The Five Best Movies You've Never Seen

Whether because they are low budget, foreign, independent, or just obscure, sometimes really good movies get overlooked. Here are the five best movies you've never seen. They are "Arranged," "Flywheel," "Captain's Courageous," "Martian Child," and "Bella."

"Arranged" - This 2007 Independent film is a sweet story about two young women, one Jewish and one Muslim, who meet when they are both teaching in a Public School in New York City. They realize they have more in common with each other than either do with the other teachers, and soon become friends. Both are dealing with the stress of pending arranged marriages, family pressures to follow their own traditions, and outside pressures to be "like everybody else." This film almost feels more like a well-done documentary, because the characters are so believable; both cultures are treated respectfully, as are the families of the girls.

"Flywheel" - This is a very low budget film, made by the same group that produced "Facing the Giants" and "Fireproof." This 2003 film is, in my opinion, the best of the three! The title is a little lame and may have put some people off, but the film is well done, with an excellent message. The premise is about Jay Austin, a dishonest used car salesman (redundant, right?) who is losing the respect of everyone he cares about. When a minister buys a car from him, and, not knowing how badly he's been cheated, prays that God will "treat this man the way he treats others," it gets Jay's attention. He begins trying to make amends to those he has cheated, and as God blesses his efforts at obedience he learns to put his business and his life in God's Hands. The drama is interspersed with humor, the transformation of the main character is believable, and the resolution delightful.

"Captain's Courageous" - This Oscar-winning 1937 classic is an oldie but a goodie. Starring such notables as Freddie Bartholomew, Spencer Tracy, Lionel Barrymore and Mickey Rooney, it's about a rich boy trying to get his busy father's attention. The boy is disagreeable, dishonest, and quite full of himself. After falling overboard from a yacht, he is rescued by a fisherman and taken aboard the fishing vessel. As the boy spends time with the hard-working, honest fishermen, he gradually changes, until a tragic accident breaks his heart. Following a rocky reunion with his father, they finally learn to communicate and begin to understand and value one another.

"Martian Child" - Released in 2007 and featuring both John and Joan Cusack, this film appears to have been simply overlooked. Maybe that is because it hard to classify. On the surface, it is a gentle story of a young widower deciding whether or not to adopt a 6 year old boy who believes himself to be from Mars. But there are nuances and layers in the relationship between the two that make the movie something special. It's hard sometimes to tell where the film is going, however, with the ongoing mystery of whether the boy is really from Mars or not. I won't spoil the story by telling the ending, but I think it is a very satisfying ending that does justice to the developing love between two hurting people cautiously learning to trust one another.

"Bella" - Director Alejandro Gomez Monteverde and Star Eduardo Verastegui, both born in Mexico, teamed to make this independent film with a message. Released in 2006, it made a huge hit at the movie festivals with its emphasis on family, redemption and the value of life. A young man, a soccer star, who is on top of the world, disappears for a few years. When he reappears, he is morose and depressed, working at his family's restaurant and trying to rebuild his life. One day a waitress, treated somewhat badly by his brother and seemingly desperate, catches his attention. He spends the day with her, takes her to dinner with his family, and through their interactions the past is gradually revealed. The film does not allow preconceptions and stereotypes to remain in place for long. Things are not what they seem, people are more complicated than they are given credit for, and family is an anchor in life. This film has a lot of dialogue in Spanish when Jose is with his Mexican-American family, but the feeling Nina has of being surrounded by a big, noisy, loving family comes across perfectly without understanding the words. This is an intense, but delightful film, with an amazing ending.

These five movies can all be found on Netflix; If you are interested in buying them, Amazon carries them all. Good movies can be hard to find. These five movies, "Arranged," "Flywheel," "Captain's Courageous," "Martian Child," and "Bella," are the five best movies you've never seen. Yet!