Good Movies With A Vocation Message

[GraceUk]

I think the Nun's Story does have something to say about the beauty of religious life but can absolutely see why other folk wouldn't recommend it.

I would heartily recommend In this House of Brede. The film was not as good as it wasn't very much like the book. Another book I read absolutely years ago was Barefoot Journey by Sister Felicity. The true story of a poor Clare Nun. And there is another Poor Clare book you've all probably heard of The Right to be Merry by Mother Francis. That was also very good. I also read a book a long time ago. But I can't remember the title and wonder if anybody recognises it. It was probably translated from Spanish about a girl who tries her vocation in two Cistercian convents in I think Spain or perhaps France. She had to leave both times through ill health. It's a true story. I got it from the library and would love to read it again. But as I say it was quite a number of years ago. It was very uplifting and moving.

[Thomist-in-Training]

"Passion of Bernadette" is a great one! I confused it with "Song of Bernadette" so I didn't add it to the list. But for me it was really eye-opening to watch the sisters INSIDE the convent and see that they weren't all perfect from day one! Someone being catty to Bernadette--yes, somehow I found that reassuring--and Bernadette singing a song from her hometown as she does her chores, really struck a chord with me.

[MC IMaGiNaZUN]

[quote name='Thomist-in-Training' date='14 November 2009 - 09:38 AM' timestamp='1258209492' post='2002595']
"Passion of Bernadette" is a great one! I confused it with "Song of Bernadette" so I didn't add it to the list. But for me it was really eye-opening to watch the sisters INSIDE the convent and see that they weren't all perfect from day one! Someone being catty to Bernadette--yes, somehow I found that reassuring--and Bernadette singing a song from her hometown as she does her chores, really struck a chord with me.
[/quote]
Yeah a lot of the Passion of Bernadette really struck me. Her desire for complete union with Christ, her desire for imitation of the Pure Virgin, her desire to vanish from the thoughts and minds of the populous, and despite her desire for complete freedom in the vows, she reached out to those in need compassionately. I mean, I could go on for a long time. She was also very straightforward in speech, and was not too fond of all the proprieties of society of that day, not to say she wasnt a very kind and beautiful person.

[vee]

I think The Passion of the Christ is an excellent vocation movie and in a way the original vocation movie as well..

[tinytherese]

I like The Song of Bernadette, but as a faith film or Marian one, not for promoting vocations. I didn't like the way she chose to join the religious life. The movie made it look as if she only did it because her parish priest pressured into doing it because she was a visionary, meanwhile she had to say farewell to the man that she wanted to marry.

[Noemi]

One of my favourite vocation films are:
- Keeping the Faith
It is about a catholic priest and a Jewish rabbi who are friends. And once their beautiful classmate arrives from "the past"... How they deal with their vocation, celibacy, etc...

- La Vita é bella (Life is Beautiful)
About a Jewish man, who has got a huge faith and optimism! Also in really hard situations.

- Bruce Almighty
OK, a bit American-style, but Morgan Freeman did a really good job as playing God!
It's about Bruce Nolan (acted by Jim Carrey) who is a real looser. He works as a reporter and blames God because of the bad things. So, God gives all His power to Bruce, how can he deals with it. And he realises that being God is not as easy as he thought... funny but deep film.

[MithLuin]

Now that we're on to more secular movies, I'd have to say Spiderman/Spiderman 2. Obviously, it's not directly about vocations, but it is about decision making and relationships and responsibility. So, it can be related to vocations, even if it isn't [i]about[/i] vocations.

And [i]Lord of the Rings[/i]. Just because it's a great movie and you can find anything good in it, if you want to .

[melporcristo]

bump.

We need more movie ideas!

[PrayerSupporter]

The two documentaries by Ann and Jeanette Petrie about Mother Teresa are excellent.
The first one is simply titled Mother Teresa; the second one is Mother Teresa: The Legacy.
Both are available on DVD.

[CatherineM]

I was in our big Catholic book store today, and they put in a whole DVD section. I wanted one of each. My husband had to drag me out of there by my ears. It had every movie you guys have mentioned, plus all these sacramental prep ones. It was like going into a candy store.

[HisChild]

I love movies of saints and really good messages! I just want to waste an entire paycheck on them, you know?

[loveletslive]

and it always seems that saint movies are almost double the price of regular dvds... though i have found a few on ebay for 99cents so look there! or check if your parish has a dvd library you can borrow from. i also found a few at my public library

[DominicanPhilosophy]

[i]Into Great Silence [/i](I haven't actually seen this, but I've seen previews and heard great reviews.)[i][img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/signofcross.gif[/img]
Pope John Paul II [/i](with Jon Voight - okay, so he doesn't look anything like JPII, but the movie is still amazing!)[i][img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/pope.gif[/img]
Beloved [/i](My ND bias doesn't change the awesomeness and beauty of this documentary!)[i][img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/love.gif[/img]

[/i]And I just have to add that I totally agree with [i]The Sound of Music[/i] - after having just watched it for the first time in a while, I found it very enlightening. Every time I watch it, it touches me on a different level regarding discernment.

[BG45]

[i]The Mission[/i]. I originally saw it in a Sociology course to teach us how evil religion was when mixed with politics, and saw parts again during RCIA. Robert DeNiro's character starts as a slaver who kills his brother, and is then given a chance at penance by going with an order of missionaries to the same people he used to enslave. He forces himself to carry his old armor and weapons on his back as penance, despite the priests repeatedly telling him he didn't have to...and eventually once they reach the village, the natives cut off his bag of armor and weapons and throw it off a waterfall as a sign of forgiveness and acceptance he's changed. Over the course of the film, he realizes his vocational call to be more than an ex-slaver.

[TeresaBenedicta]

I just saw [i]Bells of St. Mary's[/i] for the first time last week and absolutely loved it!

I also second the St. John Bosco movie.