Of Gods and Men

I just listened to the interview, and actor Lambert Wilson speaks beautifully of learning Gregorian Chant for the film, and how he went back to the Cistercian monastery after the film to sing and chant more Gregorian Chant.

The film is about Cistercian monks in Algeria who face some tough decisions...

Only the first part of the interview is about the film. It makes me want to see the film even more, but it is still not availabe. I am hoping the fact that it was in the Oscars will make it available soon.

100 best pro-Catholic films

It's not a new list, but it's a good one to revisit from time to time!

In 2004, the National Catholic Register and Faith & Family magazine gathered online nominations for films that best celebrate Catholic life. These are movies with specific Catholic references, not simply with Catholic themes.

More than 1,000 people voted for their favorites. Here are the results.

WARNING: Not all of these movies are family-friendly. Movies with asterisks are known to have adult content. However, readers are advised to preview all films to determine if they’re appropriate for your children.


1. The Passion of the Christ (2004)*
2. The Sound of Music (1965)
3. A Man For All Seasons (1966)
4. The Song of Bernadette (1943)
5. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
6. The Ten Commandments (1956)
7. The Scarlet and the Black (1983)
8. Jesus of Nazareth (1977)
9. Schindler’s List (1993) *
10. The Bells of St Mary’s (1945)
11. Thérèse (2004)
12. Braveheart (1995) *
13. The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima
14. The Mission (1986) *
15. Lilies of the Field (1963)
16. The Miracle of Marcelino (1955)
17. Les Miserables (1998) *
18. The Quiet Man (1952)
19. Ben Hur (1959)
20. Rudy (1993) *
21. The Robe (1953)
22. Return to Me (2000) *
23. We Were Soldiers (2002) *
24. Becket (1964) *
25. Going My Way (1944)
26. Romero (1989)
27. Sister Act (1992) *
28. Pope John Paul II (1984)
29. Jonah: a Veggie Tales Movie (2002)
30. Shoes of the Fisherman (1986)
31. Brideshead Revisited (1981) *
32. The Keys of the Kingdom (1944)
33. On the Waterfront (1954)
34. I Confess (1953)
35. Boys Town (1938)
36. Molokai: the Story of Father Damien (1999) *
37. Quo Vadis (1951)
38. The Trouble With Angels (1956)
39. Babette’s Feast (1987)
40. The Rookie (2002) * S
41. The Reluctant Saint (1962)
42. One Man’s Hero (1999)
43. Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972)
44. The Exorcist (1973) *
45. Dead Man Walking (1995) *
46. Joan of Arc (1948)
47. The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965) *
48. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) *
49. Angels In the Outfield (1951)
50. Moonstruck (1987) *
51. The Miracle Maker: the Story of Jesus (2000)
52. Henry V (1989) *
53. Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957)
54. Entertaining Angels: the Dorothy Day Story (1996)
55. Knute Rockne: All American (1940)
56. The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
57. The Singing Nun (1966)
58. Marty (1955)
59. Monsieur Vincent (1948)
60. The Assisi Underground (1985)
61. Au Revoir Les Infants (1987) *
62. Come to the Stable (1949)
63. Diary of a Country Priest (1951)
64. In This House of Brede (1975)
65. The Jeweller’s Shop (1988)
66. The Miracle of the Bells (1948)
67. The Fighting Sullivans (1944)
68. The Fourth Wiseman (1985)
69. The Juggler of Notre Dame (1970)
70. Barabbas (1962)
71. King of Kings (1961)
72. Francis of Assisi (1961)
73. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1937)
74. The Decalogue (1987) *
75. The Gospel According to Saint Matthew (1966)
76. Angels With Dirty Faces (1938)
77. The Fugitive (1947)
78. The Longest Day (1962)
79. Thérèse (1986)
80. The Gospel of John (2003)
81. A.D. (1985)
82. Faustyna (1995)
83. The Son (2002)
84. Francesco (1989) *
85. The Flowers of St. Francis (1950)
86. Brother Orchid (1940)
87. Demetrius and the Gladiators
88. Nazarin (1958)
89. The Silver Chalice (1954)
90. When In Rome (1952)
91. Not of This World (1999)
92. Open City (1945) *
93. 3 Godfathers (1948)
94. Don Bosco (1988)
95. Abraham (1994)
96. The Detective (1954)
97. The Hoodlum Saint (1946)
98. The Sign of the Cross (1932)
99. The Wrong Man (1956)
100. Padre On Horseback (1977)

Galileo: On the Shoulders of Giants

We are studying Galileo and astronomy since this is the 400th Anniversary of his Invention of the 30x Telescope. In fact, 2009 has been dubbed International Year of Astronomy, too. Posted here before but worth repeating, the movies in this "Inventor" series from Devine Studios are wonderful! "Galileo: On the Shoulders of Giants" is only one hour and quite fair to the Church's history. Especially important is the closing scene when he renounces his life's work and discoveries. These movies are still not available from NetFlix, but likely to be found at good libraries or from used sources listed online like Amazon and Half.com.

"In this House of Brede"

Here's a convent movie with a happy ending! "In this House of Brede" by Rumer Godden is a fictional tale of a late-in-life vocation that was shown on the Hallmark Hall of Fame. I thought it was sensitive in every way and compelling in its realistic portrayal of convent life. A worldly London business-woman hopes to "escape" by becoming a Benedictine nun. But she finds jealousy, past hurts, affection, and pride are part of everyone's life. She gently conforms to the rule first out of obedience, then out of genuine love. There are important lessons about friendships, because community life challenges them to love all sisters equally.

The scenery is beautiful, and the movie was filmed on location at genuine convents in London and Ireland (with some limitations of television technology in 1975). Film is good for all ages. I recommend the book, of course, because the movie doesn't exactly follow the book nor have its depth (for older students).

The Cheese Nun

The Cheese Nun doesn't sound like an exciting title... but the whole family enjoyed the documentary of the Regina Laudis nun who is an expert in cheese! The PBS documentary excels in allowing her to speak of her choice of a contemplative, full habit Benedictine life with joy and clarity.

Description on PBS site:

Sister Noella Marcellino, "The Cheese Nun," takes viewers on a fascinating and delightful personal journey as she becomes a champion for artisanal cheesemakers on both sides of the Atlantic. While making a 20,000-mile odyssey through some of the most remote cheesemaking regions of France, little did she realize that she was on her way to becoming a leading international expert in the art of natural-milk cheesemaking.

Catholic Actors

Padre Steve of Da Mihi Animas - Catholic Actors Making a Difference

Henry Poole is Here

Three parents and nine teens from our Catholic homeschool group went to see "Henry Poole is Here." All of us really, really liked this movie. It is definitely hard to write about it without giving away the whole plot. It's also hard to find the right adjectives to describe it. Henry Poole knows he is going to die soon, and takes a sad/angry/depressed approach to meeting his death. He uses the Lord's name in vain twice, but he says it in the context of moaning in exasperation (and for deliverance). It was very appropriate to the script, no matter how offensive to my 40-something ears.

Henry's conscience is being pricked by the "religious" neighbors. Esperanza is a beautiful Catholic woman, who cares for his feelings and his eternal soul. She brings her priest over (George Lopez?!) and he says all the right things about the apparition on Henry's house. It is not an anti-Catholic movie at all! That's all the spoilers I will give away.

Prepare yourself for a slow-moving plot. Stretches of silence give you the depths of Henry's despair and his solitude actually brings him to reflect on his childhood and make sense of his life. The background music is very "techno" (Bob Dylan, Ben Harper, U2) - I don't know how to describe it. The music and the main character are very odd! I probably would not take my 10-year-olds because they might think it moves too slow. However, there is nothing to prevent that age group from going! I can heartily endorse this movie for showing the honest struggle of man's deepest questions about life and death. It is both funny (we laughed out loud) and sorrowful (we passed out tissues). Enjoy!

Bless me Father

We've been watching this as a family nightly, courtesy of netflix. The Amazon link will give you a glimpse of how well-loved this series is--it has a solid 5 star rating from numerous customer reviews. Now available as a complete set on DVDs. Filmed in the 70s, set in the 50s, supposedly pulled from BBC in the USA.

The old pastor of St. Jude and the new, inexperienced young priest and their housekeeper is a hilarious trio. Family fare, and not at all disrespectful of the Catholic Church, although of course a bit politically incorrect for these days: the doctor is always smoking and carries a bottle in his bag!

Sacred Music on Netflix

I just discovered that Netflix has a "Sacred Classical Music" genre which includes many fine-looking choices. Here are a few that I've added to my queue:

Live in Rome: The Tallis Scholars (we actually have this one at home right now)

Purcell: Sacred Music

Gregorian Chant: Songs of the Spirit

Faith of Our Fathers

Ave Verum: Popular Choral Classics

Arcadia Films - Parable

The guest on tonight's Life on the Rock were the young cast members and Franciscan Friars of the Renewal.

The highly acclaimed thirty half-hour weekly prime time series for youth, produced in docudrama format for broadcast by EWTN, the Catholic Global Network (120 million homes worldwide). Twenty young people go on retreat with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal at their Blessed Sacrament Monastery, an oasis of peace, solitude and prayer, set within a bombed out ghetto of Newark, New Jersey. There they dialogue on the parables of Jesus in light of their own experience. Into the retreat come twenty-four saints of history including Augustine, Teresa of Avila, Bernard of Clairvaux, Catherine of Siena (played masterfully by professional stage and screen actors from New York and Hollywood). In the saints’ own words, they dramatically reflect on the meaning of Christ’s own words for our moral and spiritual life. Into the retreat also come four contemporary spiritual masters, priests who share their own contemplative insights into parables such as the Sower, Prodigal Son, Good Samaritan, Treasure and Pearl, Wicked Husbandman etc. The series is designed to bring its youthful viewers into a personal encounter with Jesus in and through his inspired word.

Arcadia Films

After the LOTR show, EWTN showed Parable. It was a wonderful 1/2 hour show geared toward the young people. There were lively discussions and sharing of their personal lives. You also see the saints come alive as they talk about certain topics such as humility.

The World Needs Heroes - Theatrical Trailer

Responding to a decline in interest in the priesthood, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York has launched a campaign to find recruits in the most unlikely of places — the movie house.

In a slick, 60-second movie trailer, the church proclaims "The World Needs Heroes," accompanied by dramatic music and an array of images: the Statue of Liberty against an American flag, a funeral procession of firefighters and the battlefield.

ARTICLE

Theaterical Trailer

The NYPRIEST Theatrical Trailer will be shown in select New York theatres to promote the NYPRIEST Campaign. The aim of the campaign is to build up a "Culture of Vocations" in the Archdiocese of New York, to increase awareness of the diocesan priesthood and to draw young men whom God is calling to respond generously to service in the Church as Priests after the Heart of Jesus Christ.

Brideshead Revisited

Apparently there is a new film version of Brideshead Revisited in the works. It is scheduled to come out in the fall of this year in Britain, but not scheduled yet to come out in the US. From what I can tell, there are well known parties involved both as actors and directors, so it has the potential to be quite good. However, the Internet rumors have mentioned that the film will be taking an Anti-Catholic slant. How is this even possible of Brideshead? It would be quite sad if this beautiful story were to be distorted in this way. I'm sure as the release date draws nearer more info will become available.

In the meantime, the 1981 BBC version, though very long, is excellent. The book of course is better, but for those who enjoy a good book-turned-movie, the BBC version is well done. Most public libraries have it on DVD. Though not appropriate for young viewers, mature teens and young adults will enjoy this very much in these bitter cold days of winter.

The Maldonado Miracle (2003)

It's funny how some movies stick with me in surprising ways - they keep coming up in conversation, there's a part that my brain keeps turning over and over on the back burner or they seem to apply to various conversations and areas of our study.

The Maldonado Miracle has been doing that to me lately - particularly when topics relating to the Church's position on Faith and Reason come up (as happened in our teen catechism discussion last night).

I don't think I can go into all the rabbit trails that this movie brought up, I'll just give you a starting point so you can check it our for yourself.

Peter Fonda plays a parish priest in the process of getting a transfer out of a has-been former mining town in California. The people left in town mourn over each family that moves out. Their world changes dramatically when blood is found on the crucifix in the local church and people come from all over to witness the "miracle" for themselves.

One of the most interesting things (which doesn't seem like a stretch within the movie, but still surprises us in some ways) is that it is the good priest who is most reluctant to proclaim a miracle. He pushes for testing first and even locks the doors of the Church at one point. Some non-believing townspeople, however, see this as a benefit for the community and even go so far as to hide information from the priest.

I won't say more about the plot, except that it's wonderfully ironic and true in unexpected, but delightful ways.

We found this to be appropriate viewing for the entire family, though parents might want to preview it for more sensitive children (there is one violent, though not particularly scary scene and there are a fair number of dramatic chase scenes and such).

The behavior of the woman who first proclaims (and practically takes credit for) the miracle provides some good fodder for discussion - particularly in the context of the ending. Don't give up on the movie on her account!

This made for TV movie was directed by Salma Hayek and originally aired on Showtime.

The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima (1952)

The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima is a movie I've loved since I was about ten years old and first saw it at our local Marian shrine. How delightful that it's now available on DVD! In a reverent, and yet engaging way, it tells the story of the apparitions of Our Lady to three children in Fatima, Portugal in 1917.

The score, by Academy Award winning composer Max Steiner (who also was nominated for an Academy Award for the music in this film) is particularly noteworthy. Beautiful!

The movie is sometimes unfavorably compared with its Academy Award winning predecessor, Song of Bernadette (another family favorite and certainly an excellent film). My feeling is that there's plenty of room for a somewhat lighter-toned, family friendly feature on a similar topic.

A couple of side notes (for those who may be interested in such things):

The story is slightly fictionalized for entertainment purposes. A friendly agnostic was created for comic relief and, as I understand it, Lucia's mother comes out better (more loving and sympathetic) and her father comes out worse (more troubled and inaccessible) than they were in real life. A silly little mistake in the beginning claims the date to be May 15th, but ends up being incidentally corrected a little later in the movie.

For more information on this film:

IMDB Entry

Decent Films Review

1952 New York Times Review

The Crusades

The director of this 1935 movie, The Crusades the legendary Cecil B. de Mille, known for his historical epics. It stars Loretta Young and Henry Wilcoxon.

The story takes place during the Third Crusade. We have King Richard the Lion-Hearted setting off to this crusade. He is doing this not so much as for the honorable thing in fighting the good fight, but instead as a way of getting out of an arranged marriage. The king's plans backfire when he is forced to marry another princess, whose father will only provide food for the king's starving men if he agrees to this arranged marriage.

Richard the Lion-Hearted is really so adverse to marriage that he does not even have the decency to attend his own wedding. Instead, the poor princess is forced to be married by proxy to the king's sword.

As the movie continues onward, the couple's feelings will change and much of this change has to do with the quest they are on. The are there to save the Holy Land and Christianity.

It has been awhile since I have seen this old movie. But one that I look forward to watching again soon. It is one that my dad had highly recommended. I think everyone, young and old alike will enjoy the movie as it has something for everyone: humor, romance, adventure, and for Catholic families, it is a testament to the Faith and a noble cause that is worth fighting for.

Catholic Movie List

I have added a hyperlink for the review of the movies because there were a few I haven't watched and cannot vouch for them. Those movies are marked by an "*". I picked these because they seemed worthwhile watching.

Most of the reviews are the courtesy of Decent Films or IMDB.

This list will be updated as necessary. Please feel free to add to this list by leaving a comment.

1. Therese (1986)*

2. The Song of Bernadette (1943)

3. The Sign of the Cross (1932)

4. La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc (1928) SEE PREVIOUS POST REGARDING THIS MOVIE.

5. A Man For All Season (1966)

6. Going My Way (1944)

7. Journal d'un cure de campagne (1950)- Diary of a Country Priest*

8. The Assisi Underground (1984)

9. The Scarlet and the Black (1983)

10. Boy's Town (1938)

11. The Mission (1986)

12. The Passion of the Christ (2004)

13. Jesus of Nazareth (1977)

14. The Bells of St. Mary (1945

15. Therese (2004)

16. The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima (1952)

17. Lilies of the Field (1963)

18. Marcelino: Pan y Vino (1955)

19. The Robe (1953)

20. Becket (1964)

21. Romero (1989)

22. John Paul II (1984)

23. I Confess (1953

24. Moloka'i: The Story of Father Damien (1999)

25. Quo Vadis (1951)

26. The Reluctant Saint (1962)*

27. The Hoodlum Priest (1946)*

28. Don Bosco (1988)*

29. The Silver Chalice (1954)

30. Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954)


Sources used: NC Register

What Can Be Labeled a "Good Catholic Film"?

Check out Michael P. Foley's article Four and a Half Kinds of Catholic Film in Crisis Magazine online.

It is a very interesting article.

The other pope movie

Karol, A Man Who Became Pope, directed by Giacomo Battiato, produced by Pietro Valsecchi, with Piotr Adamczyk, Malgorzata Bela, 2005 Taodue Film.

My youngest sister in Brazil, a Doctor in History from Navarre, a Major Seminary Professor and a cinematic arts enthusiast, recommends this Polish film as the best movie about our beloved John Paul II.

She says:

Sobretudo mostra mais realisticamente que outras produções a história e a mentalidade polonesas. Belíssima sensibilidade.

(Which means: Above all it portrays, more realistically than other productions, the Polish history and mentality. A film of amazing sensitivity.)

No Price Too High

No Price Too High and A Dinner with Alex Jones with Alex Jones
2001, St. Joseph Communications, DVD 2 hours, 20 minutes

Alex Jones is a former Pentecostal preacher who converted to the Catholic faith, along with his family and his congregation, in 2001. This presentation is a talk he gave a few months before he was formally received into the Church, in which he first publicly told the story of his conversion. It was his study of the Early Church Fathers, in particular, that brought him into the Church. It is followed by a dinner table conversation, including questions from guests - both Catholic and Protestant. Hosted by Steve Ray.

Alex is a powerful and moving (and often funny!) speaker and it's exciting and inspiring to see this larger-than-life character on fire for the Faith. The flip side is that converting to the Faith cost him a great deal - especially among his friends and colleagues. This is a powerful witness, particularly for us cradle Catholics who might have a tendency to take the Faith for granted at times.

My older children (ages 12 and 14) and I really enjoyed his talk. Conversion stories are so exciting and hopeful - a great place to see the hand of God at work in our world today.

Available from Nineveh's Crossing

Pope John Paul II Movie

A movie originally aired on CBS television, December 2005, 180 minutes, DVD

Pope John Paul II - Jon Voight
Karol Wojtyla up to his election as Pope John Paul II - Cary Elwes
Cardinal Adam Sapieha - James Cromwell
Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski - Christopher Lee
Stanislaw Dziwisz - Wenanty Nosul
Cardinal Agostino Casaroli (Vatican Secretary of State) - Ben Gazzara

directed by John Kent Harrison

This is a touching, detailed and very intimate portrayal of Pope John Paul II. Though produced for television, it has some very fine acting, and was filmed on location in Poland and Italy.

The pope's early life and work in Poland as a priest, bishop and cardinal are framed as a flashback at the time when the Holy Father was shot in St. Peter's Square (May 13, 1981). There are a few quick glimpses of his childhood before we are transported back to Krakow, Poland in 1939. Karol is a young man, interested in the theater, when the Nazis invade Poland. He and his friends struggle with how to respond to this invasion, which not only threatens their Jewish friends and neighbors (including some in Karol's close circle of friends), but seeks to destroy Poland as a people and a culture in its entirety. While searching for answers to these questions, he finds himself finally drawn to the priesthood.

There are many wonderful events and ideas woven into these scenes from his youth. We see him as a person with great depth, a fine mind, a deep faith and a great sense of humor. In the movie, his views on a number of issues are expressed (such as his philosophical and theological objections to Communism), but we are also able to see where they came from because the movie gives them some context.

Karol Wojtyla is a rather unconventional priest and bishop who leads camping trips with young people into the mountains for the purpose of recreation and formation. He speaks to them openly about sexuality (this scene is very beautifully done - I let my children watch this). He wiggles around the rules of the Communists in order to keep pressure on the anti-religious government and keep the people strong in their faith. One of the highlights of the film, for us, was a scene in which he simply removes the picture of Our Lady from a frame (in order to comply with rules about not displaying religious images in public) while still holding a traditional religious parade through the streets of Krakow with everyone dressed in their full regalia, the frame fully ornamented with flowers and ribbons and everyone singing with all their hearts.

There are so many interesting and delightful elements to the story that I can only touch on a few here. I found the camraderie between the archbishops of Krakow (Sapieha and then Wojtyla) and Warsaw (Wyszynski) particularly interesting. Another beautiful scene is during the papal conclave when Wojtyla realizes that he may be a candidate for the papacy. He seeks guidance from Wyszynski who reminds him of the story of Quo Vadis. It is difficult to explain the beauty of this scene, but it is thoughtfully done and is subtly pivotal to the story.

When Karol Wojtyla is elected pope, Jon Voight takes over in the leading role. The latter half of the film portrays events that are more familiar to the American public. The director personally interviewed Pope John Paul II's longtime secretary, Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz and his spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls to uncover many beautiful and touching details about his papacy that were included in the film. The actors playing the Pope's personal secretary and the Vatican Secretary of State are exquisitely cast and wonderfully portrayed.

The movie doesn't attempt to record every event of his 26 year papacy. Rather, it paints a picture of his personality, of his faith and of his challenges and struggles - whether with Communism, materialism or painful injuries and illnesses. Particularly memorable are his visits to his homeland and his strong connection with the youth there.

On the whole, I would consider the movie suitable for family viewing with the exception of some shooting and other violence (when the Holy Father is shot in St. Peter's Square, during the Nazi occupation and, less so, during the Communist rule) that might be unsuitable for younger children. I would estimate that this would have received a PG rating if it had been shown in the theaters. This also would make a fine introduction to the life of this great pope for those who would like to go on to read more detailed biographies, such as Witness to Hope by George Wiegel.

The only down-side is relatively minor, but I believe bears mentioning for movie buffs out there. Though the filmmakers took excellent advantage of beautiful architecture in Rome and Poland, there are just a few crowd scenes, with dubbed-in backgrounds, that came out looking rather fake.

Available from johnpaul2movie.com