How do filmmakers explore spiritual and moral values? What does a film say about our place in the cosmos? Are issues of ethics and social conflict dealt with realistically? Are the characters well-rounded ones who struggle with their decisions? Are violence and sex seen as complex, rather than in black and white terms and potentially deadening to the soul? Does a film show the consequences of violence and sometimes even suggest an alternative?
Of the several hundred films released during 2011 the following ten were chosen because they do more than just entertain us. They explore the life worth living, and even celebrate the human spirit.
Some will be found on the lists of the secular critics ― six of the top 10 here are Academy Awards “Best Picture” nominees, announced today (Jan. 24) ― but others will be less familiar. Although aesthetics and box office success are considered, the spiritual content of the film is paramount in these rankings.
Art is maddeningly dynamic. It does not, and will not, mean the same thing to one person as it does to another.