Something life-affirming makes you feel good about being alive — that the world, even with its mess, is still worth saying yes to. People use it about films, books, music, a day outdoors, even a talk that leaves you lighter. It is warm reviewer’s English: a little formal, not slang, not a doctor’s word. Though actually it does not mean the thing saves your life, and it does not mean the story is only happy. A sad film can still be life-affirming if it makes you care more, not less. The feeling it names is the opposite of “this makes life look empty or ugly.” Children almost never say it; critics and teachers do.