Legends of the Fall
This movie shows that human beings are not simple, that is, not perfectly good or perfectly evil. I took away from this movie, especially from observing Brad Pitt's character, that humans have the capacity for great good or great evil. Many movies, especially in the action genre, fail to show this distinction. The characters in Legends of the Fall all have flaws, and bad things happen to them. Their plans go hideously awry. In that respect, they are shown to be similar to people in real life :)
Brad Pitt's character in particular takes on the classic role of the hero, performing feats that a normal modern-world person most certainly could not! The family is portrayed at the cusp of change, from the years of pioneering (they are among the last pioneers, living in Montana) to the 20th Century, and the modern horrors that accompanied it.
Rated R for language, brief nudity, and violence.
****