Family Movie Night

We've seen a few really good inspirational movies via Netflix.com this past week:

Monsieur Vincent (1947) - So much more than just a story about a saint's life(Saint Vincent DePaul). This has got to be the best movie I have ever seen. It's in French with English subtitles, but don't let that stop you from watching this movie. I watched it on my computer so that I could read the subtitles better. The writing is fabulous, and what's so fascinating is that this movie shows how in some ways human nature has remained unchanged since the 17th century. Many of the same issues of "life", poverty, cultural constraints, and freedom remain unchanged today. This is a story of Christian witness and the difference people(not the government) can make in a country. Christ's message is clear in the movie, we are responsible for each other. Against this message lies the difficult political landscape of 17th century France, and the ruling class response to the poor as a blight to be institutionalized, and "taken care of".

Some parts of this movie concerning poverty and children are disturbing, so it's probably best watched by older children.

Intelligent and not preachy, this is a must see movie if you are interested in taking a spiritual journey. This is a movie that can be enjoyed by people of all faiths because of it's universal theme of compassion.

Check out the reviews at Netflix and at DecentFilms.com

August Rush (2007)- This was such an awesome movie, and quite moving emotionally. There are some adult themes(pregnancy out of wedlock), but no sex scenes or bad language. Although not mentioned in the review below, there is also a life affirming Christian theme. My favorite part of the movie is when August wanders into a church which becomes a turning point for his life. He receives sanctuary there and is befriended by a little girl he meets after happening upon gospel choir practice. Her presence is a bit like an angel, and we can see God working in his life through her eyes.

Amazon review: "Music has long been considered a universal language with the power to bring people together, but can the simple act of playing music possibly unite a child with a mother and father who live in two different cities and don't even know of the child's existence? Having shared one extraordinary night, classical cellist Lyla Novacek (Keri Russell) and Irish singer and songwriter Louis Connelly (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) were a union meant to be that was torn apart by circumstances and a protective father (William Sadler). After eleven years, both Lyla and Louis have given up performing only to find that they are unhappy and searching for a sense of fulfillment that will ultimately lead both artists back to music and performing. Evan (Freddie Highmore) is an 11-year old orphan who's grown up hearing music in everything around him and is convinced that his real parents want him and will find him with the help of music. Driven by his innate musical genius and a powerful compulsion to perform before the world, Evan runs away from the orphanage and is initially taken in by a street man known as Wizard (Robin Williams) who encourages his musical talent and renames him August Rush and, later, by a local priest who arranges for August to receive a Julliard education. August is a child prodigy who excels beyond even the wildest expectations and earns the opportunity of a lifetime--a chance to perform in front of an enormous audience in New York's Central Park. The question is; can his performance possibly reach the audience August really craves? While elements of this film are completely unbelievable (take August's instant prowess on the guitar or his immediate and sophisticated grasp of musical notation and musical theory), the message of the universality of music and the notion that "the music is all around us, all you have to do is listen" is both compelling and powerful. --Tami Horiuchi "

The sound track was pretty decent as well. Listen to samples here: August Rush: Music From The Motion Picture