Hollywood got a holy spotlight on Saturday, November 15. In an event organized by the Vatican’s culture ministry, Pope Leo XIV gave a special speech on the impact of cinema, both past and present. Pope Leo is the first American-born Pope and was inaugurated on May 18. In attendance at this special event were some of the industry’s leading filmmakers and contributors, including Cate Blanchett, Spike Lee, Adam Scott, Viggo Mortensen, Judd Apatow, and organizers from TIFF and Sundance. Pope Leo had inspiring observations about the performance art of moving pictures, saying, “Entering a cinema is like crossing a threshold. In the darkness and silence, vision becomes sharper, the heart opens up and the mind becomes receptive to things not yet imagined.” He referred to the art form’s advent with pioneers like the Lumière brothers, who invented one of the first motion picture cameras, the Cinématographe. As the cinema celebrates its 130th anniversary, the beautiful blessing and special attention from Pope Leo are the best gifts it could have asked for. If you would like to read his address, it is available online, and you can also watch the footage on YouTube. For this article, we will take a look at the four films Pope Leo specifically mentioned as being his favorites (in no particular order). 4 ‘Ordinary People’ (1980) The only rated R film on the list, Ordinary People, is a drama directed by Robert Redford. The story is deeply profound as it involves the tragic death of the eldest son of a family that struggles to cope afterwards. Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore are phenomenal as the parents, and Timothy Hutton delivers a tour de force performance as the remaining son, Conrad. Judd Hirsch is essential as the psychiatrist Tyrone Berger, and there are many high-stakes scenes within the film. Ordinary People won four Oscars, including the prestigious Best Picture. Redford won for Best Director and Hutton for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Moore was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and her break from comedic performances, which she is most known for, proves she was a versatile and well-rounded actor. Ordinary People is a powerful examination of grief, guilt, and the desperate need for love and affection. As Pope Leo mentioned in his address: “One of cinema’s most valuable contributions is helping audiences consider their own lives, look at the complexity of their experiences with new eyes and examine the world as if for the first time.” 3 ‘The Sound of Music’ (1965) Pope Leo is in good company in choosing The Sound of Music; it was also a favorite of former US President Ronald Reagan. The 1965 Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein musical follows a young woman named Maria (Julie Andrews), who is tasked with caring for the seven children of a widowed naval officer after she struggles to acclimate to life at a convent. Maria had no intention of falling in love with Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer). They were almost enemies after she first arrived, with her free-spirited and joyful exuberance clashing with his resolute and disciplined demeanor. As she falls in love with not only Captain von Trapp but also his precious children, they all forge ahead together as a new family, full of love and appreciation for one another. Based on a true story, The Sound of Music is one of the best family movies of the 20th Century. It spent four years in cinemas, breaking records and surpassing the run of Gone with the Wind. It is also one of the only family films ever nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture to have won. There are truly impactful and resonating themes within the story that make it timeless. Good versus evil, right versus wrong, love versus hate, and many more. Not only does The Sound of Music feature an engaging cast, catchy music, and spectacular filming locations, but it also weaves in subplots about faith, courage, and hope. The nuns in the film play a pivotal role as they hide the von Trapp family and help them escape to safety, harkening back to the days when churches were sanctuaries for those seeking physical safety and political asylum. 2 ‘Life is Beautiful’ (1997) Life is Beautiful seems like a misnomer for a movie about one of the worst human atrocities in history. But it is exactly that unwavering hope and ability to look for the silver lining in the worst of situations that is the magic of the movie. Roberto Benigni stars as Guido, a husband and father who is taken with his young son Giosué (Giorgio Cantarini) to a Nazi concentration camp. In a deeply anguished and painfully exquisite stroke of genius, Guido decides to not only protect his son from the physical horrors around them, but the psychological ones as well. He invents a guise that they are playing a military game, and certain actions get them points, like being quiet and staying hidden. Life is Beautiful was nominated for seven Oscars and won for Best Foreign Language Film, Best Music, Original Dramatic Score, and Benigni won for Best Actor in a Leading Role. He was also nominated for Best Director, and the film was nominated for Best Picture in addition to winning for Best Foreign Language Film. Life is Beautiful has some truly amazing and profound acting moments. It conveys a message of hope and perseverance through the tenderest of lenses, and the precious and touching love of Guido for his son is nothing short of inspiring. It exemplifies the qualities that Pope Leo mentioned of the power of cinema to “rediscover a portion of the hope that is essential for humanity to live to the fullest.” 1 ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ (1946) One of the best movies of the Golden Age of Hollywood, It’s a Wonderful Life, proves that you should be careful what you wish for. George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) wishes he had never been born after reaching the end of his emotional and financial tether. In a unique and specific exercise of power, his guardian angel Clarence (Henry Travers) grants him his wish, and George immediately experiences a world that existed without him. This deliberate exercise teaches George the valuable lesson that he really did have a wonderful life, and how far-reaching a single person is, affecting others’ lives in ways they could never imagine. It’s a Wonderful Life is essential viewing, not just at Christmas, but any time of the year. It is a great example of the enduring quality of cinema. Nearly 80 years later, It’s a Wonderful Life is still as poignant and impactful as ever. Its themes of grace, forgiveness, and redemption are some of the best portrayed on the silver screen. It is also an example that while Hollywood is a lucrative industry, money isn’t everything. It’s a Wonderful Life bombed at the box office, and if you were merely looking at monetary gain, it would have been considered a failure. However, much like the main character, life took an unexpected turn, and success and richness were not measured in dollars, but in emotional influence and truths that resonated so soundly, they still ring true today.
https://collider.com/best-movies-of-all-time-pope-leo-xiv/