"Come on -- get to it!"
Posted on 01/31/2008 6:40:00 PM PST by SeekAndFind
What do monks, kites, unwanted pregnancies, a 19th century abolitionist, and a young man with a life-sized inflatable doll have in common? They're all in movies that we've deemed the ten most redeeming films of 2007. posted 01/29/08
First off, what do we mean by "redeeming" films? They're all stories of redemption—sometimes blatantly, sometimes less so. Several of them literally have a character that represents a redeemer; all of them have characters who experience redemption to some degree—some quite clearly, some more subtly. Some are "feel-good" movies that leave a smile on your face; some are a bit more uncomfortable to watch. But the redemptive element is there in all of these films.
It's interesting to note that six of our ten choices are all based on true stories. Maybe that just goes to show that some of the best redemptive stories—at least the ones that move us the most—are those that are really true. And so, our list:
(Excerpt) Read more at christianitytoday.com ...
Golden Compass.
It was sooooo redeeming to see it crash and burn in the US.
Here’s the top 10 (Click on the above link for a description of each ) :
1. Into Great Silence
directed by Philip Gröning
2. Lars and the Real Girl
directed by Craig Gillespie
3. Juno
directed by Jason Reitman
4. Amazing Grace
directed by Michael Apte
5. Bella
directed by Alejandro Monteverde
6. Into the Wild
directed by Sean Penn
7. The Kite Runner
directed by Marc Forster
8. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
directed by Julian Schnabel
9. Ratatouille
directed by Brad Bird
10. Freedom Writers
directed by Richard LaGravenese
bump for later
Christianity today also had honorable mentions. Here they are :
The Ones That Got Away. We asked each of our voters to choose one movie they wish had made our list of 10 most redeeming films :
The Bucket List
Dan in Real Life
The Devil Came on Horseback
Eve and the Fire Horse
Gone Baby Gone
Once
The Painted Veil
Rescue Dawn
The Savages
Spider-Man 3
CLICK ON ABOVE LINK FOR A DESCRIPTION OF EACH OF THE ABOVE...
1. Into Great Silence
directed by Philip Gröning
Be still, and know that I am God. If ever the words of Psalm 46:10 could be applied to a movie, this is certainly the one. German filmmaker Philip Gröning spent six months living with Carthusian monks at France’s Grande Chartreuse Monastery, documenting the tranquil, contemplative everyday lives of the extraordinary men who live there. It adds up to three hours of nearly silent meditation that is simultaneously slow moving and spellbinding—a film to be experienced more so than merely watched. The film caused several of us to ask ourselves, “If these men can spend entire days—indeed, their very lives—in devotion and service to God, why is it so hard for me to spend 10 minutes a day doing the same?” A remarkable piece of filmmaking that gives rich new meaning to the term, “quiet time.”
Rather than redemptive, this film sounds dangerous - inviting folks to practice occultism. Read more here:
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/cp.htm
I’ll give you one.
“300”.
And I’ll explain why.
That movie told the story of valor, of the nobility of a vow kept true. The Spartans laid down their lives so that others might come to know how precious their own lives are.
What virtue does this resemble?
"Come on -- get to it!"
The US market, while still important, is no longer the only arbiter of success. The international market is actually more important for many movies. The number that blew me away was that "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" darned near broke ONE BILLION DOLLARS worldwide in ticket sales alone, with $938 million.
The Lion King was the first movie to break a billion, but that was with 780 million in ticket sales. The billion was broken after adding in VHS and DVD sales, soundtracks, toys and related merchandise.
rataouille features Jean Garofolo. That precludes spending any money to see it. Also why would anything directed by sean Penn be considered?
I reallly wanted to like “Amazing Grace” but couldn’t stay awake through it. Tried twice with the DVD and fell asleep both times.
Amazing Grace was a beautiful movie. Wonderful performances by all. Inspiring. I particularly like the costuming - accurately depicted a dificult transistion time in clothing.
I will never accept defeat
I will never quit
I will never leave a fallen comrade
Leonidas would be proud.
What? “How She Move” is not even on the list?
Oh, I’m familar with the story already. It was too much dialogue and talking. Cinema is a visual medium and should be more than set piece scenes most of which could have been done on a stage. History doesn’t have to be dull.
I haven't seen the movie, but I don't see how monasticism can be described as practicing anything occult.
My husband and I went out of our way to support "Bella" on its opening weekend. That was the first movie (in a cinema) that we had seen in several months...
Into the wild...directed by Sean Penn? I saw this at a free advance screening and found nothing redeeming at all in it. The main character voluntarily removes himself from society. Goes up to Alaska and frolics with nature. After this goes on for a while he accidently poisons himself and dies no doubt painfully. It was the story of an idiot presented by another well known idiot (Sean Penn).
The hippie lifestyle. The film is well worth missing.
Into the Wild was morbid IMO.
bookmarked for my netflix queue
The only film that I saw out of the twenty listed was Gone Baby Gone which was very good, and in some ways covering much the same territory as Scorcese’s The Departed. I actually thought Gone Baby Gone was better than The Departed. The best film that I have seen in the last couple of years was Notes on a Scandal which was truly a black comedy and worthy of an Academy Award for best picture if a lesser black comedy like American Beauty was worthy.
That statement is an example of rash judgment and downright slander. Therefore, it has zero credibility.
It’s the films themselves that are considered not the personal lives of the people who make them.
There are many more pro-life films then pro-abortion films. That’s been the case for a long time.
The only movies on that list I have even heard of is Freedom Writers and the Rat one. I saw the Rat one. It was pretty good.
Production budget is only part of the cost. Marketing costs are a bit**.
True. Rule of thumb is advertising and distribution equals 1/3 of production costs. That would put total production, marketing and distribution costs at 240 million, which still allows 70-80 million profit.
why would anything directed by sean Penn be considered?
Because it was a good film what is hard to understand? I did not see it but those who did raved about it. Do you have a comprehension problem while reading? /sarc.
Shouldn’t the correct title be How She MOVES?
I guess the Hollywood racists who thought up that title laughed about “How quaint those colored people talk”
Patronizing BS.
What would the righteous do if the sinners all repented at once?
I wouldn't call it a pro-life movie, because there's not a moral message against abortion, only the personal choice of a scared little girl. If anything, the writer was trying to paint pro-choice people in the best possible light and not just as people whose only instinct is to kill their babies.
I just do not want to give money to traitors is all
If you want to give money to Jean Garafaolo or Sean Penn have at it. I prefer not to.
It’s vernacular as in the Spike Lee film ‘He Got Game’.
You’re giving moeny to someone like them anytime you see any movie these days.
I know I was kidding. Sorry if it did not sound like that.
That site you link to carries a very eccentric definition of contemplative prayer, using sixties oddities and personalities to discredit an ancient Christian way of life. While people try to pass off “centering prayer” and transcendental meditation as the contemplative life, they are often misrepresenting the practice. That site takes the misrepresentations at face value, and it should not lump them in with an understanding of true contemplation.
I know that but how come its only black themed films that have these grammatical gaffs in the titles?
It’s like Mark Twain writing in dialect. ‘Puddn’head Wilson’ and so forth.
I see your point.It just irks me sometimes how partonizing the cool hip white liberals are when it comes to black youth.
I see it all the time in the public schools.”Oh,Tamika just called Deandre a punk ass MF.Those people speak so charmingly quaint”.
Makes me sort of understand why some of these black nationalist types want all black schools.
Just keepin’ it real.
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