Hendricks Gay - Spiritual cinema: a guide to movies that inspire, heal, and empower your life

Hay House Titles of Related Interest

ASK AND IT IS GIVEN:
Learning to Manifest Your Desires, by Esther and Jerry Hicks
(The Teachings of Abraham)

THE GIFT OF PEACE:
Guideposts on the Road to Serenity, by Ben Stein

THE NEW GOLDEN RULES:
An Essential Guide to Spiritual Bliss,
by Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D.

PASSIONATE PEOPLE PRODUCE:
Rekindle Your Passion and Creativity, by Charles Kovess

THE POWER OF INTENTION:
Learning to Co-create Your World Your Way,
by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

SYLVIA BROWNES LESSONS FOR LIFE, by Sylvia Browne

YOU CAN HEAL YOUR LIFE, by Louise L. Hay

ZEST FOR LIFE:
10 Dynamic Life-Changing Solutions for Self-Empowerment,
by Dawn Breslin

All of the above are available at your local bookstore,
or may be ordered by visiting:

Hay House USA: www.hayhouse.com
Hay House Australia: www.hayhouse.com.au
Hay House UK: www.hayhouse.co.uk
Hay House South Africa: orders@psdprom.co.za

HAY HOUSE, INC.
Carlsbad, California
London Sydney Johannesburg
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Copyright 2005 by Stephen Simon and Gay Hendricks

Published and distributed in the United States by: Hay House, Inc., P.O. Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100 Phone: (760) 431-7695 or (800) 654-5126 Fax: (760) 431-6948 or (800) 650-5115 www.hayhouse.com Published and distributed in Australia by: Hay House Australia Pty. Ltd., 18/36 Ralph St., Alexandria NSW 2015 Phone: 612-9669-4299 Fax: 612-9669-4144 www.hayhouse.com.au Published and distributed in the United Kingdom by: Hay House UK, Ltd. Unit 62, Canalot Studios 222 Kensal Rd., London W10 5BN Phone: 44-20-8962-1230 Fax: 44-20-8962-1239 www.hayhouse.co.uk Published and distributed in the Republic of South Africa by: Hay House SA (Pty), Ltd., P.O. Box 990, Witkoppen 2068 Phone/Fax: orders@psdprom.co.za Distributed in Canada by: Raincoast 9050 Shaughnessy St., Vancouver, 27-11-706-6612 B.C. V6P 6E5 Phone: (604) 323-7100 Fax: (604) 323-2600

Editorial supervision: Jill Kramer Design: Amy Rose Szalkiewicz

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise be copied for public or private useother than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews without prior written permission of the publisher.

The intent of the authors is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the authors and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Simon, Stephen, 1946

Spiritual cinema : a guide to movies that inspire, heal, and empower

your life / Stephen Simon and Gay Hendricks.

p. cm.

ISBN-13: 978-1-4019-0702-0 (tradepaper)

ISBN-10: 1-4019-0702-4 (tradepaper)

1. Motion picturesMoral and ethical aspects. 2. Motion pictures
Religious aspects. I. Hendricks, Gay. II. Title.

PN1995.5.S594 2005

791.43653dc22

2005020682

ISBN 13: 978-1-4019-0702-0
ISBN 10: 1-4019-0702-4

08 07 06 05 4 3 2 1
1st printing, November 2005

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Chapter 1: Following the Yellow Brick Road:
Our Personal Journeys to Spiritual Cinema

Chapter 2: The Heart and Soul of Spiritual
Cinema: Deep Exploration of the Movies
That Define the Genre

Chapter 3: The New Wave of Spiritual Cinema:
Must-See Movies That Illuminate
Facets of the Spiritual Landscape:

Afterword: The Moment of Contact:
The Ultimate Purpose of Spiritual Cinema

Welcome to the world of Spiritual Cinema. Its our great pleasure to be your guides as you explore the rich treasure trove of inspiration, wisdom, and entertainment found in this relatively new category of motion pictures.

Spiritual Cinema tells great stories that ask the big questions about life and living: Who are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going? And what can we become when were at our best?

Spiritual Cinema is very different from the older genre of Religious Cinema. In contrast, Spiritual Cinema does not provide dogmatic answers to the aforementioned questionsrather, it inspires you to come up with your own answers. Spiritual Cinema wants you to examine dogma, not follow it, and to draw your own conclusions rather than accepting the experience of others.

Above all, Spiritual Cinema produces a characteristic aftereffect: It leaves you feeling better about being a human being. We dont mean that Spiritual Cinema is schmaltzy or shies away from confronting the darker elements of humanity or the cosmosno, it deals with all the great themes the darkness and the light. However, at the center of the movies we present in this book, youll always hear a unifying heartbeat of hope and inspiration.

Inevitably, this collection reflects our personal tastes and opinions. As weve learned, to our joy and occasional dismay, people have very strong opinions about films. Many times weve been cornered in a hotel lobby by passionate fans of Spiritual Cinema who ask questions and express opinions such as: Why the heck didnt you include___________in your list? Its the greatest spiritual movie ever made!

Or, Why the heck did you include__________in your list? Thats the worst movie Ive ever seen!

And sometimes theyre talking about the same picture!

Actually, we appreciate discussions like those because it helps us add to our knowledge base. Please keep those e-mails coming in (to www.spiritualcinemacircle.com), because were only at the beginning of defining the genre. We need your feedback, opinions, and suggestions to build a solid groundwork for future generations of filmmakers and fans of Spiritual Cinema.

Spiritual Cinema:

An Idea Whose Time Has Come

This particular time in history is ripe for Spiritual Cinema. One major reason is because we stand at a crossroads both in society and in the movie industry. Theres a yearning for meaning and hope in the world, for stories that challenge us to be our best; to lift up our hearts to the skies; and to encourage us to become the people we were born, and have evolved, to be. Weve struggled long enough. Weve died enough. Weve lived through enough pain. We want to be at peace with both ourselves and our world.