When I go to the wasteland of Netflix or Amazon, I usually end up choosing nothing. I am compiling this list so that you can have at least the names of some films that uplift rather than denigrate human consciousness.
I am defining a movie as mythic if it demonstrates spiritual principles, illuminates, uplifts, reveals, piques, or evokes conscious awareness. Due to my own sensitivities, I have tried to eliminate and/or note those films with violence unless it was not gratuitous and was a part of the revelation in the myth.
If you have other films you wish to have added to this list, please email me with their exact titles and a short blurb like these. I will view them and add them to future versions of this list.
Lion
2016
A miraculously moving film about loss and survival of a 5 year old in India and his quest to find his original family in India after he grows up as an adopted child in Australia. AWESOME!
Mr. Church
2016
A very unassuming film that touches the core of what “family†actually is and the nature of unconditional love as a lived reality. This film shines a brilliant light on the apotheosis that can be found in death and loss.
The Man Who Knew Infinity
2015
A deeply moving film about an Indian genius mathematician S Ramanujin, who, in his purity and innocence, received his mathematical formula’s directly from the Divine. It is a tale of epic poignancy and beauty. Don’t miss it!
All Movies Alphebetically
2002
Rabbit Proof Fence
A very moving performance about an aboriginal girl escaping a government school and her journey to return to her roots in the Australian the outback.
1992
Radio Flyer
A movie about the natural sensitivity, wisdom and ally-ship of children. About animal totems and guardians energies. The seven great truths we forget from childhood are explored, the most important of which is that we can fly which is the central theme. Awesome acting from the two child protagonists. (There are also several difficult scenes about child and animal abuse.)
1988
Rain Man
The unraveling of how a being who sustained great childhood wounding relates to the world as an “idiot savantâ€.
1991
Regarding Henry
A story of destiny stepping in to totally change someone’s life path. Difficult lessons teaching one to follow the path of the heart.
2005
Rent
An amazing rock musical about life in bohemian east village NY, but unlike most musicals, has a satisfying plot line.
2016
Resurrection
A close up view of the gift and difficulties presented by one woman’s paranormal ability to heal others.
2005
Riding Alone For Thousands Of Miles
This Chinese subtitled movie is well worth seeing as a journey of forgiveness between father and son.
1969
Ring Of Bright Water
A family story about a pet otter. Beautiful filming.
1991
Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead
This is a surrealistic look at Hamlet through the eyes of two minor characters who represent the right and the left brain’s approach to life. The fool, or right brain, goes through life discovering the principles of physics “by accidentâ€. While the left brain, thinking mind, dismisses them as unimportant. Watch for the word “tennis matchâ€, it’s my favorite part and this is my favorite movie!
1998
Run Lola Run
Like GROUNDHOG’S DAY, this keeps running a particular day over and over showing how changing one choice creates a totally different outcome.
2004
Saint Ralph
A sweet story about a 13 year old boy who wants a miracle for his mother who is in a coma, and because someone tells him it would take a miracle for him to win the Boston Marathon, he trains for it because he so believes he will win to create that miracle.
2013
Saving Mr. Banks
This film is ostensibly about the back story of how the movie Mary Poppins came into being, but what it is brilliant at demonstrating is how our childhood wounding can be healed with awareness, compassion and mutual vulnerability.
1988
Scrooged
A film about how a boy became an uncompassionate, cold, unfeeling adult, and how he finally found compassion and feeling for others through living life lovingly every day, not just at Christmas. (Best fairy telling the truth award!)
2003
Seabiscuit
This unforgettable film shows hope for anyone wishing to have a second chance.
1991
Search For Signs Of Intelligent Life In The Universe
Lily Tomlin’s brilliant and witty look at alien life forms.
2003
Secondhand Lions
This very funny film is about two old, cranky men in the backwoods. It is about not judging a book by it’s cover and the value of real love.
2008
Seven Pounds
An incredible look at someone dealing with karma from this life time, in this lifetime , rather than waiting until the next. Some disturbing elements, not good for children.
1997
Seven Years In Tibet
Study of personal growth with a mountaineer who is allowed to befriend the young Dalai Lama and what happens during the Communist regime.
1998
Shakespeare In Love
A look at the Romeo & Juliet theme of unrequited love.
2015
Shine
This galvanizing performance of a deeply troubled Australian piano protégé details his rise and fall with fame and his eventual redemption in love.
1989
Shirley Valentine
A very funny film about critical choice points and how we are always at choice no matter how stuck, routine, or boring life may seem to have become.
1972
Siddhartha
The story of one man’s mythic quest to discover the meaning of his spiritual life. very slow, more like a painting than a movie.
1972
Silent Running
A movie about artificial earth environments in space due to the destruction of the Earth about taking responsibility and destiny into one’s own hands.
1998
Simon Birch
A poignant look at being “different†and having faith that that difference serves your soul purpose, no matter the appearance. Very touching about the nature of true friendship as well!
2016
Slam
About the poet Saul Williams in his life as a street rapper. Cameo’s of his brilliance as a poet.
2006
Snow Cake
An interesting look at an autistic adult, whose unusual perspective brings to light how strangely we are socialized to behave as “normal†folks.
1999
Snow Falling On Cedars
This Japanese film focuses on the trial of a Japanese American for murder. It has some of the most beautiful footage of the budding love between two young people.
1983
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Merging realities, facing fears, issues concerning father/son relationships, what is real and what isn’t the power we give illusions.
2003
Something’S Gotta Give
A performance by Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton that so hilariously points out the differences in values of older love affairs and young and old affairs,A very engaging clash between these archetypes of young and old.
2010
Spirited Away
Japanese anime filmmaker looks at fear and gluttony and how the choices we make effect our reality. (Some disturbing and grotesque imagery. )
1984
Splash
..a mermaid myth and her perceptions of our strange Western cultural reality.
2003
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring
It has been a long time since the sheer beauty of a movie has brought me to tears. A deeply spiritual film that looks at loneliness and accountability. The lessons learned are both simple and enigmatic.
1979
Star Trek 1,2,3,4,5
Duality and some fairly accurate aspects of mythic reality. (#6 not recommended)
1984
Starman
A story about a delightful alien being who tries to “grok†the weird culture in which we live. From this fresh perspective we see how distorted Westerns values are.
1974
Steppenwolf
One alienated man’s search for meaning presents alternative realities in the magic theater of the Self. (Herman Hesse)
2006
Stranger Than Fiction
This movie looks at the interface between an author’s mind and what s/he is writing and characters in 3D reality. Though this is totally fictional, it does bring up the point of accountability concerning what writers write.
1998
Sukhavati
With Joseph Campbell narrating. Speaking of the Divine Feminine and how it has been venerated over time. A good documentary.
1984
Sword Of The Valiant
A myth about the Celtic Lord of the Greenwood. Hookey,but a good myth.
2010
Temple Grandin
A touching film about the triumph of an autistic girl and her Mother who loved her beyond all reason, into wholeness and functionality in the world.
1989
The Abyss
About extra-terrestrial beings living under the sea and about the power of love.
1986
The Adventures Of Milo And Otis
A family film about a dog named Otis who sets out to rescue his lifelong friend, a cat named Milo. (Japanese) very touching.
2011
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
A sweet movie that takes place in India whose theme is breaking cultural patterns and prejudices, believing in oneself and ones dreams and supporting each other’s lives.
1999
The Big Kahuna
A fascinating look at a jaded, sarcastic, male character and how he brilliantly uses language to project, blame and avoid feelings, which has a beautiful apotheosis and blossoming into vulnerability and love by the end.
1986
The Boy Who Could Fly
About believing in magic and valuing special abilities and differences in each of us.
1948
The Boy With Green Hair
An exploration of a young, war orphan’s experience as his hair changes colors, about outcasts, and belonging.
2010
The Buddha
A clear look at the life of the Buddha and what he went through to finally perceive reality as it is,in an evocative style of pastiche with interviews, paintings and sculptures, animation..
1990
The Burning Times
An in depth documentary about the witch burnings in Europe.
1991
The Butchers Wife
A delightful comedy about the ups and downs of a country-raised clairvoyant,misunderstanding accolades and happy endings. Her words, “what I say is not always what people hear†are delivered with punch to an intellectual psychiatrist who counterpoints her simplicity and heart-knowing. A very entertaining and engaging movie.
2006
The Celestine Prophecy
This is an energy 101R film, that beyond its thin duality plot, genuinely educates in a very simple way, the nature of how our subtle energy fields affect each other and about developing intuition and looking at a soul level, at the issue of why we are attracted to someone.
2005
The Chronicles Of Narnia
An entrance into alternate realities and parallel worlds. Aslan, the lion is stunning!
1991
The Doors
An up dated Dionysian myth about the initiation of a magician/high priest in the form of a rock musician who did not know how to ground the potent archetypal energies that flowed through him and had no mythic peers to truly understand who he was, so living out the end of the Dionysian myth in a self destructive tragedy.
1989
The Dream Team
Four mental patients are taken on a field trip into NYC. Delightful and funny performances.
2006
The Fall
An amazingly visually inspiring movie, miraculously catching and segueing the fantasy and “real life†of two hospital patients, 4 year old and a gentleman artist. Touching, brilliant acting.
1991
The Fisher King
A brilliant modern interpretation of the quest for the Grail myth that includes mythic soul healing and a focus on how our destinies are mythically interwoven.
2006
The Fountain
While Mel Gibson’s movie APOCALYPSE totally distorted the Mayan view of the times we’re moving into, in contra distinction, this low budget film brilliantly points to our now walking on the Road of Awe ~ Xibalbabih ~ at this time in human history. An in depth look at multiple lives, dimensionality and “deathâ€.
2001
The Gathering
This astounding documentary takes us on a heart journey with the Aboriginal whale dreamers in their fight to regain their sacred lands from which to call the whales.
1980
The Gods Must Be Crazy
A silly film about how one Coke bottle became a symbol that altered a whole tribe’s experience of life. Shows the preciousness and purity of the Aboriginal way of life. (the sequel not recommended)
1983
The Golden Seal
A human’s love for a non-human companion and the gifts shared between them. Magic and respect for all life.
2021
The Green Knight
An enigmatic, slow moving experience of the Medieval myth of the Green Knight (drawing from the Celtic Green Man myth). This myth is a tale of initiation, in this case testing a knight’s honor. The violence in it felt like a theatrical contrivance that didn’t wrench guts with its veracity. Along the path, the initiate meets with the feminine whose “cut off head” he has to symbolically retrieve at the bottom of a lake. The director took many liberties in the interpretation of this ancient myth including the way it ended. But its lush cinematic beauty made it worth it.
2014
The Imitation Game
A film ostensibly about code breaking in world war II, however one line in it described for me, what it was really about,“How can you believe anything anyone says, when no one is actually saying what they really mean?†A film questioning the use of language to communicate.