My favorite must-see movies

Last week I promised a list of "movies you must see." The timing was perfect - the kids and I kicked off our summer movie viewing this week. I often find that children's films and books have the most poignant spiritual themes.

We went on Friday to the opening day of "UP," the new film from Disney/Pixar. People Magazine's Leah Rozen gave the movie four stars, and I wish I had read their review before attending; it states, "Early on, a montage shows the long arc of Carl and Ellie's marriage, poignantly - and wordlessly - illustrating how life's everyday shared moments (housecleaning, meals, a picnic) end up mattering the most. I challenge you not to tear up."

Without the heads up from People, I found myself at this sweet film with ten kids and four other moms. All the moms were sitting in one row, and we spent the first ten minutes of the movie sobbing and laughing. The ridiculousness of sitting in a kid's movie with tears plummeting down your face, the unexpected bittersweet start, and the turning around of the ten kids to see what was going on - we could hardly cry for giggling. The tissues were pulled out of purses and my friend Lisa looks at me and my friend Alison and says, "What is this all about?" It didn't end there; a good bit of sniffing, blubbering, and choking went on throughout the movie.

But, as they say, it was a "good kind of cry." The children agreed afterward that the movie was sad, but also wonderfully tender. No one could stop chatting about it. The beauty of the film is drawn around an intergenerational relationship between young boy and old man. I don't want to give away any more than I already have - I hate plot spoilers - but the intimacy of the film drew me in. I left with a deep sense of how much we all need each other, what a difference we can all make in the world. And, I left sensing the heaviness of carrying, dragging, and holding onto bitterness, resentment, and pain. When the time is right, and not a moment sooner, we may find we can release what burdens us, or even what has gifted us - the film gives examples of positive and negative ways to do both.

Don't let a movie like "UP" pass you by this summer. It is just another example of finding the sacred in the ordinary, if only we open our eyes and our hearts. And don't let a few tears hold you back - you may find a cathartic release in the sweetness of such an inspiring little film. There is something in it for all ages, which is a welcome relief in a culture overburdened with separating people as often as we can.

This isn't just a "Wisdom Movie Review." As with the books last week, it is more of an invitation to seeing things in a different light, and allowing yourself to be moved. There are so many others I'd love to recommend, so here are some of my favorite must-see movies. View with a spiritual lens and enjoy!
"Crash"
"Gran Torino"
"The Iron Giant"
"The Secret Life of Bees"
"Slumdog Millionaire"
"Contact"
"Doubt"
"The Shawshank Redemption"
"Luther"
"Life is Beautiful"
"Chocolat"
"Elizabeth" (both films)
"Bruce Almighty" & "Evan Almighty"
"Pleasantville"

Happy viewing! Happy summer!

In Wisdom,
Brandi Calhoun Diamond