I love movies, especially those with a wide-eyed view of the world and its crazy mix of emotions and circumstances. Here are my favorites, to date, in no particular order. Click on the titles for trailers, when possible.
King of Kings - the 60's version, starring Jeffrey Hunter as Jesus, Siobhan McKenna as Mary. This was the first "Jesus" movie in which the actor's face was clearly seen, and one of the few in which the actor moved and spoke fairly normally. [There was another -- Chris Sarandon was Jesus and pretended to be knocked out in a ball game -- but I never saw the whole movie and don't recall the title.] Usually Jesus is a Hollywood caricature of holiness, moving slowly, speaking softly (and slowly) and basically looking as if he had been hit between the eyes with a rock. Discussions of whether Jesus looked anything like Jeffrey Hunter aside, Jesus was real. I still find the music inspiring, although kind of dated (I immediate think "religious movie" when I hear it) and the final scene with the disciples on the beach is, even now, reassuring, perhaps because he is still moving around on earth then and not yet ascended.
Dr. Zhivago - Omar Sharif. Julie Christie. Geraldine Chaplin. Need I say more? Pasternak's book is a lovely affirmation of life and this David Lean movie captures all of that. Zhivago - the doctor with a poet's soul - is a man who appreciates not only the objective, scientific view of things but also the beautiful, mysterious, and spiritual. His fascination with women, who create life, is part of that. I'm not pleased that he has an affair, but at least he demonstrates his capacity to love deeply and passionately.
The Good Shepherd - not a Jesus movie, but about the birth of the CIA of all things, starring Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie. What I love about this movie is that every time I watch it, there is something new to notice. It is exquisitely nuanced...millions of tiny touches creating a complete and very satisfying whole. This is a great movie for a gray, stormy day when the world feels filled with secrets.
Beloved - Toni Morrison's book beautifully brought to life by Jonathan Demme, starring Thandie Newton, Kimberly Elise, Danny Glover and...oh, yes.Oprah Winfrey. Beloved, like all of the movies mentioned here, is visually beautiful, even in the scenes that are strange and violent. It gives meaning to the hymn line, "and before I'll be a slave, I'll be buried in my grave and go home to my Lord and be free." (#225 in the hymnal Lift Every Voice and Sing)
Chocolat - Johnny Depp and Juliet Binoche, two of my favorite actors, in a film about appreciating life in its fullest (and being despised for it) and living in a narrow, antiseptic but respectable and "religious" world. Guess which side wins out. Chocolat reminds me of another beautiful film, Babette's Feast, in which a stern and ascetic community is given the opportunity to savor the pleasures of life. I'm drawn to anything that emphasizes the appreciation of the beauty and passion of life as almost a sacred trust. God made a world that is "very good;" it seems we ought to enjoy it in a way that honors the Creator and each other.
Field of Dreams - People usually think of this as a baseball movie, which it is on one level, but more importantly, it's a marvelous example of the way God leads us to blessings. I once used this film as a teaching tool for discernment. In this case, the blessing comes only after risks have been taken and disaster appears very near. But those who persevere in faith are richly rewarded. ( Just like in the Bible) Both this film and Babette also are good vehicles for stewardship discussions, as they involve giving all that you have without an immediate sense of gain -- and receiving blessings beyond imagination in return.
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