Best movies like Downsized

Chantel Mitchell, a hip, articulate, black high-school girl in Brooklyn, is determined not to become "just another girl on the IRT" (the IRT is one of NYC's subway lines). She dreams of medical school, a family, and an escape from the generational poverty and street-corner life her friends seem to have accepted as their lot. But personal and sexual challenges confront Chantel on her way to fulfilling these dreams.

The story is about a 12 year old girl who loses her mother in an automobile accident. Her father struggles with the loss of his wife and trying to raise his young daughter who believes her father is partly responsible for her mother's death. Belle's maternal grandfather is a changed man since losing his daughter in the accident. He finds it difficult to have a relationship with Belle since she is a constant reminder of her mother. It is Atticus the new puppy who will change Belle's life and the lives of those who love her

Based on a true story. Liz Murray is a young girl who is taken care of by her loving, but drug-addicted parents. Liz becomes homeless at 15 and after a tragedy comes upon her, she begins her work to finish high school.

Shallow, rich and socially successful Cher is at the top of her Beverly Hills high school's pecking scale. Seeing herself as a matchmaker, Cher first coaxes two teachers into dating each other. Emboldened by her success, she decides to give hopelessly klutzy new student Tai a makeover. When Tai becomes more popular than she is, Cher realizes that her disapproving ex-stepbrother was right about how misguided she was -- and falls for him.

When a son and mother move to Seattle in hopes for a better life, the mother meets a seemingly polite man. Things go south when the man turns out to be abusive, endangering their lives. As the mother struggles to maintain hope in an impossible situation, the son has plans to escape.

Working-class father John Crowley is finally on the fast track to corporate success when his two young children are diagnosed with Pompe disease—a condition that prevents the body from breaking down sugar. With the support of his wife, John ditches his career and teams with unconventional specialist, Dr. Robert Stonehill to found a bio-tech company and develop a cure in time to save the lives of his children. As Dr. Stonehill works tirelessly to prove the theories that made him the black sheep of the medical community, a powerful bond is forged between the two unlikely allies.

Having a self-absorbed New Age mother and an estranged father has meant 15-year-old Ellis Whitman has grown up relying on an unconventional guardian: a goat-trekking, marijuana-growing sage called 'Goat Man'. When Ellis decides to leave the alternative ways of his desert homestead for a stuffy East Coast prep school, major changes are in store.

A former professional dancer volunteers to teach dance in the New York public school system and, while his background first clashes with his students' tastes, together they create a completely new style of dance. Based on the story of ballroom dancer, Pierre Dulane.

Mastering classic pinball arcade games requires focus, agility and dedication. Robert Gagno has all these traits. It might explain why he surged from a complete unknown to one of the world's best players in five years. The achievement is even more impressive considering he was diagnosed with autism at age three. His success on the pinball circuit made him part of a community that provided acceptance and encouragement. With his parents' support and determination, Robert has exceeded every expectation placed upon him. As he approaches adulthood, his next challenge is to become more self-sufficient and gain his independence. From high-stakes tournaments across the continent to his day-to-day search for employment, we follow Robert's persistent progression to overcome obstacles and manage the highs of success and lows of falling short. In Wizard Mode, flashing lights and triple combos highlight an outstanding individual who continues to beat the odds and set records.

After the fall of Tobruk in June 1942, U.S. Army sergeant Joe Gunn leads his tank into the Sahara desert, in order to evade advancing Rommel's forces and reach Allied lines. Along the way he picks up few Allied soldiers, but soon they are running out of water. They find water at the ancient well, but the well is a goal of an entire German battalion. Despite the impossible odds, Sergeant Gunn decides to defend the well.

Freedom Song (2000) is a made-for-TV film based on true stories of the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi in the 1960s. It tells the story of the struggle of African Americans to register to vote in the fictional town of Quinlan. In the midst of the Freedom Summer, a group of high school students in the small town are eager to make grassroots changes in their own community. The young activists meet resistance not only from white southerners, but from their parents, who have experienced firsthand the violence that can result from speaking out.[1] As high school students band together with the support of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, they make strides in registering African-American voters and gaining awareness for their cause.

After thirty years teaching in London, Mark Thackeray retires and returns to Chicago. There, however, the challenge of teaching kids in an inner city school proves to be too much to resist.

Recently relocated from San Francisco to conservative suburbia by her lesbian mothers, Tru struggles like all teens to fit in and find love, but her quest is complicated by sexual politics, closed minds, and closeted friends as she seeks to establish her school's first Gay-Straight Alliance.

From very different backgrounds, the two women bond over their shared love for their families. As the women grow closer, Maria reveals her concern for her precocious, but lonely daughter Bella, who she fears is being bullied at school. At Anna's urging, her teenage daughter Emily takes Bella under her wings. Maria's husband, Hector, loses his job, and his ability to provide for his family. He falls into despair as he's unable to find work, and turns back to drinking. When he finds Maria at the Sparrow's house, he assumes she is cleaning houses. His pride overcomes him and demands she leave with him. Anna agrees to watch Bella as Maria leaves with Hector, hoping to reason with him, make him understand how much she loves him, and that she knows he is always there for his family. As they weigh the impact on young Bella, Anna and Mike face one of the most important decisions of their lives.

Interracial love story set in Detroit.

A 47 year old Christian man on the other side of an unwanted divorce thinks back on his first love from high school and wants to see her again.

The story of a small-town high school football team in rural Ohio destined to play their cross-town rival, a perennial powerhouse, while standing up for an entire community.

A teenager overcomes odds to run a 4-minute mile race.

In the Bible, Saul persecuted Christ's church and its followers. Overcome parallels this story. Set in modern day, a young man in high school mistreats anyone good around him, until he has a fateful accident which changes his life. Now he must make amends to all those around him, and try to become the person he knew he should have been the whole time.

BIG VOICE captures a tumultuous year in the life of a visionary high school choir teacher and his students as they overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to become one big voice in this inspiring musical documentary.

A boy learns to deal with personal loss by making friends with a wild animal in this drama for the entire family. Jesse is a 16-year-old who is trying to put his life back together after the death of his father, who died while trying to rescue him in the wilderness. Jesse goes to live with his Uncle Roy, who lives in the rugged mountains of Washington State. While exploring, Jesse finds and rescues a wolf who has been seriously wounded; Jesse bonds with the animal, and while Roy understands the dangers of trying to tend to a wild animal, reluctantly allows Jesse to keep him. Jesse, who is fond of snowboarding, teaches the wolf to be his partner in skijoring, a sport in which a dog is used to haul a man on skis. John Rockwell the owner of a ranch, has different plans for the animal; he sees the wolf as a threat to his stock and is determined to see that the animal is put down.

In the Lifetime® movie, THE FANTASIA BARRINO STORY: LIFE IS NOT A FAIRYTALE, a single teenage mother overcomes all odds - sexual abuse, poverty and illiteracy - by relying on her spectacular singing voice. She ultimately gains national prominence as the winner of a hit talent show. Fantasia Barrino plays herself in this modern true Cinderella story. Also starring Loretta Devine, Kadeem Hardison and Viola Davis.

Corinne is a single mother of twin 5-year-old boys, Steven and Phillip, who are diagnosed with autism. Public school officials threaten to remove them from school due to their behavior, but through therapy, the boys are able to make major strides in their capabilities. A decade later, teens Steven and Phillip seek to prove they can handle high school while still struggling with their disorder.

A bittersweet coming-of-age film, Foreign Letters is itself a love letter to the unshakeable bond between friends. Set in the pre-email era of the 1980s, young Ellie, newly arrived to the US from Israel, anxiously waits for letters from her best friend back home. Suffering from homesickness, language difficulties and rejection at school, life brightens when she meets Thuy, a Vietnamese refugee her age. As the two bond and become inseparable, they eventually hurt each other, and Ellie must find a way to restore their trust. Based on director Ela Thier's personal immigration experience, Foreign Letters is a film about poverty, prejudice, shame, and the healing power of friendship.

When Jackie Carpenter’s son, Jason, is accused of murder she fights against the odds to free him but when the prosecution seeks a life sentence, both Jackie's and Jason’s world spins into turmoil sending them on parallel journeys of wavering faith and tentative hope. STAND YOUR GROUND is the true story of a cry for justice and of tragedy, trust and triumph.

Multiple coincidences and a chance meeting bring together Alice and Jack, two strangers from very different family backgrounds, for an unexpected Christmastime courtship filled with personal revelations, misread signals, and a very real health scare that will either destroy or strengthen the budding romance.

Reese Donahue leads a seemingly ideal life, with a bright future ahead of her. But when she discovers the truth, that her mother left enough money for her to choose her own path, she's faced with a dilemma.

The true story of a single mom who overcomes many of life's obstacles.

High School senior Luke Harris dreams of just one thing... pro surfing. But Luke's parents have other ideas: pick a college and grow up! When Luke learns that a spot is opening up on the local surf team, he see's his big chance to prove to his parents that he can make it as a surfer and avoid being shipped off to school. When a devastating tragedy strikes, Luke is forced to take a hard look at his life with the help of the beautiful "church-girl" Emily and his youth pastor.

Out on the lacrosse pitch, wealthy but troubled Jesse and poor but driven Tosha form an easy and deep bond, but their relationship is threatened once they enter the hallways of an elite prep school they attend in Washington, D.C. There, they must work to overcome racial and other tensions in their classmates, and in themselves, if they hope to keep their friendship alive.

Pass the Light tells the story of Steve Bellafiore, an 17 year old high school senior who decides to run for Congress in order to protect the faith that he so loves.

Hamilton A. Vaughn a former promoter, better known as HAV, experiences a life changing incident that catapults him to the forefront of prominent Mission Church. There he meets an old friend Faith; as well as AJ, son of the retiring Bishop, who is less than pleased with the appointment of Hamilton and is determined to oust the new overseer no matter what the costs. Hav Faith is a modern day telling of the story of Joseph; where against all odds, obstacles and over-zealous evildoers; we should always Hav Faith in the Most High God to bring us out.

Scottie's life changes when she inherits a bar in South Carolina, an exciting rock n roll, emotional adventure about the will of a woman and her brother who find the strength to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds.

Brad Minns is a walking miracle, deaf since of age of three, Minns became the world’s best deaf tennis player in a comeback match that’s never been equalled on the Olympic, Collegiate, or Professional Stage. But this is more than a story about perseverance and overcoming obstacles, it’s a story of faith and God helping us to do our best against all odds. Minns’ story is not just about tennis, but learning how to put your trust in God and never give up no matter what you face.

Peter is a successful kitchen contractor with a seemingly idyllic family. But when his long-lost high school sweetheart, Annalyn, calls him to remodel her kitchen, it starts a chain reaction of temptation and revelation that threatens to destroy both their marriages. Does Annalyn really want a brand new kitchen, or is it a different husband she’s angling for? As things spiral out of control, what will they choose the second time around?