Spiritual movies

From all I've read about Catherine Hardwicke's "The Nativity Story," it seems she's crafted an earnest, respectful movie that verges on being - gasp! - boring. I'm hoping not, but we'll be finding out Sunday (Saturday has been reserved for Dame Helen Mirren's "The Queen." Huzzah!)

In its honor, here's a list of the "spiritual" (read into that whatever you want to) movies that still move me. Though some of these aren't overtly religious movies, they're all movies that taught me something, and which I return to when I need a lift.

Jesus' Son
The title actually refers to a wayward traveler in modern times, Billy Crudup as a drug addict who manages to find a small measure of redemption in the form of Holly Hunter and an old folks home. Based on the great book by Denis Johnson, it also features a strong performance from Samantha Morton.

The Apostle
This features, in my opinion, Robert Duvall's best performance among many great ones, and makes for a surprisingly sympathetic portrait of evangelicism. Watch for Billy Bob Thornton in a supporting role.

Song of Bernadette
Jennifer Jones plays the young peasant girl who saw the vision of a "beautiful lady" in the city dump in Lourdes. The townspeople, of course, insist it is the virgin Mary, and well, you know the rest. Vincent Price and Lee J. Cobb also star in this 1943 movie you can still find on VHS.

Crimes and Misdemeanors
Easily one of my favorite Woody Allen movies, it's both one of his most religious and funniest flicks. Martin Landau is just a joy to watch as he wrestles with his rather heinous actions.

To Kill a Mockingbird
You can call it hokey, and I'd be hard-pressed to dispute that, but kids can learn most of what they need to know about starting out in life from this Harper Lee classic. I was stunned and happy to find out recently that Ms. Lee is indeed still alive and making occasional public appearances in Alabama.

Bells of St. Mary's
Sure, this one is basically a recruitment film for Catholic priests and nuns, but when you get Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman crossing wits to save a parish school, what's not to like?

The Straight Story
I put off watching this one for a long time because it just looked so boring, but man was I wrong. The late Richard Farnsworth shines in David Lynch's most accessible movie as a man who travels cross country on a lawnmower in search of forgiveness.

Mississippi Masala
With Sarita Choudhury and Denzel Washington, this charmer from Mira Nair is as heavy on eye candy as it is spirituality, but it's still one that leaves you thinking. The great Roshan Seth stands out as an Indian immigrant to the American South, exiled from Idi Amin's Uganda and now struggling with his daughter's desire to live and love American style.

You Can Count on Me
This one turns up on almost any list I make, so I guess you'd just have to call it one of my favorite movies in any category. Kenneth Lonergan gets first-rate performances from Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo as he explores what it means to be "good" and the bonds of family.

Life of Brian
I first saw this movie at an Episcopalian youth group gathering, which at the time struck me as odd. Watching it later, however, I realized that, while it is extremely funny, it's also very insightful in its irreverant take on Jesus.

Well, there you have it. Please feel free to add any that you like, and to check back for looks at "The Queen" and "The Nativity Story" this weekend. Peace out.