As with the list of books I posted yesterday, this is a list of films that mean the most to me as a Catholic. I’d also argue that they are very well made. Good intentions never justify poorly made art. These films could be appreciated by any moviegoer.
Babette’s Feast. More than about food, this film is a celebration of God’s creation. Voted a top film by the Vatican.
Catholicism: Journey to the Heart of the Faith. Written and produced by Father Robert Barron. This is an intelligent yet very accessible introduction. See also his organization’s Web site, wordonfire.org.
Dead Man Walking. With Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. Directed By Tim Robbins. Based on the book by Sister Helen Prejean and her work with a death row prisoner in Louisiana. Shows the good and evil intertwined with capital punishment.
Groundhog Day. Bill Murray in a modern story of change and redemption. I checked it out when I heard it was popular with the Jesuits. Now I know why.
Into Great Silence. A beautiful documentary covering several winter months in a Carthusian monastery in France. Very little dialogue, as is appropriate in a contemplative order.
The Gospel According to St. Matthew (Il Vangelo Secondo Matteo). Directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. One of the best films about Christ, directed by a self-described non-believer.
The Mission. Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons in a story—sometimes violent—about Jesuit missionary work in eighteenth-century South America.
Of Gods and Men. Absolutely wonderful and very moving. An intelligent film about the ultimate choices we can make for God.
Romero. The life of Archbishop Oscar Romero, who opposed, at great personal risk, the anti-Catholic political forces in El Salvador.
Thérèse. Directed by Alain Cavalier. Most films about St. Thérèse are sweet but a bit sappy. This one is an elegant, spare, and thoughtful work.
