In no particular order:
1. Magnolia
Actually, this one is at #1 for a reason.
2. The Passion of the Christ
Duh.
3. Punch-Drunk Love
Like Mangolia, also by Paul Thomas Anderson and also deeply affecting (to me, anyway).
4. Hotel Rwanda
5. Changing Lanes
Gonna throw this one in, because it's a recent movie that's underseen and underrated and was therefore too quickly forgotten. It's got Ben Affleck and Samuel Jackson, but don't hold that against it.
Could also have thrown in Amistad, Les Miserables, About a Boy, Life is Beautiful, and The Truman Show. That last one in particular is one of my favorite movies ever, and the final scene with Truman reaching the end of the "world" and stepping through always gets me.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Spiritual Films
Jared Wilson reports on his top five spiritual films. I would have to add 3:10 to Yuma, then I would agree totally with these.
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3 comments:
Hi Zach,
I have seen most of the movies listed here, and enjoyed some more than others. One thing that I struggle with though, is how to discern when to shut a movie off, regardless of how good the story is, and not recommend it due to inappropriate and excessive material, whether visual or auditory. I am thinking especially of Tom Cruise's character in Magnolia. Do you have any recommendations or thoughts on this?
gratefully,
Aaron
Tough call - Let your conscience be your guide. I just don't see how we can make Biblical laws here. As bearers of the HS we should pray as we watch and watch with an eye for discernment. Sometimes seeing things that are evil draws me into deeper levels of prayer and desperation for God's kingdom reign to be found. But should we dwell on evil as a practice? By no means.
I have not seen Magnolia, but I would assume the crassness of Tom's character is there to show a stark contrast in the end?
z
I'm an indie and foreign film buff (yes, I know that sounds pretentious, hehe). These are my top five favorite "spiritual films":
1. Ponette (a deeply moving and perceptive French film about a little girl dealing with her mother's death)
2. Winter Light (an Ingmar Bergman film-- very somber but the conclusion is beautiful and transcendent)
3. Signs (an American movie with more of a "foreign film" pace and sensibility, to me)
4. Life Is Beautiful (a comedy-drama about the Holocaust-- sounds impossible, but it's true and brilliant)
5. The Seventh Seal (Ingmar Bergman's signature classic, but in my opinion, not actually his best film)
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