Spiritually Significant Movies

Being as subjective as it is, I have to start with some semblance of what spirituality means. For me, spirituality does not connote religion, does not have to do with a god or the God or the Bible or any other holy book. They way I would define a spiritually significant move is one that deals with life's great philosophical and existential questions, one whose message transcends emotion, intellect and materialism and touches on something almost unspeakable, something about the interconnectedness of all life, something that makes us examine the moral imperatives (if any) of humankind. Something that teaches us something about our own individual purpose or the purpose as an intelligent life force. Spiritually significant movies deal with life, death, love, fear, perfection and imperfection, morality, and the search for the unknown,

I think all art forms - movies, music, literature - are inherently spiritual because they all involve the creative process. In the creation of art, even commercial art (but to a much lesser degree), the artist examines the environment and searches deep inside to conjure a new and different way of expressing universal truths.

This is by no means a definitive list or even a list of "bests." For those who are interested, Arts and Faith has a very comprehensive list of spiritually significant films. These are simply some of my favorites. These films all combine one or more of the elements of good cinema

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). This film, grossly misunderstood and underestimated by mainstream audiences, touches on the evolution of man, the search for the origins of the universe and assumes the existence of other intelligent life forms in the universe...and it did it all before man had ever walked on the moon. This Stanley Kubrick masterpiece is the epitome of movies as art, combines visually stunning outer space photography, classical music and a storyline that is thin as a thread, all to force us to open our minds to the idea of what man' next evolutionary leap might look like.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994). "Hope is a good thing, and good thinks never die." Dignity and quiet determination in the face of injustice are among the highest moral qualities humans possess, and this film captures those qualities. While many fact-based films have done this to similar effect, the artistic quality of this film and its transcendence of race, class, and social status all culminate with a simple message about friendship overcoming all obstacles.

The Matrix Trilogy (1999, 2003). Joseph Campbell's timeless book "The Power of Myth," talks about hero archetypes that transcend time period, culture and civilization. Hero archetypes are universal, and The Matrix is one of the ultimate hero's journeys of our time. I almost gave the nod to Star Wars, but The Matrix deals with humankind's struggle to maintain itself in spite of our heavy dependence on machines and technology. Also, the lines between what is "good" and "evil" are so thoroughly blurred that the film's ultimate message is to force us to accept the inevitable chaotic cycle of life that leads to creation and destruction.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). What would a spiritual journey be without love? On the surface, this story is firmly grounded in everyday reality; a lovesick introvert named Joel (Jim Carrey) is having trouble dealing with the breakup between him and his girlfriend (Kate Winslett). But when Joel Barish decides to have his girlfriend erased from his memory, we are taken on a wild ride through is conscience, memory and imagination. This film is poignant, touching and resonates with the idea that we are all destined to love who we love, and there isn't much we can really do about it.

Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)/Match Point (2005). These two Woody Allen films, made 15 years apart, have themes and ideas that are so closely intertwined I could not separate the two. They both deal with the ultimate existential question: is there a moral god who is passing judgment on us, or are we free to live by our own moral guidelines? Even in the case infidelity and murder, are we free to live and prosper without consequence, as long as we can cover our tracks and our conscience will allow it? Do things happen by design, or just by sheer luck? Woody Allen is at his absolute best in both of these films, though the earlier is the better of the two.

I Heart Huckabees (2004). This film spins life's great questions into a quirky, offbeat comedy in which a pair of existential detectives (Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin) take on a series of cases involving an environmentalist poet (Jason Schwartzman), a corporate climber (Jude Law), his girlfriend (Naomi Watts), and firefighter (Mark Wahlberg). "Huckabees" takes place in anytown, USA, where strip malls are overtaking everything. And as is the case with most of the selected films, the story involves everyday people, taking a down-to-earth approach to answering lofty questions. Why are we here? Are we all alone, or is everything connected? What is the meaning of coincidence, if any? How am I not myself? This film addresses all of those questions, but leaves the answers up to you. And it makes you think and laugh along the way.