August is National Wellness Month, and that means it's time to sit back and make sure that you are taking care of the most important person: yourself. This can mean many things, from figuring out new ways to manage stress to taking time to really reflect on who you are as an individual.

Below are some films that include stories that dig deep into what it means to really focus on personal wellbeing in different aspects.

Anger Management

Courtesy of Happy Madison Productions/ Rotten Tomatoes

Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson are the stars of this hilarious comedy, need I say more? First off, Jack Nicholson being in a movie about anger management therapy comes as no surprise to me after watching The Shining. That man was terrifying and calm at the same time, while trying to murder his family…great acting.

Anyway, you are sure to have a fun time learning about stress and anger management while watching this comedy flick; and I bet you’ll think about singing “I Feel Pretty” next time you’re stuck in traffic.

Super Size Me

When the Super Size Me documentary came out in 2004 it took the world by storm. Eating McDonalds three times a day, everyday, didn’t sound like a healthy routine at all, and that was precisely the point of why the film was made. This made us sit back and think about how often we eat fast food and what it does to our bodies.

Once I saw one of his first meals was a double quarter pounder burger with super-sized fries and drink, I knew things were going to get real serious real fast. Some people may be too young to remember, but quite a few fast food places offered huge portion options for fries and drink sizes between the late 80’s and early 2000’s. Super sized fries were around 7 ounces and fountain drinks were 42 ounces at Micky D’s.

This experiment led to so many changes that Morgan Spurlock and his doctors claimed to have, including a whopping 20lb weight gain and addiction. Of course there were claims that went against the film, but whatever the case, McDonalds discontinued their Super Size options shortly after the film premiered.

Creed

Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/ SHOTDECK

Creed and the Rocky movie franchise are my favorite boxing movies of all time. This may have a bit to do with me being born and raised in Philly, but I also just have a huge admiration for the sport of boxing.

It’s not just fighting, it’s a very physically and mentally demanding sport. Some of my favorite parts of the film are the epic training montages that never seem to disappoint. The training scene from the original Rocky will always be a cinematic classic and an powerful representation of strength and resilience.

Creed was an amazing addition to the franchise because it helped to bring back a lot of the feelings from the original Rocky movie, along with some fresh takes. Michael B. Jordan also actually trained as a boxer for this role, which required strict dieting and exercise. The proof of his hard work and dedication to the role is shown in his body transformation, which also simultaneously represents the transformation of his character Adonis in the film.

Antwone Fisher

Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures/ Rotten Tomatoes

Antwone Fisher is a biographical story of a man working to overcome the emotional trauma that he experienced since childhood. Yeah, this one is very heavy. Antwone is portrayed amazingly by Derek Luke and his naval psychiatrist is portrayed by the one and only Denzel Washington.

I love this movie for the portrayal of African American men working together through mental and emotional health struggles. Too often men, especially black men, are made to feel that they can’t open up emotionally. As the great Kendrick Lamar expressed in his phenomenal album “Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers,” “real n—--- need no therapy.” This film is a true testament to how helpful therapy can be, even for those who don’t think they need it.

RENT

One of my absolute favorite stories of all time, RENT will give you all of the feels. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll fall in love with the characters… you will feel all that life has to offer.

RENT can be a tough watch at times because we are focusing on characters from different backgrounds who are dealing with HIV/AIDs, poverty, drug addiction, and love drama. But this is real life, and part of why I love this story so much is because through all of this the characters still find a way to love life through all the pain and trauma.

I have watched RENT countless times and various formats. I’ve watched the movie, I’ve watched the movie of the live Broadway production, I’ve seen it live from a college theater group, and I’ve seen it live from a Broadway group as well. I absolutely adore this story and I believe it beautifully represents how to love life, even through the pain.

“I can’t control my destiny, I trust my soul, my only goal is just to be.”

Has a movie ever inspired you to change your life or look at life differently? Drop some suggestions below.

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