Spiritually Significant Cinema
In its most recent issue, RELEVANT Magazine published a list of what it considered to be the ten most spiritually significant films of the last decade. In the article, not much was said about how the “spiritual significance” of each film was measured, although the authors did make clear that their desire was to recognize those films that “seem to transcend entertainment and speak to deeper truths.” At any rate, here is RELEVANT’s list of the ten most spiritually significant films of the last decade (in no particular order):
-”O Brother, Where Art Thou?”
-”The Big Kahuna”
-”American History X”
-”Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”
-”American Beauty”
-”Crash”
-”The Green Mile”
-”No Country for Old Men”
-”The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”
-”The Royal Tenenbaums”
What do you think of the list?
Having seen all of the films on the list, I would certainly agree that all the films illuminate important spiritual, ethical, moral, and relational issues. Whether or not they are the MOST spiritually significant films is, of course, a highly subjective matter. What might be a spiritually significant cinematic moment for one moviegoer, after all, might not seem as spiritually significant to another.
My own personal list of the ten most spiritually significant films of the last decade would be different than RELEVANT’s list, although there would be some overlap. Here is my personal list (again, in no particular order):
“A Simple Plan” (1998) This is director Sam Raimi’s haunting exploration of the way in which two brothers—played beautifully by Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton—navigate their way through the moral minefield surrounding the discovery of a large and unclaimed portion of money.
“Fight Club” (1999) Director David Fincher (who also directed “Seven,” “The Game,” and “Panic Room”) creates a complex film that uses the world of underground fighting as a metaphor for the ubiquitious human desperation for authentic and passionate engagement.
“The Green Mile” (1999) If this film (directed by Frank Darabont) doesn’t inspire people to ponder the issues of healing and incarnation, then they are not paying attention. This film actually led to the creation of a new ministry at Christ United Methodist Church (Bethel Park) back in 2000. The new ministry was called REEL SANCTUARY and provided a weekly opportunity for Christ-following moviegoers to watch a film together at the Destinta Theater in Bridgeville and then discuss its spiritual themes in one of the theater’s “party rooms.”
“Magnolia” (1999) Director Paul Thomas Anderson places before us a rich, troubling, and multi-layered exploration of a complex network of human motivations and relationships.
“The Queen” (2006) This choice may surprise some of you. But Helen Mirren’s masterful portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II is nothing short of a spiritually significant achievement. The Queen and her family’s response to the death of the beloved Princess Diana raises important spiritual questions about the nature of political leadership, the role of the monarchy in modern times, and the human hunger for heroes.
“Snow Cake” (2006) Though not a mainstream film, this little gem (directed by Marc Evans) is an exceptional cinematic treatment of the management of grief. The film focuses on the strange friendship between a grieving man (played by Alan Rickman) and a highly-functioning autistic woman (played by Sigourney Weaver).
“Wit” (2001) Though made for cable television, one would be hard-pressed to find a more moving and unsettling film about a woman’s journey with cancer. Directed by Mike Nichols, the film features the brilliant Emma Thompson as a scholar attempting to make sense of her own mortality.
“Crash” (2004) Easily the decade’s most compelling cinematic exploration of racism and race-related issues, Paul Haggis’ film is as prophetic as it is convicting.
“Love, Actually” (2003) Though it functions on one level as an often-raunchy romantic comedy, writer-director Richard Curtis’ film is, at its heart, a witty, poignant, and insightful illumination of various manifestations of love in the human condition.
“Juno” (2007) While avoiding the glorification of teen pregnancy, “Juno” manages to find a redemptive road in the midst of it. Jason Reitman has directed a quiet but important little film here.
Boy, this was hard. If I could make it a “top 15″ list, I would also include “Babel” (2006), “The Pledge” (2001), “Munich” (2005), “Children of Men” (2006), and “There Will Be Blood” (2007).
What would appear on your list of the most spiritually significant films of the last decade?