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Film-Watching as a
Spiritual Practice
© 2007 Corinne McLaughlin
Ever since I can remember I’ve loved good films, not only for their
entertainment value, but also because the best ones have touched my soul.
Have you ever had the experience of walking out of a movie theater in a
different state of consciousness than when you entered? After watching a
film, I often experience more detachment about my own life, and am able to
observe myself and my own personality patterns more clearly. Occasionally
I even feel motivated to make important changes in my life. It’s sometimes
like a good meditation—the type where you practice becoming a detached
witness, observing your thoughts, feelings, and sensations.
Am I serious??? Can a good movie be like a meditation? Well, that’s been
my experience--especially a more conscious film with an engaging story
that’s artfully produced. I love to explore what spiritual teachings the
film might be offering. Good acting is key, as it helps me identify with a
character in the film. Or
it helps me better understand and appreciate someone in my own life who
reminds me of the character.
Or maybe the film portrays a model of behavior that I’m trying to
learn. For years, my husband and I have enjoyed
discussing films we’ve seen, both with each other and with friends.
A couple of years ago, I decided to create a spiritual film group to watch
feature-length, Hollywood-type films that I’ve been inspired by. With
local video stores and Netflix.com making films so accessible, it’s been
very easy to find most of what I’m looking for. Our film group now meets
every 4 to 6 weeks in Marin, just north of San Francisco. Different
members offer to host the films in their homes each time, and we all bring
drinks or snacks like popcorn to share. Sometimes members suggest new
films none of us have seen, and we often brainstorm popular ones we’d like
to see again together. A wonderful sense of community has developed from
our gatherings. You might want to organize a similar spiritual film group
with your friends.
After the film, we talk about the spiritual message of the film, such as
the importance of listening to your heart, staying present in the moment,
appreciating the interconnection of all life, and learning from past karma
and mistakes. Especially potent is the portrayal of the indomitable human
spirit triumphing over suffering and oppression—the spark of inner
Divinity. So many popular movies are really in essence about
self-development and transformation—through the healing power of
love.
What films do we show? Sometimes they’re stories about great spiritual
teachers: Jesus of Nazareth, directed by Zeffirelli, the best film
ever made about Jesus; The Messenger, with Anthony Quinn, about the
life of Mohammed; The Little Buddha, with Bridget Fonda; Brother
Sun/Sister Moon, the life of St. Frances, by Zeffirelli, or the
ancient priestesses of early Britain in The Mists of Avalon.
Recently we really enjoyed deeper metaphysics taught in The Celestine
Prophecy, based on James Redfield’s internationally best selling
novel.
We’ve also found profound teachings in humorous metaphysical films, such
as the cult classics I Love Huckabees with Dustin Hoffman and Lily
Tomlin, Groundhog Day with Bill Murray, and Defending Your Life
with Meryl Streep. We’ve found many deeper spiritual teachings in
so-called children’s films like A Wrinkle in Time and The Dark
Crystal with Jim Henson’s puppets.
Sometimes we’ve all met at a theater to see the first run of a new film
that’s not out on DVD yet, films based on best-selling new consciousness
books such as The Peaceful Warrior with Nick Nolte (written by Dan
Millman); Conversations with God (by Neale Donald Walsch); or
documentaries such as Words of My Perfect Teacher about
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche or An Inconvenient Truth with Al Gore.
Stephen Simon, producer of the mystical film, What Dreams May Come,
co-founded a company called Spiritual Cinema created a membership
club where independently produced films as well as shorts are mailed to
members each month, which they can then keep. This club has now grown to
over 20,000 members in 70 countries around the world. So many people are
realizing the value of spiritual films. Certainly this is not news to
Christian fundamentalist churches, as they discovered the popularity of
showing “family films” with religious themes in their churches and
creating a buzz about them.
For the first time in the 50 years since I’ve been watching the Oscars (my
grandfather was a member of the Motion Picture Academy), all the films
nominated for Best Picture made a strong political statement. And all
were produced by smaller independent film companies. This is a truly
amazing breakthrough. The growing recognition of message-based feature
films is a most encouraging sign of the higher purpose of films.
The good news is that with the easy availability of downloading films on
your computer, your cell phone, your iPod, or renting them from Netflix or
Blockbuster—there’s a whole new universe of inspiration available! And
the market is of course more than happy to respond to the increasing
popularity of any product. So why not help make high quality spiritual
films more popular by introducing them to your friends in a spiritual film
group.
Corinne McLaughlin is Executive Director of the Center for Visionary
Leadership and co-author of Spiritual Politics and Builders of
the Dawn.
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