Colson's List of 50 Insightful Films (with an extra list thrown in)

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[Tribune7]

Hey, it had a G3 chip.

[Mr. Silverback]

Wrath of Khan was awesome, and they didn't make a Star Trek movie that good again until First Contact.

[Mr. Silverback]

Groundhog day is one of my favorite films, and Signs is not only very well done, it has a wonderful message when everything comes together in the last scenes.

[Mr. Silverback]

You're added!

[Aquinasfan]

Good list from Chuck.

[Mr. Silverback]

Groundhog Day does have a good message overall, is hilarious, and is one of my favorites. I could watch it again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again...

[Mr. Silverback]

The 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice (A&E) is possibly my favorite movie of all time. I admit that it's a chick flick,

I was quite encouraged when the wave of Jane Austin flicks came out. Not my cup of tea, but anytime somebody's making stuff with good morals like that, I'm cheering.

[Alberta's Child]

I'm kind of surprised that Colson didn't include Breaker Morant on his list. It's a great historical drama with a compelling message about the nature of humanity and warfare -- and represents what is perhaps the greatest public smack-down of the British Empire since the American Revolution.

(see the bottom of my profile page for some of the greatest "courtroom dialogue" you'll see on the Big Screen)

[steve-b]

26. War of the Worlds (1953, no rating). The antidote to 1996's Independence Day.
What was wrong with Independence Day?

Worse, Colson's description is rather facile -- the reverent conclusion that God created the microorganisms that killed the Martians merely invites the question of where He was when the Martians invaded in the first place. (Of course, this is an ancient philosophical dilemma in countless real-world situations, and a parent who thinks that this movie offers a "moral lesson" with this conclusion had better have some sort of answer for it.)

[Aquinasfan]

The most heart-warming and humane movie that I've ever seen, and my personal favorite, is "My Life as a Dog." It doesn't have an overtly Christian theme, but it's an uplifting movie that tackles the mystery of suffering, particularly the suffering of innocents.

[Mr. Silverback]

The key scene to me was when Nemo was in the fish tank, and the pelican was telling about his father's exploits while searching for him, and Nemo said, "My dad took on a shark?", and the pelican replied, "I heard he took on three."

Oh yeah, that was so cool!

[Little Pig]

Just so you know, LOTR is not a parable, allegory, or anything else (other than a really good story). Tolkein was adamant about that. He intended the whole Middle-Earth cycle (Silmarillion, Hobbit, LOTR, etc) to be a substitute for the body of mythology that England never had (having been basically erased by the Normans). Yes, he was a strong Christian, and his storys reflect his point of view, but they are not anything more than storys.

[steve-b]

Me too although I like Spiderman II better.

True, but from the viewpoint of the original post, the first movie with the retelling of the origin story (as an example of bad things happening when you can't be bothered to do the right thing) is more relevant.

[Family Guy]

You must be a wonderful husband, to love a chick flick like that!

Capriole, you're very sweet to say that! Thank you. You sound like a kind, intelligent, strong, conservative woman...every intelligent man's fantasy.

My wife and I both love this film. There's a lot more to it than a great romance. My favorite line in the film is, "What do we live for but to make sport for our neighbors, and to laugh at them in our turn."

[Clemenza]

Where is La Dolce Vita? That film is the ultimate critique of a Godless society, in the case of LDV, Rome in the 1960s.

[KC Burke]

Many list Whit Stillman as a great conservative film maker. Try this review for some insight to his films beginning with Metropolitan.

[Mr. Silverback]

I'm surprised he didn't include "A Walk to Remember."

I haven't seen it. Keep in mind the list of 50 is from 1997. Wasn't "Walk" made after that?

[Varda]

Wrath of Khan and First Contact are two films that should be on this list just for the "Moby Dick" quotes and themes about vengence.

[Nea Wood]

Ping to print later.

[what's up]

The Scarlet and the Black with Gregory Peck...a great religious film.

Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson...the best!