Finding spirituality in any movie you watch

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Well, this is probably one of the few times of the year when writing an entertainment article with a title like that won’t leave readers scratching their heads or wondering, “What the **** is he or she talking about?” Or wondering if they may have accidentally gone to the wrong section of the website? Haha….

However, if you’re from the Philippines, where I believe the majority of us still believe in God, Jesus, angels, miracles, and in living a life that follows the Ten Commandments, it is perfectly acceptable to write about topics like this, and that goes double in that sentiment when it is this time of the year, I believe, anyway.

Now, to be clear, even if you don’t believe in any of that, as long as you live a good life, I think you’ll be fine no matter what. I mean, who are we to judge, right? Not everyone is the same, but we are all human, and that is where our most unifying factor begins, in my humble opinion.

This reminds me of what I previously said in the second paragraph, speaking of the Ten Commandments. I’ve got to follow the Ninth Commandment. I have wanted to say for some time that I consider my entertainment column (MusicMatters) to be a PG-13-rated entertainment column, if such a classification exists. If not, I will be the first to declare it because, honestly, I speak the whole truth. I present it at a ground level, and I have never sugar-coated anything. I say things as they are, in black and white. I am a passionate entertainment columnist, I am anti-woke, and occasionally, there will be asterisks present for obvious reasons because that is what being real is.

Maybe I should start putting an indicator or warning or something in the top right corner with each new entertainment article of mine. Haha….

READ: ‘The Chosen: Last Supper,’ movie about Jesus’ public life, gets PG rating from MTRCB

Well, at least I am self-aware that anyone can read this; that is why I do that. But do know that when I write, I mean to make you think, to inform you, and to entertain you as well. I think I have made my first public declaration of sorts! I am happy about that; now, I can fully move forward with my authentic writing style because whether you like or dislike the way I do things, at least I am who I am, and that fact about me does matter, and today is the right time to say all of these things.

Now, in Holy Week, we all have ways to reflect, think on how to be even better people than we already are, and, of course, be with family. And, I mean your real family, not “family, family.” You know what I mean by that because, in the end, blood is thicker than water. During holy week itself, that proves that because you pray more than usual, you attend mass more. When it comes to entertainment, you lean towards more spiritual movies or movies that have that meaningful significance in them, which are the best things to watch because, honestly, we need some reprieve from all the violence, wokeness, crappiness, filthiness, and godliness that some movies have now, whether intentionally or by accident. And, in the case of the latter part, you might as well sit through it, especially if you are in the cinemas.

So, honestly, some form of cleansing can be done besides the traditional ways of hearing mass, praying with family, and continuing to live a life that is worthy of being called Christian or Catholic. And that is to watch movies that are morally uplifting and something that reminds you of the goodness in life, and that there are movies that go beyond their normal billing because of how they have resonated with moviegoers, and that all boils down to the movie having any semblance of spirituality in it.

But first, I want to point out that it is often a mistake to dismiss a movie solely for its obvious attributes: its genre, actors, themes, and so on. However, once you watch it, you might uncover unexpected elements, such as spirituality, that you didn’t realize it had. In many respects, it is only through immersing yourself in the movie experience that you can recognize its deeper qualities that extend beyond the initial impression. This is why different moviegoers interpret films in various ways, as perceptions are shaped by individual opinions.

To that effect, I have listed below some of the movies that I have watched in different stages of my life that come to mind right now that I find to have that spirituality, and almost all of them at first, you may not assume any of that, but if you pay close attention, you can see it does have it. The point is, not everything you see is exactly that, and, to each his own, as they say. It can be a scene, it can be a single moment, or it can be practically the entirety of the movie that made you have that ruling, whatever it may be. Once you see it, feel it, and, more importantly, sense it—the latter is the most crucial of all—then you can bet for damn sure it has it.

To me, these are the aforementioned movies, and you must remember, columnists, writers, reporters, and anyone from the more literate, observant, and analytical side of mainstream media see things differently. With that said, these are some of my picks that immediately come to mind: The Exorcist, The Punisher (2004), Fantasia, Major Payne, Signs, The Sound of Music, Kindergarten Cop, The Conjuring, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Robocop, Taken, Mad Dog and Glory, Midnight Run, Aliens, Heart and Souls, Independence Day, Free Willy, Rocky, Rocky Balboa, Star Wars: A New Hope, Rambo (2008), and The Magnificent Seven (2016).

Now, let me ask you, the reader: What are some of the movies you guys have watched throughout your life that made you feel that spirituality in them?

Enjoy the rest of Holy Week!