Dine & Unwind is a series dedicated to your indulgence, whether that be through dining, sipping or simply having a good time.
“Tomorrow is Monday!”
Now that’s an event many will agree they can’t help but dread.
You could be relaxing by a glass of wine, enjoying your fancy homemade dinner for two or mindlessly scrolling through social media right now, when this article suddenly hits you with the realization that another Monday is just around the corner.
While you may still have to work come sunrise, hopefully these six movies that us at Vietcetera love will make you feel a bit better about it.
The Intern
IMdb rating: 7.1/10
The Intern takes us through an internship journey of seventy-year-old retiree Ben Whittaker — at a start-up filled with colleagues who are an entire generation younger than him. Ben eventually overcomes all the prejudice and different perspectives he’s faced to find joy in devoting himself to collective success, but more importantly, he rediscovers the flame of passion that he thought was no longer burning inside him.
If there’s one thing that Ben’s story taught us, that is experience doesn’t equate to expertise or know-how in every situation. The latter is something that can only be achieved through compromising and opening yourself up to your teammates’ opinions.
Little Women (2019)
IMdb rating: 7.8/10
This entire film is a quest for individuality and personalized definition of happiness by the four March sisters, each with their own character and ambitions. (Spoiler alert) At the end of the movie, none of them have fully realized their dreams — they’re still just little women in a big world.
But it’s that kind of harsh, lifelike reality that touches our heart and really pulls us out of a slump. It makes us realize that we will only truly feel happiness when we step up, make mistakes, have both good and bad days, and live our life to the fullest.
For all of the powerful women out there, here’s our favorite quote from the movie by Jo March:
“Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got talent, as well as just beauty. I’m so sick of people saying that love is all a woman is fit for.”
Jane The Virgin
IMdb rating: 7.8/10
The series’ protagonist, Jane, is a writer with a dream of publishing her own book one day. Whenever she hits a writer’s block, Jane would come back to her childhood memories or that of her loved ones, namely her mom and grandma, for inspiration. What truly matters here is Jane is pleased to have been able to tell the story of her life, whether her book ends up being a hit or not.
This movie makes us realize that creative inspiration doesn’t have to come from afar. It’s always hidden somewhere in this beautiful life, nestling in the mundane events we often overlook. It’s a helpful reminder to appreciate even the smallest of things.
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey
IMdb rating: 9.3/10
We’re hooked by this documentary for its compelling storytelling. Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey has a way of taking a bunch of data and knowledge of astronomy and turning it into something inspiring to even non-STEM folks among us.
The series doesn’t begin with mankind’s greatest discoveries but takes time to dissect their humble beginnings. And that prompts us to reflect on the career path we’ve walked to this day, because everything great ought to start somewhere small. For us, that somewhere is the present.
As long as you move forward with confidence, there’s no need to worry about the distant future. Stay humble. Enjoy the ride. You’ll achieve something that you can be proud of yourself for, even if it doesn’t change the world.
3 Idiots
IMdb rating: 8.4/10
This is the story of two friends, Farhan and Raju, on the search for their college friend Rancho who changed their life. Its narrative switches between the present day and 10 years ago, helping us see clearly the importance of a company in the journey to find our passion.
The movie reminds us of our own time in school, when most of our best memories were shared with our friends and classmates. Till today, we still believe that friendship holds a special power: as long as we know we have each other, we can achieve whatever it is we’re doing.
Kung Fu Panda
IMdb rating: 7.6/10
Po might just be a young panda with a love of kung fu, but he is destined to be the defender of his village in ancient China. What struck us the most about Po is the one time he asked his mentor, Master Shifu, about how he can become someone else. Po has never needed anyone to point out his being overweight. He’s always desperately wanted to get out of his chubby frame and “loserness”.
Throughout the movie, however, Po gradually learns that he can only move forward once he accepts himself, and this applies to all of us, too. We can only improve our flaws when we acknowledge them instead of blaming ourselves.
Here’s another favorite quote of ours from this movie by Master Oogway, that helps us believe no matter how tiring today might be, it’s an opportunity to become stronger tomorrow:
“Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.”