Favorite Movies with Religious Themes

Can't have enough of them. Hollyweird et al, often gets a bad rap, and deserves one for the trashy movies they can put out. But there have been gems. Some very religious in a direct way, some touch on religious themes. Some are very serious, others a lot less so, but I love them all:

Passion of the Christ - An absolute tour de force. Although there's a fair amount of metaphor and things which are not strictly speaking "in the bible" I still find it profound. For instance, Mary (Theotokos) seeing Jesus fall while carrying the crossbeam...and then a flashback to her picking Him up as a young child after He was crying. It would be very likely that something like that really happened. What a quick way to illustrate the hypostatic union. I think I remember reading somewhere that Mel gave himself an uncredited cameo as the soldier (in the helmet and plumes) who nails Jesus to the cross.

A Man For All Seasons - Thomas More is my favorite male saint. God willing, after I get to heaven (after probably a long period in purgatory!) after I check in with God and the family - I'm looking up Tom. I don't care how long I have to stand in line to shake his hand.

Song of Bernadette - I don't know if it happened or not, but I loved the priest giving Bernadette the [now] tattered Holy Card the witch of a nun insisted she not get because she was "Stupid and slow." I had thought the priest was a hardass, but it turned out he had "the right stuff." A beautiful movie.

Come to the Stable - A 1940s movie, about nuns who wanted land to build a hospital on, and managed to convince the owner that that would be the right thing to do. It was the last movie my mother and I saw together on her birthday. She died a few days later. It's been 12 years and two days since she died and I miss her more every day. She hadn't seen it since her youth, and I managed to find it for her. An obscure "Christmas movie" now....but it's like "mom knew." When we were watching it I could hear what I tried to dismiss as her death rattle. I still get misty eyed now, just watching that movie.

The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima - How noble of these children of peasant families to stand up for what they believed they saw [I believe this "private revelation" too] in the face of anti-clericalism rampant in Portugal. And Lucia was having to fight mom, especially, on the home front, who some say never quite believed her.

Au Revoir les Enfants - My favorite foreign movie of all time. About life in occupied France in WWII where the school is hiding Jews. The priest/headmaster is a noble figure. Based on a true story from Louis Malle's own life. [Even if you don't speak French, you would probably enjoy it. The yellow subtitles are awfully good.]

The Cardinal -- the book is much, much better and more richly detailed, but good all the same. VERY loosely based on the life of, I believe, Cardinal Spellman. The book makes reference to historical figures like Cardinal Merry del Val. I love the scene in the movie where Fermoyle takes on the KKK...and how one of his likely tormentors comes back the next day to see if he's all right.

Jesus Christ Superstar -- What can I say, I was 16 and in the summer between my junior and senior year in high school when it came out. I still think it's well constructed and very powerful. It was a very big deal - two of my "Jesus freak" friends and I went to the theatre 1st showing of the day... and we stayed all day .... and then we did it the next Saturday. That was "Back in the day" of the huge theatre with the huge screens, and as long as you didn't walk out, they didn't throw you out! We sang the songs all summer.

The Robe - I love the scene where "the robe" is strangling Richard Burton. [I love Richard Burton as an actor!] Sorta kinda hokey. But sorta kinda in a really good way!

ditto Demetrius and the Gladiators - sequel to "The robe" -- Victor Mature rocks.

Friendly Persuasion - Not "Catholic" but how could I not love this film about the gentle Quakers? Papa is a bit of a backslider, with having that very human desire to own the fastest horse in the county and get a little music in the house. Set against the backdrop of US civil war. Jessamyn West, a 2nd cousin of Richard Nixon, wrote the original book it was based on.

The Scarlet and The Black - based on true story of Msgr. Hugh O'Flaherty and his assistance to the Jews and the opposition to the 3rd Reich. Really dug that snazzy ferrouila Msgr. Hugh was stylin' in at the opera. Some people seem of the opinion that that would draw too much focus now. Probably. But still: that's a checkmate on white tie or dinner jacket.

Going My Way - not so much because of der Bingle ... but because of Barry Fitzgerald -- especially him keeping his Whiskey behind a copy of the Life of General Grant. Ditto the scene where he sees his 90whateveryearoldmother at the end of the picture after der Bingle arranged it. Older than the hills...and his too-ra-loor-a-loora lullaby singin' mama shows up at the very end.

Bells of St. Marys - der Bingle and Ingrid Bergman --- Father and Sister butt heads.

Lilies of the Field -- Aayy--a---aayy---men.......Ay----a-----a----men.....yada, yada... I loved each and every one of those nuns ... reminded me of all those women that spread all across the US and helped spread the Good News and did good works come hell or high water. Sidney Poitier was no slouch either.

It's a Wonderful Life - if you haven't seen it, what are you waiting for. The scene at the end is ripping where Jimmy Stewart's life is being recounted about all the positive effect he had on people. "...and all those people on the troopship died, because you hadn't been there to save Harry, and he wouldn't have been there to save them."

Agony and the Ecstasy - loved it, the pope as a REAL person, instead of some insipid soul in the ether. Strap on that armor and get to it! Don't let that Michelanglo jack you around ... he's probably padding his expenses!!! Let him paint that flunky who hates the nudes with donkey's ears ... that guy always did irritate you anyway!

I Confess -- Hitchcock. Set in Montreal, a Catholic priest can't reveal a killer due to the seal of confession...and the killer frames him for the murder. My favorite Hitchcock.

Millions - slightly imprefect due to one scene, but overall excellent. The saints and one small boy have an intimate working relationship, and he finally comes to grips with his mother's death. His "worldly wise" older brother provides great comic contrasts -- the main character being so innocently naive. Should have won the academy award for best film, IMO.

and finally, my all time favorite FUN movie:
The Trouble with Angels - Roz Russell as a GENIUS of a nun, and her "war" with boarding school inmate Hayley Mills, and her friend "Rachel". Scathingly brilliant.
See here for a 30 second clip of Mother Superior taking on Rachel's former headmaster re: Rachel's "colossal ignorance." She takes no prisoners.

and

Where Angels go Trouble Follows -- Roz Russell stars, not a sequel strictly speaking, but Roz butts heads with the "new wind blowin' through the church" nun. Stella Stevens is the new nun, and the sisters are all back. This time they take their charges cross country for a "youth rally." Very new in '68. This clip is just under 3 minutes long and has the disco scene where Mother and Father "Kewl" are both concerned about their respective charges getting a little too friendly. Seems Sister Mary Goodfaith of the girl's school staff didn't know the "host" school along the way for an overnight staff was an all boys school. (if you've got slow speed internet, right click the link can copy it. Then paste to www.youtubex.com and save to your hard disk to watch at your leisure.


***
Special category -

Brideshead Revisited - not a "movie" in the strict sense, but the best miniseries of all time. All about the Catholic faith, but most people don't realize that at all until they are well into it and hooked. Unforgettable. I'm a "Cordelia" but not such a sobersides as a grownup. But the young Cordelia is "right on."

***

Three that left me cold:

The recent one about St. Therese of Lisieux - Phooey, supposed to be "factual" but any student of her life picked out zillions of mistakes. I wanted to walk out but my friend Michelle was with me at the time or I would have.

Godspell - Nertz. But if you like it "whatever."

Brother Sun and Sister Moon - Bosh and double Bosh - I like the fact that St. Francis was good with animals and all that, but I always thought he was the original hippy....and that his elevator maybe didn't go to the top floor anymore. I mean, really, taking off all his clothes and declaiming in the public square. I thought that was reserved for nutcases in Colorado or wherever that was the moron priest recently went jogging in the all together before dawn. I'll pet your dog, Francis, but no thanks on the Tofu. Yes, yes....I know the wonderful Fr. Groeschel is a Franciscan, but even a blind groundhog finds an acorn once in a while.

Anyone else have any favs?

Update: (I've been surprised at how popular this thread is over time, it still keeps getting hits - you may also want to check out this additional post.
,