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Spiritual Movies and Spiritual Books

Spiritual Movies

As exemplified by the monthly film selection of the Spiritual Cinema Circle, inspirational films abound. This spiritual movie list is slightly different, though. Blade Runner, for example, is not a typical inspirational film, but it does provoke thinking, questioning, and new perspectives. Below, are a handful of films that resonate with me on a profound level — spiritual cinema at its finest. Some of these films directly address the spiritual, while others serve as a momento mori.

Meetings With Remarkable Women (2012) — stories of grace and grit on the feminine spiritual journey.... Read more.

Closer Than Close (2008) — "a deftly crafted and poignant tale that weaves the stories of a handful of seekers bivouacked at various stages along the spiritual path with the straight-talk wisdom of three extraordinary individuals...." Read more.

Ansel Adams: An American Experience Documentary Film by Ric Burns (2002) — As a young man hiking in the Sierra Nevada mountains, Ansel Adams saw something that he would spend the rest of his life trying to convey through his photographs.... More about Ansel Adams.

American Beauty (1999) — The closest a movie has ever come to expressing the feel of a cosmic consciousness experience.... More on American Beauty.

The Thin Red Line (1998) — Set during the American invasion of Japanese-held Guadalcanal, this war film drifts between the human and the transcendent. More Thin Red Line.

Fearless (1993) — Harrowing depiction of a jetliner crash, music from Gorecki's Symphony No.3, and the powerful story of one man's transcendent experience make this one of my favorites. Read more about Fearless.

Star Trek The Next Generation: "The Inner Light" (Episode 225, Season 5, 1992) — A poignant and mind-bending episode that makes me weepy every time. Read more on The Inner Light.

TAT April 2006: What is Spiritual Action? and TAT April 2005: Beyond Mind Beyond Death — Two sets of DVDs that document the annual April TAT Conference. Read more.

Kumare (2012) — "The true story of a false phophet." Read more.

Moon (2009) — "The fact that I'm talking to a clone is slightly troubling." Read more.

Crazy Wisdom Save the World Again (2008) — Wes Nisker's comedy is a fine combination of laughs and thought-provoking commentary on life. Read more.

Slow Down and Fast (2007) — Would you fast for thirty days, alone in the woods, if you thought it might bring you answers? Read more.

The Fountain (2006) — Visually entrancing, peppered with thought-provoking moments, and hauntingly scored by Clint Mansell and the Kronos Quartet, The Fountain is nevertheless far from flawless. More about The Fountain.

Into Great Silence (2005) — A documentary about life in a Carthusian monastery. Into Great Silence.

Unforgiven (1992) — This Clint Eastwood film broke new ground in its attempt to display the harsh realities of gunplay and justice in the Old West. Unforgiven.

Jacob's Ladder (1990) — A Vietnam vet fears for his sanity as dream-like images and demons begin to appear. Read more about Jacob's Ladder.

Our Town (1940, 1977, 1989) — A Thornton Wilder play which looks at the pleasures and pains of life in the small New Hampshire town of Grover's Corners in the early years of the 20th century. Our Town.

Blade Runner (1982) — Harrison Ford as a film noir detective of the future whose job is to hunt renegade androids. More about Blade Runner.

Two-star Films — Here is a list of films I found interesting, but not my favorites.

Films you can watch right now — Some spiritual films available for online rental or downloading.