It amazes me how many of my top 100 reflects that theme: The ability of children to persevere. Tideland, Night of the Hunter, Finding Nemo, Pan's Labyrinth, Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky, Millions, Leon: The Professional, Lilo and Stitch. And really, Lars and the Real Girl fits in this mold as well. The children in these films face true horror, but somehow succeed in their own way. These kinds of film are, in a sense, the ultimate underdog films. Those without experience, often with an unrealistic idea of the world, and yet they succeed despite their weakness. Sometimes they succeed through sheer luck, sometimes with the help of compassionate adults, but often they succeed simply because they are determined to and will do whatever they must to obtain their goal (which is often no more than survival, or the survival of their parents).
I don't know why, but it is an important theme in my life. Maybe because I see myself as a child and these movies give me hope for my own success/survival?