Paddington (2014) - Available to watch on BBC iPlayer
When Paddington bear has his life in Peru uprooted following the death of his Uncle Pastuzo and the relocation of his Aunt Lucy into the Home for Retired Bears, he winds up in London in search of a home and faces the ultimate new beginning - a new country, a new culture, a new family and a new life. Between wrapping his furry head around the London Underground system and doing his best to escape taxidermy at the villainous hands of Nicole Kidman’s Millicent, his adjustment isn’t the easiest one. However, the love and acceptance he comes to find from his adoptive family, the Browns, and the sense of community he unearths from his new life in Windsor Gardens become the ultimate proof that persevering to overcome adversity can make a new beginning the best possible fresh start.
Good Will Hunting (1997) - Available to watch on Paramount+
Featuring an incredibly endearing performance from Robin Williams and demonstrating the power of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s creative partnership, Good Will Hunting is the epitome of a film centred around new beginnings, as Damon’s Will is thrust into an entirely foreign world of academia after he is recognised as having a great talent for mathematics whilst working as a janitor at MIT. Not only is its autumnal Boston setting perfect for the back to school atmosphere, the manner in which the film delves into overcoming alienation to find some sense of belonging in a world you believed was never going to open itself up to you is the ideal reminder that, whilst adjusting to a new setting and meeting new people isn’t always straightforward, the pay off in terms of uncovering a renewed sense of self can make the challenge ultimately worthwhile.
Legally Blonde (2001) - Available to watch on Prime Video
Combining a college setting and a strong focus on the theme of new beginnings, Legally Blonde sees Reese Witherspoons’ leading lady Elle Woods enrol at Harvard Law in an attempt to prove to her ex-boyfriend she isn’t the “dumb blonde” he had her pinned up to be. What initially starts out as Elle trying to prove a point to the people in her life who doubt her soon morphs into our lead proving to herself she is capable of far greater things than meagre stereotypes had boxed her into, with Elle finding a much greater sense of self-worth and purpose through her academic challenges. Though Harvard Law is a million miles away from the life she had planned out for herself, it is this exact new beginning which helps her character flourish and grow - and an essential reminder to anyone feeling doubtful about their future that a true sense of belonging can come from the most unfamiliar environments.
Toy Story 3 (2010) - Available to watch on Disney+
Arguably the ultimate movie about embracing a new beginning, Toy Story 3 sees Andy packing up his bedroom ahead of his move away to college and his collection of childhood toys struggling to adjust to their new lives following their donation to Sunnyside Daycare. As funny as the film is with its prison break-style hijinks and trademark Pixar humour, it is an equally poignant look at the natural feeling of grief over the end of childhood and the notion that uncovering a new purpose in life can be as scary as it is fulfilling. The bittersweet nature of the ending which sees both the toys and Andy facing new beginnings offers the perfect middle ground between looking back fondly on childhood nostalgia and embracing the excitement and potential of what a clean slate like a new home or a fresh start, such as embarking on your university journey, can offer.