My 50 Favorite Films

The following is a list of my personal favorite films. These are not the best films ever made but 50 films that enjoy immensely. I usually don't like to watch films more than once, but these are exceptions.

1. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) – The greatest movie ever made. 

2. Ben-Hur (1959) – Ben-Hur is the great Biblical epic of cinematic history, both thrilling and profound.

3. Spaceballs (1987) – This is the most fun I’ve ever had with a movie, endlessly quotable.

4. Field of Dreams (1989) – Playing baseball with dad. Enough said.

5. Mary Poppins (1964) – As a child, I loved the whimsy, but as an adult, I am astounded at how good it portrays the challenges of fatherhood.

6. Forrest Gump (1994) – A beautiful tale that shows what is best about America always overcomes what is worst.

7. Independence Day (1996) – This was the movie that inspired me to become a filmmaker. I saw it in the theater when I was ten, and it changed my life.

8. Fiddler on the Roof (1971) – Tevye is the archetypal human being who wants to do what is right, including a proper relationship with God, but must deal with the difficulties of an ever-changing world.

9. WALL-E (2008) – It’s brilliant how this film works in multiple genres and themes simultaneously.

10. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) – One of the few movies that could be a watched a hundred times and still be funny.

11. A Man for All Seasons (1966) – Incredibly well written biopic of a great saint.

12. The Star Wars Trilogy (1977-1983) – Beautiful. Classic. Amazing. Other adjectives.

13. The Drop Box (2015) – This is the best film to illustrate spiritual warfare. This pastor is literally dying for his flock.

14. The Passion of the Christ (2004) – This is the only film that could be considered a devotional piece.

15. The Incredibles (2004) – A traditional family trying to be great in a mediocre society. Sound familiar?

16. Frozen (2013) – Extremely well written, scored, and acted. A modern Disney masterpiece.

17. The Toy Story Trilogy (1995-2010) – One of the greatest theistic metaphors of all time.

18. Muppets Most Wanted (2014) – This is a nearly unknown masterpiece. The songs are especially clever.

19. Tangled (2010) – It’s hard to describe why I find this film so moving, but Rapunzel is probably my favorite Disney princess.

20. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) – This is a masterpiece of pure entertainment.

 

21. A Serious Man (2009) – The Book of Job set in 1967 suburban Minnesota. Incredibly clever.

22. Going My Way (1944) – It’s frustrating to watch the various factions and divisions in the Catholic Church. Going My Way is a reminder that we all serve the same God.

23. Gravity (2013) – A triumph of both the spiritual nature of man and the spirit of scientific adventure.

24. Hell House (2001) – It’s in vogue in both Catholic and secular circles to mock fundamentalist Christians, but Hell House shows how many evangelicals, taking their faith seriously amidst obstacles are storming the gates of Heaven.

25. The LEGO Batman Movie (2017) – A film spectacular for its visuals and use of meta-humor.

26. Roger & Me (1989) – Charles Dickens for the 20^th century.

27. The Devil’s Pass (2013) – I’ve always been fascinated with Dyatlov Pass incident, and this is a brilliant imagining of what may have happened.

28. Hillsong: Let Hope Rise (2016) – Honest and inspiring, this is true story behind “Oceans,” my favorite Christian song.

29. Marty (1955) – I’ve never been able to identify more with a fictional character than Marty Piletti.

30. God’s Not Dead (2014) – Mere Christianity + Crash = Evangelical Perfection.

31. Inside Out (2015) – This miracle of film somehow managed to visually portray the psychology of a person in a compelling but never confusing manner.

32. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) – This film pulls off a rare feat. It’s a serious analysis of the important role of humor in the human experience while simultaneously being very, very funny. 

33. The Green Mile (1999) – A beautiful, slow moving mediation on life, death, and the world beyond.

34. Barbarella: Queen of the Galaxy (1968) – My not-so-secret guilty pleasure genre among movies is hilariously terrible sci-films with gorgeous women as leads. It is the peak of that niche genre.

35. Thor: Ragnarok (2017) – The best MCU film with my favorite MCU hero.

36. The Brave Little Toaster (1987) – A wonderful proto-Pixar film with great characters, profound themes, and compelling Christian imagery.

37. It Follows (2014) – Intensely scary, this film has one of the greatest villains of all time set in a bizarre modern yet unmodern universe.

38. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) – This is a classic adventure film that never gets old.

39. Saving Private Ryan (1998) – This film is a potent reminder than not all wars are fought for selfish reasons and that the men who fight them are true heroes.

40. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – The movie, from start to finish, was insane. I’m not a fan of any of the other Mad Max films, but this blew me away. The car battles in the fiery sands are some of the greatest visuals in cinematic history.

41. Muppet Treasure Island (1996) – One of the few films where nearly every line is funny and every joke lands perfectly.

42. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003) – The definition of the word “epic.”

43. The Seven Year Itch (1955) – The three most beautiful women in history are Marilyn Monroe, Britney Spears, and my wife – as of yet, only one has made a great movie. This is Monroe best performance in a hilarious film.

44. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1929) – Extremely intense with perhaps the most beautiful score every composed. Even at the moment of death, the great Maid of Orléans has the humility to wonder if she “will go to paradise.” Breathtaking.

45. Jurassic Park (1993) – I don’t there is any film on this list that has caused more anticipation than this. At the time it was released, I wanted to be a paleontologist. I would watch the VHS over and over again while reading library books about my favorite dinosaurs. 

46. The Tree of Life (2011) – This isn’t a film you watch but experience. It attempts something radical: to understand the world from God’s perspective and succeeds as far as humanly possible.

47. Bring It On (2000) – I still remember seeing the trailer and being mesmerized. At the time, I was dating a cheerleader and was a little obsessed. This film brings me right back to pre-9/11 innocence when you could have a fun romantic comedy that was edgy without being overly sexual.

48. Princess Mononoke (1997) – This is Hayao’s Miyazaki’s masterpiece. It pulls together all his favorite themes in a beautiful fantasy landscape.

49. Inception (2010) – It would be a bad pun to say Inception has many layers, but it’s true. Everything works in perfect sequence: the music, the props, the special effects, the writing, the acting. It’s a mystery that gets more mysterious the more you think about it.

50. The Thing (1982) – There are two things I love about this horror classic. First, is the amazing practical effects involved with the central villain as the Thing morphs into its various forms. Second, is the constant sense of dred in a claustrophobic environment. The Thing might be anyone, and there’s no escape.