S&P Awards
The Most Spiritually Literate Films of 2013
12 Years a Slave
A sobering drama about racism and slavery that will sear your soul and set you thinking about the shadow side of American history.
Feature
56 Up
The superb latest addition to the documentary series by Michael Apted, following the lives of 14 people in England.
Documentary
A Hijacking
A poignant and powerful drama about the hijacking of a Danish cargo ship and its seven-member crew by Somali pirates.
International
All is Lost
An immersive drama about being resilient and facing the fear we all have of dying alone.
Feature
Before Midnight
A couple on the cusp of a mid-life crisis talk their way through a storm of disappointments, resentments, and flash points in their 18-year relationship.
Feature
Dirty Wars
A shocking documentary about secret U.S. counter-terrorist operations around the world.
Documentary
Elemental
Portraits of three environmental activists and the challenges they face to help stem the tide of ecological disaster.
Documentary
First Cousin Once Removed
One of the best documentaries ever made on Alzheimer's which has been called the disease of the century.
Documentary
Frances Ha
The comic misadventures of a quirky young woman who falls down seven times but gets up eight.
Feature
Fruitvale Station
The compelling true story of a 22-year-old African-American whose effort to turn his life around was cut short by a trigger-happy policeman.
Feature
Gloria
A superb Chilean film about the quest of two middle-aged divorcees for lasting love.
International
Gravity
A soul stirring tale of survival in outer space and an astronaut's spiritual journey.
Feature
Her
A wild and weird romantic story about the intimate relationship between a lonely man and his computer operating system who calls herself Samantha.
Feature
Herman's House
A compelling and enlightening documentary about the important role creativity can play in the pursuit of justice and in the spread of compassion.
Documentary
Inside Llewyn Davis
The struggling quest of a folk singer to find out whether or not he has the right stuff.
Feature
Monsters University
Animated film about monster college students competing to become the scariest one of them all.
Animated
Museum Hours
A wonderfully slow movie that presents a parade of wonders about the beauties and delights of art, city life, and friendship.
International
Nebraska
A spiritual film about a son who takes his irritable dad on the road and in the process opens himself to truly honoring the old man.
Feature
One Track Heart: The Story of Krishna Das
An emotionally wrought documentary about the spiritual journey and immense love story of chant master Krishna Das.
Documentary
Planes
A 3D animated family film about stepping into your dream and becoming all you were meant to be.
Animated
Prince Avalanche
A charming film which shows that even the weirdest and most irritating people are full of surprises and capable of change.
Feature
Renoir
An exquisite and sense-luscious French film about the great artist and his last muse.
International
Running Wild: The Life of Dayton O. Hyde
An extraordinary documentary about a cowboy who models the spiritual practice of reverence.
Documentary
Rush
A start-to-finish winner about two race car drivers who start out as enemies and find themselves in a place that neither of them could ever have imagined.
Feature
Saving Mr. Banks
Entertaining story of the tenderizing of a critical and persnickety writer.
Feature
Short Term 12
A sensitive and well-acted drama about a wounded healer and the challenges she faces in her work with troubled kids.
Feature
Stories We Tell
A groundbreaking documentary written and directed by Sarah Polley about family secrets, memory, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
Documentary
The Act of Killing
A poignant and powerful wake-up call to the pornography of violence and its major role in crimes against humanity.
Documentary
The Attack
An engrossing and rounded look at the religious, political, and cultural factors behind Arab-Israeli enmity in the Middle East.
International
The Croods
An animated film that has it all: captivating characters, rich thematic material, humor, imaginative visuals, and an adventuresome quest.
Animated
The Great Beauty
A gorgeous film set in Rome that depicts the emptiness of high society and the yearning for beauty that animates the city's most soulful residents.
International
The Hunt
A chilling Danish drama about how an accusation of child sexual abuse can tear a community apart and shatter even the trust of long-standing friends.
Feature
The Past
An Iranian film about the close encounter of a woman unlucky in love, her unhappy children, her ex-husband, and her new lover.
International
The Patience Stone
An astonishing film about an Afghan woman's close-encounter with sex, power, and female desire.
Feature
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
An emotionally vibrant story of the scourge of terrorism, the nightmare of fundamentalism and terrible results of xenophobia.
Feature
The Spectacular Now
A wonderful film that immerses us into the emotional lives of two vulnerable teenagers in love as they move forward in their tenuous relationship.
Feature
The Square
A terrific film with its focus on the quest for freedom and the desire to escape the prisons of oppression, violence, and merciless power.
Documentary
The Way, Way Back
A feel-good comedy and coming-of-age film where a shy teenager opens to the adventures of life during a summer vacation.
Feature
Tiger Eyes
A moving depiction of a teenage girl's quest for a way out of her sadness, grief, and loss over the sudden death of her beloved father.
Feature
To the Wonder
A bold and ground-breaking film that is a mystical meditation on the many manifestations of the spiritual practices of yearning and love.
Feature
Trance
A mesmerizing movie that is a heist flick; a psychological thriller about loss of memory and the powers of hypnotism; and a provocative parable.
Feature
Wadjda
A powerful film on how a creative little girl in the oppressive Saudi Arabian society expresses her rebelliousness and tries to fulfill her dreams.
International
Wolf Children
An imaginative Japanese animation film about a resilient single mother trying to prepare her two strange children for the world.
Animated
