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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Cass on November 20, 2004, at 23:18:52
Are there any movies with religious themes that you want to recommend? There's a movie thread on Social that got me thinking of all the movies I've seen that have a strong theme of spiritual or religious growth or redemption. These are some of them:
"The Truman Show" There are strong religious overtones in this movie. Truman rejects illusion in in favor of an authentic life. There's a lot of religious symbolism.
"Savior" with Dennis Quaid. This movie isn't about the life of Jesus Christ or Christianity, but it is an extremely moving film about spiritual redemption. The protagnonist goes from an embittered killer to a man in touch with his own humanity. The atrocities of war make this movie very painful to watch, but the inspiring theme of redemption made it very worthwhile.
"The Color Purple" I thought the theme of endurance of the spirit was incredibly powerful in this movie.
Posted by Jai Narayan on November 21, 2004, at 21:25:49
In reply to Movies with religious/spiritual themes, posted by Cass on November 20, 2004, at 23:18:52
Oh Cass, nice theme.
"Rabbit Proof Fence" Australian movie, I love the scene where the family is chanting to bring the girls home.
"Walkabout" another Australian movie very old where two white children are stranded in the desert and an Aborginal young male is doing a walkabout for his awakening. They hook up and this story unfolds. I found it inspiring.
"Shawshank Redemption" very fulfilling.
this is just the beginning to this topic.
Jai
Posted by Cass on November 21, 2004, at 22:22:04
In reply to Re: Movies with religious/spiritual themes, posted by Jai Narayan on November 21, 2004, at 21:25:49
> Oh Cass, nice theme.
> "Rabbit Proof Fence" Australian movie, I love the scene where the family is chanting to bring the girls home.
> "Walkabout" another Australian movie very old where two white children are stranded in the desert and an Aborginal young male is doing a walkabout for his awakening. They hook up and this story unfolds. I found it inspiring.
> "Shawshank Redemption" very fulfilling.
> this is just the beginning to this topic.
> Jai
>
>
>Those first two sound very interesting! I can't wait to rent them. I've seen the "Shawshank Redemption" which I thought was really powerful.
I thought of a couple more:
"Whale Rider" A little girl intuitively knows that she is her people's tribal leader even though the "whale rider" is supposed to be a boy. She is religious figure in that she pursues what she knows is her spiritual destiny forgiving those who oppress her. She also has a strong innate connection to nature. It a beautiful, profound story.
"The Piano" I thought the central theme of the film was the choice between reason and passion or the choice between Christianity and paganism. Sam Neill is the reasoning Christian not understanding Ada and her passion. He lives in his head. Harvey Keitel is the passionate pagan who is able to connect with Ada on a soulful level. He validates her spirit and individuality.
"The Piano" is one of my all time favorite movies, and the music is too!
Posted by verne on November 22, 2004, at 0:11:47
In reply to Movies with religious/spiritual themes, posted by Cass on November 20, 2004, at 23:18:52
My two favorite movies about faith are: "Ready to Rumble" and "Galaxy Quest". Both are about faith that surpasses the obvious.
verne
Posted by verne on November 22, 2004, at 0:15:42
In reply to Re: Movies with religious/spiritual themes, posted by verne on November 22, 2004, at 0:11:47
I hate wrestling but this is a good movie about faith. The previous amazon link was wrong. Here's the correct link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0790751445/drbobsvirte00-20
verne
Posted by Cass on November 22, 2004, at 19:22:06
In reply to Re: Movies with religious/spiritual themes, posted by verne on November 22, 2004, at 0:11:47
Hi Verne,
I'll have to check those movies out sometime. I haven't seen either one of them, and on the surface, I wouldn't have pegged them as movies having a spiritual or religious theme. It's neat when the theme is below the surface and not too overt.
Posted by Cass on November 23, 2004, at 13:26:33
In reply to Movies with religious/spiritual themes, posted by Cass on November 20, 2004, at 23:18:52
It's hard for me to watch movies that are too gritty or dark, but there are a couple of movies that stand out in my mind as works where the theme of unconditional love outshone the unsavory circumstances in the characters' lives. I find that kind of juxtaposition really compelling.
One movie is "Leaving Las Vegas". Even though the characters were living tragic circumstances, it was a beautiful film because they discovered unconditional love. It was a powerful underlying theme.
Another movie was "The Crying Game". I'd highly recommend either movie.
Posted by Dr. Bob on November 23, 2004, at 23:18:08
In reply to Re: Movies about unconditional love, posted by Cass on November 23, 2004, at 13:26:33
> It's hard for me to watch movies that are too gritty or dark, but there are a couple of movies that stand out in my mind as works where the theme of unconditional love outshone the unsavory circumstances in the characters' lives...
Sorry to interrupt, but I'd like to redirect follow-ups regarding movies about unconditional love to Psycho-Babble Books. Here's a link:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/books/20041006/msgs/419540.html
Thanks,
Bob
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