Against The Grain

Monday, August 16, 2004

National Catholic Register's "Top Ten Pro-Catholic Movies"

National Catholic Register polled 1,000 Catholics to find 100 pro-Catholic films (that is to say, films that "most celebrate Catholic life"). Here are the top 10:

1. The Passion of the Christ (2004)
2. The Sound of Music (1985)
3. A Man For All Seasons (1966)
4. The Song of Bernadette (1943)
5. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
6. The Ten Commandments (1956)
7. The Scarlet and the Black (1983)
8. Jesus of Nazareth (1977)
9. Schindler’s List (1993)
10. The Bells of St Mary’s (1945)

The entire list of 100 movies is printed in the fall issue of Faith & Family magazine, available now. The poll yielded some interesting statistics, according to the Register:

The Passion of the Christ received more votes than the next three finalists combined.

Schindler’s List landed in the top 10 even though it’s not usually thought of as a pro-Catholic movie. It’s the story of Oskar Schindler, a devout Catholic who was motivated by his faith to protect the Jews.

Mel Gibson has three films on the list: The Passion, Braveheart, and We Were Soldiers.

One of the films high on the list, Thèrése, received many votes even though it hasn’t yet been released in theaters.

A film based on the Holy Father’s script "The Jeweler’s Shop" made the list.

And I can't say this comes as a suprise:

Of the 100 films, only 16 were made within the past decade