I’ve done lists of Biblical epics, science fiction, horror, musicals, romances, and others but I don’t believe I have ever posted a list of better religious movies. As we prepare to be inundated by a wave of Biblical epics over Easter weekend, I thought I might post a list of movies with religious or spiritual themes that aren’t Biblical epics and IMO are worth watching. Here’s a few for consideration.
Going My Way (1944)
This movie won Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Director (Leo McCarey), and Best Actor (Bing Crosby). It was wildly popular when it came out.
Stars In My Crown (1950)
In this movie, directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Joel McCrea, McCrae plays a preacher in a small Western town but a preacher unlike most you will have encountered. Themes include faith and skepticism and racism. Don’t miss the final scene.
I Confess (1953)
This picture, directed by Alfred Hitchcock (who was a Catholic), is essentially a lengthy dramatization of the seal of the confessional.
Friendly Persuasion (1956)
A Quaker family tries to hold onto its pacifist beliefs during the American Civil War.
The Hoodlum Priest (1961)
A dramatization of the life of Charles Clark also known as “Dismas” Clark, a Catholic priest who ministered to men in prison and those who had just been released from prison. Parts of it were shot in my high school.
Lilies of the Field (1963)
Sidney Poitier was award the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in this movie. One of the best things about this movie is that every single character in it is a better person at the end of the movie than they were at the beginning.
Andrei Rublev (1966)
This Soviet movie is a dramatization of the life of the title character, a painter of religious icons. It’s widely considered one of the greatest movies ever made.
Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
Judaism is central to this adaptation of the Broadway musical.
Malcolm X (1992)
Denzel Washington received the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the title character. In essence it is a story of conversion, masterfully portrayed.
The Way (2010)
In The Way Martin Sheen portrays a man who gains faith by fulfilling his deceased son’s pledge to complete the pilgimage, the Way of James.
Silence (2016)
This movie, directed by Martin Scorsese, is about Catholic missionaries in Japan in the 17th century.
This is just a sampling. There are many others that are worth watching. If you’re tired of Biblical epics.
