares to the insurmountable amount of backlash Jared Leto faced for his portrayal of the Joker. The response was so bad that it eventually led to Leto’s Joker being written out of the franchise in favour of Joaquin Phoenix getting his own movie, and the planned sequel to “Suicide Squad” has been turned into a loosely connected movie that will serve as a blueprint to reboot the series.

Director David Ayer later revealed that he deeply regrets making certain choices with the movie, and also blamed the final cut on the studio, who rushed the production and decided to exclude him from the editing process at the very last minute, instead opting to hire a trailer editing team to finish the movie, which could explain why the entire movie has gotten the reputation of being a glorified 2-hour music video.^[9]

1 Jupiter Ascending (2015)

The Wachowskis will always hold a special place in Hollywood as the creators of “The Matrix”. Despite having mostly been involved in divisive projects (including the Matrix sequels), the siblings sisters still manage to get an extreme amount of hype every time they announce a new movie. Some simply expect them to finally have an epic comeback as powerful as “The Matrix”, and when the first trailer for their highly secretive project “Jupiter Ascending”, it looked like this project might just be the one to reclaim the Wachowskis legendary status. It was probably their most hyped movie since the end of the Matrix trilogy 12 years prior. Things did not go as expected.

For what it’s worth, “Jupiter Ascending” deserves praise for its inventive visuals. But, unfortunately, aside from an excessive showcase of CGI and explosions, the movie did not have much to offer. Many found the story cliché and boring, and every single performance in the film was panned, including Oscar-winning Eddie Redmayne, who played one of the most monotonous villains of modern cinema. The movie simply did not land, and it bombed at the box office in spectacular fashion, losing up to $100 million, and becoming known as the Wachowskis most disappointing project since “The Matrix” Revolutions”.^[10]

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