Movie Mondays: Wrestling with Religion
The Seattle Public Library wrote on its blog:
If you’re looking for a thoughtful examination of people wrestling with their religious convictions, these three DVDs are a great place to start:
Elmer Gantry (1960), based on the novel by Sinclair Lewis, is one of the most important and controversial films about religion ever made. Burt Lancaster stars in the title role as a charismatic traveling salesman who convinces Sister Sharon Falconer (Jean Simmons), a kind and honest evangelist who ministers with a positive spirit, that he’s also a preacher and that he can increase the size of the flock with fire and brimstone sermons (which he does). …
Higher Ground (2011) is a moving portrait of one woman’s struggle with faith. Vera Farmiga both directs and stars in the film, where she plays Corinne Walker, who strives mightily to believe – in God, in faith, in her church – with the same conviction as her husband, best friend, and close-knit community. …
If you’re looking for a true account of one person’s journey to find – and ultimately reject – faith, try Letting Go of God. This is a one-woman show stars comedienne Julia Sweeney, as she recounts how a visit by two young Mormon men – who she initially dismissed – caused her to reacquaint herself with her Catholicism and the Bible in particular. …
