@DanDare said:

Given it got mixed reviews, I rather liked the film when I first watched it. Unfortunately less so when I watched it again recently, it was mawkish.

Have you seen The Crossing Guard? Or Where the Wild Things Are?

All these movies are studies in pain - not as much about entertainment as it is about experiencing the human condition.

• The Crossing Guard lost a ton of money, paying $0.10 in revenue for each budget $1
• Where the Wild Things Are just barely broke even, paying $1 for each budget $1
• Seven Pounds paid a relatively whopping $3.06 for each budget $1

While these numbers suggest people aren't really rushing out to the movies to empathize with the pain of others or be confronted with pain in their own lives, Seven Pounds apparently did something right in this genre, managing to get more people out than these other two. These movies aren't for inviting the gang over, but they all accomplished their mission of getting me to feel my humanity.

There are plenty of titles that might fit this genre, and I don't love them all. I think Crash might fit - I have seen it, don't remember much, but do remember not liking it a whole lot. Interestingly enough, it paid a hefty $15.14 back to each budget $1. Go Figure!

In A Lonely Place is one I really enjoyed. I don't have access to its budget, so I don't know how revenues of $1.4M stacked up, but Bogey was tragically terrific.