Hearts in Atlantis

Another fairy-tale (?) about how deeply two human beings from completely different age groups were able to connect once upon a time, not so long ago…

Luther

Where would we be without Luther? Where would we be if he hadn’t had the guts? And where would we be if God wouldn’t have been on his side to protect him, as He always does for those who do His job of telling an un-welcome truth in a world governed by lies…

As Good As It Gets

Another one on old grouch becomes pleasant type. If you can ignore the “queers are the nice guys” message, you’ll enjoy this one.

Shallow Hal

Pretty good comedy about not looking on the outward appearance, but someone's soul and true self.

Powder

Regardless of the controversy around the director of this film and the homosexuality issue, I still think this movie is one of the strongest statements describing human bias and bigotry versus anything and anybody who dares to be different, no matter how innocent. Certainly the fact that John the disciple was lying on Jesus' breast during the last supper would be frowned on by the same type of people who criticize this movie, the same type of people who live uner the illusion that they would treat Jesus any better than He was treated the first time around. They still didn't get the point, and God only knows if they ever will.

Finding Forrester

It is my personal hope that there are kids like the one in this movie actually around somewhere…

Life or Something Like It

This is another movie that shows how swiftly things can change once God puts the heat on.

K-Pax

Kevin Spacey as an inmate of an asylum, whose body appaears to be occupied by an extra-terrestrial, who promptly takes off with it…

What Women Want

I love this movie, because I'd love to know better what makes women tic. And I live in hopes that some day we're going to find out and with time we might develop the necessary skill (and interest?) to understand the fairer sex. It's certainly one thing on my "to learn" list.

I Am Sam

The spirit of this movie is, “All you need is love!” It’s the most important thing, and the only thing that really matters – if you really want to live, that is.

Pay It Forward

Certainly a classic on “how do I change my world?”

Mr. Holland's Opus

Beautiful story about a rather ordinary school teacher who foregoes the opportunity to run off with a younger girl and live out his dream to become a writer in favor of keeping investing his life into those of his students, and who lives to see some of the dividends of his sacrifice.

The Kid

Neat little American fairy-tale with a far-out, "anything - is - possible” plot: Meet yourself as a little kid!

Patch Adams

Great movie based on a true story, even though the actual Patch Adams seems to be slightly less idealistic than finance-oriented these days.

Grey Owl

A nice example of how a greater good can sometimes be achieved by a lesser evil, such as that of pretending to be something you're not. This white man posing as an Indian did more good for the Indian culture and the preservation of not only their lands, than they ever could have achieved for themselves at that time. One of my favorite roles by Pierce Brosnan.

Legend of Bagger Vance

Amazingly enough, this magical movie directed by Robert Redford is based on an ancient Hindu book, and somehow manages to translate whatever is worth keeping of that philosophy into the language of the 20th century West. The message - not only for golfers - behind the movie is (actually, similar to that of "Tarzan 2," which could have been based on Bagger Vance), to find your own, personal "shwingggg" to get you through life...

Hurricane

While there is some controversy as to whether Hurricane Carter was really innocent or not (at least there are some voices on the web claiming he's not), certainly the movie is worth watching. What's really amazing about it is that it shows that anyone can be used to change to world, even a young teenager. Also a great truth is brought out in the movie, which is, "We don't find the book we should read, but they find us," and perhaps in some ways that also applies to movies (unless we get so addicted and watch just about anything).

One of the outstanding lessons of the movie for me personally, though, is the fact that you can find total liberty and freedom inside a prison cell, because its overcoming our own demons that will truly liberate us.

Green Mile

Film that leaves you hoping for the true justice of the world to come, where the condemned innocent in this life receive their reward and the truly guilty ones meet theirs. Just too bad we only learn so little from all these lessons.

Life as a House

What's beautiful about this movie is that it shows that no matter if you lived the main bulk of your life in the meaningless treadmill most people do, it's never too late to wake up, never too late to change, never too late for love.

Lion King

I specially like this Disney production because of the blatant allegory of the true king and his son and the evil usurper.

Signs

For the vast part of the first time I watched this movie I was shaking my head about what nonsense my friend had dragged me along to waste my hard-earned money on seeing. But that's how life sometimes goes. You wonder for years, "What the heck am I doing here?" and all of a sudden, within the final 10 minutes, everything starts making sense.

Matrix

Even after 9 years, this one still tops them all in my book. Probably because during those nine years I have discovered more and more areas in which we're massively being lied to and deceived, very close to the extent the plot of the movie goes, in which humans live in a made-up world by those who simply want to manipulate, control and exploit them and use them as batteries. No other movie has been able to give me a clearer vision of what our task in life is, if we're not part of the System and refused to be duped by the machines. It isn't always easy, and it isn't always pretty, but at least we've got the truth, and the truth is that anything is possible.

The Truman Show

I like dropout movies. And the scene where Truman opens the door that will lead him to freedom beyond everything he had known to be reality this far is a classic. Wish there were more folks around with half the guts of Truman.

Shakespeare in Love

One of the great love films of our times.
While historical accuracy isn’t the film’s aim, I wouldn’t know how the spirit of Shakespeare could have been conveyed to a new generation any better way.

Conspiracy Theory

Surprising movie in which the idiot who believes all the conspiracy theories (Mel Gibson) actually turns out to be right about (at least some of) them…