20 movies like The Sun Shines Bright, ordered by similarity : Miss Firecracker(1989), The Captain From Koepenick(1956), Stage Door(1937), Alice Adams(1935), Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri(2017), The Story of Luke(2012), Judge Hardy's Children(1938), Judge Priest(1934), Singh Is Kinng(2008), The Band's Visit(2007), Paterson(2016), Breaking Away(1979) ...
Comedy, Drama
USA
1954
90 Minutes
Charles Winninger Arleen Whelan John Russell Milburn Stone Stepin Fetchit Russell Simpson Francis Ford Mitchell Lewis
judge wrongly accused prostitute brash mushy spirited rousing kentucky small town small-town life injustice class distinctions election underdog quest 1890s
John Ford weaves three "Judge Priest" stories together to form a good- natured exploration of honour and small-town politics in the South around the turn of the century. Judge William ... See full summary »
Comedy, Drama
USA
1989
102 Minutes
Holly Hunter Mary Steenburgen Tim Robbins Alfre Woodard Scott Glenn Veanne Cox Ann Wedgeworth Trey Wilson Amy Wright Bert Remsen Christine Lahti
orphan cousin beauty pageant contestant seamstress southern belle lighthearted amusing spirited confident yazoo city, miss. house hall beauty pageant competition small town individuality schemes small-town life underdog quest
Carnelle wants to escape her dreary life, so she enters a local beauty contest, much to everyone's dismay.
Comedy, Drama
West Germany
1956
93 Minutes
Heinz Ruehmann Hannelore Schroth Martin Held Willy A. Kleinau Leonard Steckel Friedrich Domin Erich Schellow Walter Giller
cobbler soldier government official townsperson mother ex-convict playful spirited striking germany town shop pub city hall social customs imperialism impersonation theft militarism bureaucracy
A young shoemaker is arrested for stealing a small amount of money, and is released after being jailed for 15 years. He wants to have a pass to get a job and start anew, but without a job ... See full summary »
Comedy, Drama
USA
1937
92 Minutes
Katharine Hepburn Ginger Rogers Adolphe Menjou Andrea Leeds Gail Patrick Constance Collier Lucille Ball Eve Arden Ann Miller Ralph Forbes Franklin Pangborn
actress theatrical producer father dancer melodramatic rousing sultry spirited new york city boardinghouse nightclub theater acting friendship class distinctions ambition female bonding love rise fall
A chronicle of the ambitions, dreams, and disappointments of aspiring actresses who all live in the same boarding house.
Comedy, Drama
USA
1935
99 Minutes
Katharine Hepburn Fred MacMurray Fred Stone Evelyn Venable Frank Albertson Ann Shoemaker Charley Grapewin Grady Sutton Hedda Hopper Jonathan Hale Hattie McDaniel
daughter mother father wealthy man amusing emotional spirited small town household midwest aspirations social standing class distinctions romance dining love quest 1930s
A working-class girl is thwarted and embarrassed in her attempts to move up socially by her gauche family and unstable father.
Comedy, Crime, Drama
UK|USA
2017
115 Minutes
Frances McDormand Woody Harrelson Sam Rockwell Lucas Hedges Clarke Peters Abbie Cornish Peter Dinklage Caleb Landry Jones Kerry Condon John Hawkes Kathryn Newton
mother police chief police officer dead person dentist reporter amusing emotional brash gutsy tense unrestrained missouri small town restaurant dentist's office murder investigation police work vendetta justice
A mother personally challenges the local authorities to solve her daughter's murder when they fail to catch the culprit.
Comedy, Drama
USA
2012
95 Minutes
Lou Taylor Pucci Seth Green Cary Elwes Kristin Bauer Kenneth Welsh Tyler Stentiford Mackenzie Munro Al Sapienza Lisa Ryder Dewshane Williams Jayne Eastwood
grandfather grandmother grandson autism man young man charming emotional endearing engaging lighthearted quirky united states town autism love true love quest grandparent/child relationship job
Sheltered by his grandparents, Luke, a young man with autism, is thrust into a world that doesn't expect anything from him. But Luke is on a quest for a job and true love. And he isn't taking no for an answer.
Comedy, Drama
USA
1938
78 Minutes
Lewis Stone Mickey Rooney Cecilia Parker Fay Holden Betty Ross Clark Ann Rutherford Robert Whitney Ruth Hussey
judge son daughter wife love interest lobbyist amusing charming washington, d.c. small town courtroom mount vernon houseboat museum law small-town life family government scandal quest
Judge Hardy, trying to find a relative of an aged couple to prevent them from losing their home, enlists the aid of his son Andy.
Drama
USA
1934
80 Minutes
Will Rogers Tom Brown Anita Louise Henry B. Walthall Stepin Fetchit Hattie McDaniel
judge nephew love interest housekeeper widower patriotic playful small town kentucky justice small-town life romance race relations performance love discovery 1890s
Judge Priest, a proud Confederate veteran, uses common sense and considerable humanity to dispense justice in a small town in the Post-Bellum Kentucky.
Romance, Drama, Comedy, Action, Crime
Australia|India
2008
138 Minutes
Akshay Kumar Katrina Kaif Om Puri Kiron Kher Ranvir Shorey Javed Jaffrey Neha Dhupia Yashpal Sharma
mafia boss associate villager village idiot love interest criminologist amusing brash cheeky madcap spirited thrilling india egypt mix-up underworld banishment misunderstanding redemption romance
A comic caper about Happy Singh, a Punjabi villager who goes through a series of misadventures and eventually becomes the King of the Australian underworld.
Comedy, Drama
Israel|USA|France
2007
86 Minutes
Sasson Gabay Ronit Elkabetz Saleh Bakri Khalifa Natour Rubi Moskovitz Uri Gavriel Imad Jabarin Hilla Sarjon
band member restaurant owner israeli amusing tender offbeat solemn israel desert town restaurant skating rink hospitality ethnic tension loneliness isolation separation transformation quest discovery
A band comprised of members of the Egyptian police force head to Israel to play at the inaugural ceremony of an Arab arts center, only to find themselves lost in the wrong town.
Comedy, Drama
France|Germany|USA
2016
118 Minutes
Adam Driver Golshifteh Farahani Barry Shabaka Henley Cliff "Method Man" Smith Chasten Harmon William Jackson Harper Masatoshi Nagase Sterling Jerins Rizwan Manji
bus driver passenger dog bartender wife writer calm emotional heartwarming inspiring profound new jersey bus bar house small-town life writing working class work-life balance discovery
A quiet observation of the triumphs and defeats of daily life, along with the poetry evident in its smallest details.
Comedy, Drama
USA
1979
100 Minutes
Dennis Christopher Dennis Quaid Daniel Stern Jackie Earle Haley Barbara Barrie Paul Dooley Robyn Douglass Hart Bochner Amy Wright Peter Maloney John Ashton
biker friend frat boy father mother girlfriend uplifting endearing small town bloomington, ind. university bicycling class distinctions love triangle quest growing up 1970s
A small-town boy obsessed with the Italian cycling team vies for the affections of a college girl.
Comedy, Drama
USA
2018
74 Minutes
Jon Michael Hill Julian Parker Ryan Hallahan Blake DeLong
young man stranger police officer friend homeless person amusing bleak tense offbeat witty spirited chicago street corner street friendship homelessness leaving home police brutality shoot-out adventure
Two young men pass the time dreaming of the promised land.
Comedy, Drama
USA
1972
100 Minutes
Steve McQueen Robert Preston Ida Lupino Ben Johnson Joe Don Baker Barbara Leigh Mary Murphy Bill McKinney Sandra Deel Don "Red" Barry Dub Taylor
rodeo rider father brother mother spirited engaging arizona rodeo small town aging family dysfunction competition rodeo aspirations father/son relationship sports rivalry underdog 1970s
Ace Bonner returns to Arizona several years after he abandoned his family, Junior Bonner is a wild young man. Against the typical rodeo championship, family drama erupts.
Comedy, Drama
1972
110 Minutes
Robert Redford Peter Boyle Melvyn Douglas Don Porter Allen Goorwitz Quinn Redeker Michael Lerner Karen Carlson Morgan Upton Kenneth Tobey Chris Prey
lawyer campaign manager senator father disheartening brash fascinating powerful california office election political campaign congress manipulation media underdog transformation rivalry 1970s
An image maker (Peter Boyle) grooms the son (Robert Redford) of a political boss (Melvyn Douglas) for a token bid in a U.S. Senate race.
Comedy, Drama
USA
1974
108 Minutes
George Segal Elliott Gould Ann Prentiss Gwen Welles Edward Walsh Joseph Walsh Bert Remsen Barbara London Barbara Ruick
gambler friend prostitute roommate charming cheeky spirited reno, nev. casino bar los angeles gambling addiction hedonism desperation friendship wretched excess quest 1970s
When a casual gambler befriends a professional one, he begins to mirror his life, sending both deeper into the sleazy gambling world where the stakes keep getting bigger.
Comedy, Drama
Ireland
2006
98 Minutes
ex-convict mechanic assistant friend singer emotional amusing uplifting small town ireland mill automobile repair shop bar house country music small-town life aspirations guilt friendship transformation
Doug, an aspiring country singer, has spent his life as a loser in a non-descript small town with nobody believing in his heartbreaking voice and talent as a musician. His wife has left him... See full summary »
Drama
USA
1957
95 Minutes
Henry Fonda Lee J. Cobb Ed Begley E.G. Marshall Jack Klugman Martin Balsam John Fiedler Joseph Sweeney George Voskovec Robert Webber Jack Warden
architect coach businessperson juror judge lawyer tense emotional suspenseful courtroom murder court battles class distinctions justice underdog quest 1950s
A jury holdout attempts to prevent a miscarriage of justice by forcing his colleagues to reconsider the evidence.
Comedy, Drama
Italy|France
1973
125 Minutes
Magali Noël Bruno Zanin Pupella Maggio Armando Brancia Ciccio Ingrassia Nando Orfei Luigi Rossi Gianfilippo Carcano Josiane Tanzilli
son father mother amusing cheeky dreamy spirited italy small town waterfront fascism family sex small-town life growing up transformation 1930s
A series of comedic and nostalgic vignettes set in a 1930s Italian coastal town.
Comedy, Drama
USA
1974
109 Minutes
Goldie Hawn William Atherton Ben Johnson Michael Sacks Gregory Walcott Steve Kanaly Louise Latham Harrison Zanuck A.L. Camp Jessie Lee Fulton
hostage abductee wife husband convict baby brash fiery gutsy wild spirited texas highway abduction family chases pursuit rescue underdog 1970s
A woman attempts to reunite her family by helping her husband escape prison and together kidnapping their son. But things don't go as planned when they are forced to take a police hostage on the road.