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Movies that inspired your spirituality?

Catz Part Deux

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This may sound weird, but American Beauty.

I went to see it when I was in the midst of a severe depression because I was no longer able to maintain my faith as a Southern Baptist. I'd been spending hours crying every night and I was absolutely terrified of my loss of faith.

That movie utterly changed my perspective.

I remember leaving the movie theater and driving with my ex to this jetty near Sarasota, Florida. The moon was full and it was so bright, and the surf was really high. We walked out onto the jetty, down to the very end. The moonlight on the shimmering drops of water and the waves, the sound of the waves crashing, it was all so beautiful that I felt I couldn't even hold it inside me.

In that moment, I realized that if this lifetime is all we have, it is so full of beauty, and that's enough.

And, I realized that a God who could be bothered to create such beauty was incongruent with the kind of God who would create hell. If there is something after this lifetime, it is not something to be feared.

I've never been afraid of death since that moment.

 
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Cast Away. After loosing everything, he kept his faith tho sorely tested. He made it back from his ordel only to find he had lost the love of his life. Instead of losing faith, he kept moving forward because "you never know what the tide will bring". It was just on the other night and it always gets me.
 
None. I like to get my spirituality from somewhere other than Hollywood. Drugs from Hollywood = Yeah! Spirituality from Hollywood = FAIL
 
None. I like to get my spirituality from somewhere other than Hollywood. Drugs from Hollywood = Yeah! Spirituality from Hollywood = FAIL

Topic fail. I didn't get my spirituality from hollywood, but American Beauty was inspiring to me, spiritually. :roll:

Why do conservative Christians have to be so lacking in creativity?
 
The Passion of the Christ really inspired my spirituality. We are told that Jesus simply was imprisoned and died on the cross, we don't really know the horror and pain that goes with crucifixion. Nor did we understand Christ's emotions as his closest friends rejected him along with God the Father. It made me realize to a greater degree (because no one will ever be able to fully comprehend the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross) the sacrifice God made so that we may be saved. It's not the kiddy cartoon images of Jesus in a white robe handing on a cross and glowing afterwards.
 
Baraka. The locations in it inspired me, and then I had the chance to actually visit some and a lot of stuff happened to me there.

I also liked American Beauty. Great movie.

The Battlestar Galactica series did, because of the way it examined the human condition so carefully and tied it into God.

The Fountain was another good one... but if you don't get what it's talking about then it will seem like a pointless movie. It has to do with the nature of what it means to be immortal.

The Planet Earth series.

"Home" from the year 2009. Just different views of the earth. Watch it on a big screen if you can.

To some extent, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

EDIT: Almost forgot... The Matrix, the first one. The other two had some interesting tidbits but they paled in comparison to the first.
 
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This may sound weird, but American Beauty.

I went to see it when I was in the midst of a severe depression because I was no longer able to maintain my faith as a Southern Baptist. I'd been spending hours crying every night and I was absolutely terrified of my loss of faith.

That movie utterly changed my perspective.

I remember leaving the movie theater and driving with my ex to this jetty near Sarasota, Florida. The moon was full and it was so bright, and the surf was really high. We walked out onto the jetty, down to the very end. The moonlight on the shimmering drops of water and the waves, the sound of the waves crashing, it was all so beautiful that I felt I couldn't even hold it inside me.

In that moment, I realized that if this lifetime is all we have, it is so full of beauty, and that's enough.

And, I realized that a God who could be bothered to create such beauty was incongruent with the kind of God who would create hell. If there is something after this lifetime, it is not something to be feared.

I've never been afraid of death since that moment.





How does a So.Baptist get married in a Mormon Temple (??) It was either a quick switch back & forth and highly unusual or a substantial resentful rebound.
 
I would have to say that the Virgin Suicides changed me spiritually.
 
How does a So.Baptist get married in a Mormon Temple (??) It was either a quick switch back & forth and highly unusual or a substantial resentful rebound.

Instead of pre-judging, why not just ask? Why do you so badly need me to be evil and angry, Ned? Oh, wait, because you have to fit me into your paradigm, right?

I grew up Southern Baptist. Converted to the LDS faith when I was 22. Moved to Utah. Lived there 10 years. Left the LDS church 3 years after I joined (and after a year of marriage). Went back to my S. Baptist roots for several years before rejecting it, as well.
 
Instead of pre-judging, why not just ask? Why do you so badly need me to be evil and angry, Ned? Oh, wait, because you have to fit me into your paradigm, right?

I grew up Southern Baptist. Converted to the LDS faith when I was 22. Moved to Utah. Lived there 10 years. Left the LDS church 3 years after I joined (and after a year of marriage). Went back to my S. Baptist roots for several years before rejecting it, as well.



Are You claiming none of that has any connection with your overall views towards the Church or their stand on various Social issues?? You see I've always maintained that the detractors of the Church never shake remembrance of a single face from their past .
 
I find a lot of movies inspiring spiritually, though I have a hard time thinking of them all.

What I can think of is Stranger than Fiction, more because of the author and her writing of the book.

Lord of War is another inspiring that I can think of for a variety of reasons.

Recently I saw Remember Me and I felt that was deeply inspiring.

EDIT: Almost forgot... The Matrix, the first one. The other two had some interesting tidbits but they paled in comparison to the first.

I feel the Matrix is most useful as a movie that is enjoyable to poke fun at like so:

YTMND - I'm Going To Be Honest With You
YTMND - What is the Matrix?
 
Topic fail. I didn't get my spirituality from hollywood, but American Beauty was inspiring to me, spiritually. :roll:

Why do conservative Christians have to be so lacking in creativity?
Lacking in creativity.................because I don't find spirituality from movies? Really? Okay, if you say so.............but I don't really see how the two relate. Anyway, I suppose I'll play the game, since I'm a good sport. I'd say The Road, a recent adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy book, affected me emotionally, not so much spiritually,...........but it was so symbolic of human sacrifice and the lengths that a father would go to to protect a child.
 
While a movie didn't affect my lack of spirituality, Dogma did reflect my skepticism.
 
Chariots of Fire (81) WB - In a Class by itself. Final choir scene is Timeless and while not 100% accurate to Historical chronology it possibly brought the best out even in Academy Voters.
 
Discussing religion is missing the point of this thread. Replace the word spirituality with personal growth or enlightened perspective and see where that takes you.

I'm going to have to think about this, but the first thing that comes to my mind is the movie "Dead Calm" with Nicole Kidman (before she got all Hollyweird). That was one of those movies that I thought was going to be entertaining but left me thinking deeply. Kidman's character is dead inside after losing her only child. She and her husband embark on a sailing adventure in order to attempt living again. While trying to help a stranger in desperate need, they are thrust into a life and death struggle with pure evil. The husband naturally takes on the role of brave hero, but his impetus puts the couple in grave danger. It's the strength called upon from deep inside the damaged female character that slays the evil and saves the lives of the good. In the end, their adventure was exactly what they desired. They are alive again.
 
V for Vendetta.

Not so much new information but to see it done well in an entertaining movie was enjoyable.

But if you haven't seen it and are even remotely interested, don't watch the clips, especially the second, it's a huge spoiler.

They took some big ethics and did them proud on the screen. So many quotes and can't even find all the clips I liked, here were a few. Even portman's bad english accent can't ruin it.

I also loved the scene where the Dr. lady (who formerly tortured and killed hundreds of people, including tortured V) wakes up to roses, and V is there in her room. She asks if he's there to kill her and he tells her he already has, injected her while she slept. She is relieved...for the horrible things she did deserves death, she has come to realize over the years. She then asks if it's too late to ask for forgiveness....V's compassionate response... "Never".

Love and Freedom
YouTube - V for Vendetta - Valerie's Letter

Huge Spoiler
YouTube - Evey Reborn - V for Vendetta

I still get all choked up.
 
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I dont think any movies have really reflected an aspect of spirituality for me. Hollywood tends not to have a favorable view of polytheism :)
 
I can't think of any movie that has had any affect on my spirituality. I will say though that I imagine that if there is an event that pretty much "wipes out life as we know it", I think it will be more like The Stand or even The Day After Tomorrow (just not as dramatic or quick-paced). I don't really believe in the "Armageddon" described in the Bible, but I think that it is possible that there could be a drastic event in the relative future (could be a year or less(doubtful though), could be in a 100 years or so) where the population of the people on Earth is somehow drastically reduced. I just don't think that such an event would cause total extinction.
 
Pay it Forward
The fact that one kids idea could affect so many lives of strangers, was inspiring to me.
 
Pay it Forward
The fact that one kids idea could affect so many lives of strangers, was inspiring to me.

I agree. I love the concept of paying it forward. Schindler's List inspired me in the same way.
 
Pay it Forward
The fact that one kids idea could affect so many lives of strangers, was inspiring to me.

I believe I have only seen the beginning of that movie and that little amount did inspire me some.
 
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