Most Spiritually Literate Films | Spirituality & Practice

127 Hours By Danny Boyle A riveting and creative wilderness story about a loner's courage and perseverance in the face of hopelessness. Feature

Agora By Alejandro Amenabar This fascinating tale transports us to a place we've never been before and impresses us with the importance of hospitality and openness to the other. Feature

Another Year By Mike Leigh A down-to-earth exploration of love and loneliness by Mike Leigh, one of England's legendary directors. Feature

Babies By Thomas Balmes A delightful and thoroughly appealing documentary that charts the adventures of four babies from the U.S, Japan, Mongolia, and Namibia. Documentary

Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo By Jessica Oreck A fascinating documentary about the high regard for insects in Japan and the cultural and spiritual reasons behind this phenomenon. Documentary

Black Swan By Darren Aronofsky A mesmerizing film about the self-destructive and dark dimensions of perfectionism and unbridled ambition. Feature

Breath Made Visible By Ruedi Gerber An exquisite and engrossing documentary on the profound and playful life and work of dance legend Anna Halprin. Documentary

Budrus By Julia Bacha An honest account of a landmark 2003 nonviolent protest movement in small Palestinian town against Israel's Separation Barrier. Documentary

Conviction By Tony Goldwyn The incredible true story of a crusading sister and the love that animates her 18-year fight to free her brother from prison. Feature

Cyrus By Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass A darkly comic drama that honors the mysteries surrounding human nature, the complexity of intimate relationships, and the bounties of friendship. Feature

Despicable Me By Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin A spunky 3D animated feature that shows how a supervillain can follow his heart and be transformed from within. Animated

Eat, Pray, Love By Ryan Murphy A sensuous and emotionally cathartic adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert's spiritual journey to personal transformation and love. Feature

Get Low By Aaron Schneider A telling and moving depiction of the difficulty of forgiving ourselves. Feature

Hachi: A Dog's Tale By Lasse Hallstrom A spiritual reading of an immensely appealing drama about the extraordinary devotion of a dog for his beloved human companion. Feature

Hereafter By Clint Eastwood A poignant, meditative, and meaningful movie about the human desire to know more about the afterlife and to communicate with the dead. Feature

Jack Goes Boating By Philip Seymour Hoffman A powerful and honest story of two sad, lonely, and frightened individuals who seek love. Feature

Last Train Home By Lixin Fan A wrenching documentary that tells the story of the difficult conditions of migrant workers in China. Documentary

Letters to Father Jacob By Klaus Härö A lean and intensely focused spiritual drama about faith, the dark night of the soul, and the redemptive power of love. International

Made in Dagenham By Nigel Cole The remarkable, funny, and inspiring true story of women fighting for equal pay in a Ford Motor Company in 1968 England. Feature

Mademoiselle Chambon By Stephane Brize An exquisite French film about an extramarital romance which opens two lovers to fresh territory inside themselves they have never explored before. International

Mid-August Lunch By Gianni Di Gregorio A thoroughly delightful Italian film about a nurturing man who finds his caregiving responsibilities greatly expanded during a summer holiday. International

Mother and Child By Rodrigo Garcia An extraordinary film about adoption and three very different women on separate quests for love, nurturing, and personal fulfillment. Feature

My Dog Tulip By Paul Fierlinger, Sandra Fierlinger A funny, charming, and witty animated feature based on J.R. Ackerley's masterful memoir about his loving relationship with his dog. Animated

Nora's Will By Mariana Chenillo A spiritually rich Mexican drama about a Jewish woman's death and the responses of her inner circle of family and friends. International

Please Give By Nicole Holofcener A tremendous film about guilt as the guardian of our goodness and a sign of our yearning to belong to the larger world. Feature

Rachel By Simone Bitton A poignant documentary about the death of an American idealist working for the liberation of the Palestinian people and peace in the Middle-East. Documentary

Saint Misbehavin': The Wavy Gravy Movie By Michelle Esrick A remarkable and rowdy documentary about a contemporary holy fool and saint who walks his talk about love. Documentary

Secret Sunshine By Lee Chang-dong A compelling and poignant Korean film about a besieged widow's journey into the far country of forgiveness. International

Secretariat By Randall Wallace A family film about the greatest race horse who ever lived and his feisty, tough, and creative owner. Feature

Tangled By Byron Howard, Nathan Greno A wonderful animated feature that salutes the power of healing, the spirit-lifting importance of light, and the transformative marvels of touch. Animated

The Company Men By John Wells A hard-hitting and creative examination of the scourge of unemployment, how it destroys dreams, brings untold pain and loss, and destabilizes families. Feature

The Father of My Children By Mia Hansen-Løve An intelligent and beautifully acted French film about work, death, grief, and finding one's way back to life. International

The Fighter By David O. Russell A combination biopicture and dramedy that has us rooting for a working-class hero as he struggles to find his identity. Feature

The Kids Are All Right By Lisa Cholodenko A remarkable family drama with five endearing characters whose struggles and foibles are both genuine and touching. Feature

The King's Speech By Tom Hooper An enthralling and heart-stirring biodrama about an unusual friendship that transforms the life and soul of King George VI of England. Feature

The Legend of Pale Male By Frederic Lilien A crowd-pleasing documentary about the adventures of a wild red-tailed hawk and the people who love him in New York City. Documentary

The Secret in Their Eyes By Juan Jose Campanella A combination psychological thriller and love story that offers an engrossing look at memory, yearning, and the toxins of revenge. International

The Secret of Kells By Nora Twomey, Tomm Moore A stunningly beautiful animated feature from Ireland that reveals the fire power of faith when it is wedded to imagination. Animated

The Social Network By David Fincher An astonishing morality tale about the shadow side of creativity, the loneliness of pioneers, and the ways in which anger can fuel ambition. Feature

Toy Story 3 By Lee Unkrich A fine family film with an edifying tale, endearing and funny characters, and an appealing emotional undertow. Animated

Vision: From the Life of Hildegard von Bingen By Margarethe von Trotta A soulful film about an extraordinary twelfth-century abbess, writer, teacher, composer, herbalist, and visionary. International

Waiting for Superman By Davis Guggenheim A sobering documentary on the necessity to reform American education with charter schools, where excellence is heralded and love of learning a given. Documentary

Waste Land By Lucy Walker An astonishing documentary about an art project that celebrates the pickers who work in the world's largest garbage dump in Rio de Janeiro. Documentary

Welcome By Philippe Lioret An astonishing film about a Kurdish immigrant trying to get to England and the help he gets from a Frenchman who empathizes with his dreams. International

White Wedding By Jann Turner An incredible South African road movie and comedy about love, friendship, honesty, and the common ground that can unite former enemies. International

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