- Les Misérables (2012): A young man is released from prison and becomes determined to turn his life around.
- Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A young man from the slums of Mumbai uses his knowledge to win on the game show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"
- The Help (2011): A young white woman in 1960s Mississippi becomes friends with two African-American maids and decides to write a book about their experiences.
- The Color Purple (1985): A young African-American woman in rural Georgia in the 1930s faces abuse from her father and husband, but finds strength through the support of her sisters.
- The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013): A middle-aged man dissatisfied with his life daydreams about being a hero.
- The Pursuit of Happyness (2006): A homeless salesperson struggles to provide for his young son while trying to regain custody of him.