Classic family movies about heroic people that everyone will enjoy.
It is a well-known truth that example is the best teacher. Words of instruction often remain merely words if they are not supported by example. In the holy saints we have wonderful examples of holy and righteous life.
Mother Teresa of Calcutta Documentary
When Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev saw this documentary he immediately invited Mother Teresa to set up three Missionary of Charity houses within the Soviet Union.
Le Dialogue des Carmelites (1960)
Drama about the Carmélite order of nuns is set during the French Revolution. A young woman seeks refuge with the Carmélites because she is terrified of dying during the upheaval. The longer she associates with the nuns the more she is transformed by their faith and devotion, but her new-found faith will be sorely tested. French (English subtitles available in settings)
St Joseph Cupertino the Reluctant Saint
St Joseph of Cupertino was socially awkward and struggled with learning disabilities. He was known for supernaturally levitating during prayer. He worked so many miracles that his critics accused him of witchcraft. Today he is the patron saint of aviators. Truly a humble saint. God doesn’t call the qualified but rather qualifies the called.
The Song of Bernadette
Our Lady of Lourdes is a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary recalling her apparitions in 1858 in the grotto at Lourdes, France to Saint Bernadette Soubirous, a fourteen-year-old peasant girl. Our Lady instructed Bernadette to dig in the ground nearby, from which came a spring with healing properties, active to this day.
The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of Christ, refers to those sufferings our Lord endured for our redemption from the agony in the garden until His death on Calvary. Our crucified Lord on the cross is a vivid image of His love for each of us.
The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima
Our Lady of Fatima is the title given to the Virgin Mary as she appeared before three shepherd children near the village of Fátima, Portugal, in 1917. She identified herself to them as the Lady of the Rosary.
Karol Wojtyla: Pope John Paul II
Everyone knows Pope John Paul II: his face, his characteristic way of moving and speaking; his immersion in prayer and his spontaneous cheerfulness.
Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Mother Teresa Quotes · “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” · “Peace begins with a smile.” · “We fear the future because we are wasting today.”
Les Miserables
Experience the powerful 1934 adaptation of Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, a timeless tale of redemption, justice, and humanity. Follow Jean Valjean’s journey from prisoner to hero in a France torn by revolution and hardship. This classic French film brings depth and drama to Hugo’s masterpiece with unforgettable performances and emotional storytelling. A must-watch for lovers of cinematic history.
Dancing Dog
Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did except backwards and in high heels.
A Man for all Seasons
Henry VIII wants to divorce his wife in order to marry Anne Boleyn. Only Sir Thomas More has the courage and conviction to oppose the King’s will. Though all alone in his brave decision to stand firm with the Church, More’s valiant refusal to abandon his principles leads to his martyrdom.
Gospel According to Matthew (1964)
Cinematic rendition of the story of Our Lord Jesus according to the Gospel of Matthew, from the Nativity through to the Resurrection. Italian (English subtitles available in settings)
Anthony, Warrior of God (2006)
The amazing life of St. Anthony. It presents Anthony as a dynamic and appealing person who sacrificed wealth, popularity, and family for the Kingdom of God.
Jesus of Nazareth
The story of the life of Jesus Christ, from the beginning at nativity to its end at resurrection.
The Passion of Joan of Arc
A classic of the silent age, this film tells the story of the doomed but ultimately canonized 15th-century teenage warrior. On trial for claiming she’d spoken to God, Jeanne d’Arc (Renee Falconetti) is subjected to inhumane treatment and scare tactics at the hands of church court officials (Eugene Silvain, Jean d’Yd). Initially bullied into changing her story, Jeanne eventually opts for what she sees as the truth. Her punishment, a famously brutal execution, earns her perpetual martyrdom.
Becket
Debauched King Henry II (Peter O’Toole) installs his longtime court facilitator Thomas Becket (Richard Burton) as the Archbishop of Canterbury, assuming that his old friend will be a compliant and loyal lackey in the King’s ongoing battles with the church. But Becket unexpectedly finds his true calling on the ecclesiastical side, and aligns himself against the king’s selfish wishes, causing a rift and an eventual showdown not only between the two men, but also the institutions they represent.
The Two Barks Brothers
Twin brothers are separated at birth when one is stolen by gypsies. One becomes a district attorney, the other a drifter. Thirty years later, circumstances bring them back together.
Braveheart
Legendary thirteenth century Scottish hero named William Wallace (Mel Gibson). Wallace rallies the Scottish against the English monarch and Edward I (Peter Hanly) after he suffers a personal tragedy by English soldiers. Wallace gathers a group of amateur warriors that is stronger than any English army.
The Hiding Place
In wartime Holland, the Ten Boom family quietly shelters Jews in their small house—until Nazis discover the hiding place. When they are arrested and imprisoned in concentration camps, they’re left with nothing to cling to but their faith.
The Day Christ Died
Follows Jesus in a moment-by-moment depiction of his final day. After being betrayed by his disciple Judas Iscariot, Jesus is arrested as a blasphemer and brought before Pontius Pilate, who gives the Hebrew people the option of saving either Jesus or a thief named Barabbas. The people choose to save Barabbas, which leads to Jesus’ torture and eventual death on the cross.
The Scarlet and the Black
Thrilling true story of an Irish priest in the Vatican who organizes an underground network in Rome to hide the Jews and others from the Nazis during World War II.
For Greater Glory
1920s Mexico, retired Gen. Gorostieta (Andy Garcia) and his wife (Eva Longoria) watch their country degenerate into violent civil war when the government enacts a series of anti-clerical laws. Gorostieta is at first hesitant to join the rebels, known as Cristeros, until he begins to see the cost of religious persecution on his countrymen. Though the odds are against him, the general nevertheless transforms a ragtag band of rebels into a formidable fighting force.
The Robe
Marcellus is in charge of the group that is assigned to crucify Christ. Drunk, he wins Jesus’ homespun robe after the crucifixion. He is tormented by nightmares and delusions after the event. Hoping to find a way to live with what he has done, and still not believing in Jesus, he returns to Jerusalem to try to learn what he can of the man he killed.
Babette’s Feast
Two sisters lead a rigid life centered around their father, the local minister, and their church. They take in a French refugee. who agrees to work as their servant. After winning the lottery, Babette wants to repay the sisters for their kindness and offers to cook a French meal for them and their friends. It proves to be an eye-opening experience for everyone.
Rome, Open City
Shot in part before the Nazis had even left Rome, this film poignantly shows partisan and priest in their efforts at resistance. The death of the pregnant Anna Magnani and the martyrdom of the priest remain two of the most memorable moments in all cinema.
Going My Way
Father Charles O’Malley (Bing Crosby) is an easy-going, golf-playing young priest whose entry into a tough neighborhood parish in midtown Manhattan is viewed with skepticism from all quarters, especially the aging Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald). While dealing with some unfinished business from his former life in the form of an old flame who now sings at the Metropolitan Opera (Rise Stevens), Father O’Malley inspires the youth of his parish by forming a boys choir.
Risen
To disprove rumours of a Jewish preacher’s resurrection, a jaded Roman tribune and his rookie lieutenant search for the crucified man’s missing body.
Miracle of Marcellino
In the 15th century, in a poor Italian village, the monks of a modest convent take up an abandoned baby. Unfortunately, for all their efforts, they prove unable to trace his parents. So they set up providing tender loving care to the little boy. Marcellino lives a happy life among the men of God but, as he grows up, he misses his mother more and more.
The Flowers of St Francis
In the pages of The Little Flowers, the one who is called the “jester of the Lord” is not Francis, but the saint’s disciple Brother Juniper. The film focuses on Brother Juniper as well as Francis’s other followers as the film’s jesters or fools, trying as they do with charming naivete to stumble along in the footsteps of their master.
Ben Hur
Experience the epic tale of Ben-Hur, a timeless story of betrayal, revenge, and redemption set in ancient Rome. Featuring stunning chariot races, powerful performances, and unforgettable drama, this cinematic masterpiece captures the spirit of faith and endurance. A legendary film that continues to inspire and captivate audiences around the world.
I Confess
Father Logan (Montgomery Clift) is a Catholic priest, but he finds his faith put to the test when he is accused of the murder of a wealthy member of his parish. The real murderer was Otto (O.E. Hasse), a poor German immigrant desperate for money, and Father Logan knows this because Otto confessed it to him. However, Father Logan is bound by the secrecy of the confessional and cannot share this evidence with the police, even if it means his own life.
The Keys of the Kingdom
Orphaned as a child, Francis Chisholm grows up to join the priesthood. He decides to become a missionary in China, and arrives to find the previous church burned down. Over time, he collaborates with a trio of nuns, endures several wars and, at the end of his life, returns to Scotland.
The Mission
Jesuit priest Father Gabriel (Jeremy Irons) enters the Guarani lands in South America with the purpose of converting the natives to Christianity. He soon builds a mission, where he is joined by Rodrigo Mendoza (Robert De Niro), a reformed slave trader seeking redemption. When a treaty transfers the land from Spain to Portugal, the Portuguese government wants to capture the natives for slave labor. Mendoza and Gabriel resolve to defend the mission, but disagree on how to accomplish the task.
Singin’ in the Rain
Gene Kelly stars as a Hollywood star of the silent era who finds his career jeopardized when he and his shrill-voiced leading lady must appear in a talkie together.
Bella
After Nina (Tammy Blanchard) is fired from her waitressing job for being late, she leans on the restaurant’s chef, Jose (Eduardo Verástegui), for support. Though they don’t know each other very well, Nina confides in Jose that she is pregnant and considering an abortion. Understanding that Nina is going through a tough time, Jose invites her to his home. They spend the day together and tell each other their most painful secrets, and what Nina learns about Jose changes her life forever.
The Dogway Melody
Mr. Cur, a Broadway producer, puts on a show and makes a play for the leading lady. The play is a pearler and and Gene Kelly and Co. had better watch out for their jobs with these up and coming stars. Their rendition of ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ just has to be seen to be believed.
Road to Bali
Leaving Australia in a hurry to avoid various marriage proposals, two song-and-dance men sign on for work as divers. This takes them to an idyllic island on the way to Bali where they vie with each other for the favours of Princess Lala. The hazardous dive produces a chest of priceless jewels which arouses the less romantic interest of some shady locals.
Saving Grace
When a newly elected Pope (Tom Conti) feels disconnected from the people he serves, he embarks on a secret journey outside the Vatican walls.
UP
A 78-year-old curmudgeonly balloon salesman, is not your average hero. When he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America, he finally fulfills his lifelong dream of adventure. But after Carl discovers an 8-year-old stowaway named Russell, this unlikely duo soon finds themselves on a hilarious journey in a lost world filled with danger and surprises.
Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist unromantically portrays the sordid lives of criminals and exposes the cruel treatment of the many orphans in London in the mid-19th century. The story of the young orphan Oliver, caught among a band of thieves while longing for a home of his own
Life Is Beautiful
A Jewish waiter, his wife and their son are sent to a concentration camp, where the waiter tries to protect his son’s innocence by playing a game.
Talking Dog
This talking dog is a big devotee of fasting. But he only does it between meals.
Babe
Gentle farmer Arthur Hoggett wins a piglet named Babe at a county fair. Narrowly escaping his fate as Christmas dinner when Farmer Hoggett decides to show him at the next fair, Babe bonds with motherly border collie Fly and discovers that he too can herd sheep.
It’s a Wonderful Life
Frank Capra’s 1946 Christmas classic, one of the great feel-good movies, with Jimmy Stewart as a small-town fellow who sees his life as a failure. His guardian angel puts him back on the right path.
Tokyo Story
Tokyo Story tells a beautiful tragedy about filial piety, family, and charity. Throughout the story, what distinguishes one’s character is not anything superficial, such as blood relation, nor merely actions, such as hosting a guest, but rather sacrificial giving and a cheerful disposition.
Greyfriars Bobby
Scotland, 1865. An old shepherd and his little Skye Terrier Bobby go to Edinburgh. But when the shepherd dies of pneumonia, the dog remains faithful to his master, refuses to be adopted by anyone, and takes to sleeping on his master’s grave in the Greyfriars Kirkyard.
Smiley Gets a Gun
The happy-go-lucky Smiley (Keith Calvert) gets into more strife, as he attempts to turn over a new leaf and prove himself a responsible citizen by not only helping others, but also keeping out of trouble. Sergeant Flaxman (Chips Rafferty) keeps a close eye on the rapscallion.
Twelve Angry Men
The jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.
The Little Colonel
In 1870s Kentucky, stubborn Col. Lloyd becomes estranged from his daughter, Elizabeth, when she elopes with Northerner Jack Sherman . Six years later, when Jack goes prospecting, Elizabeth comes back with her spirited daughter, Lloyd. The colonel and Lloyd have a tumultuous meeting but gradually become friends.
Trader Hound
Four-legged Trader Hound, that fearless veteran of the jungle, and his companion, a young sheik in search of adventure, travel to Africa for a safari and to rescue the beautiful White Doggess, Nina T-Bone, from a tribe of fierce savages.
Mon Oncle
Mon Oncle is playful, jovial, good fun from start to close, a film built to show off Tati’s incredible gift for visual humor and also to serve as a melancholic send-off for the Belle Époque. He contrasts the beauty of old Paris with the austerity of new Paris, bereft of anything resembling character or style.
African Queen
Canadian riverboat captain is persuaded by a strait-laced English missionary to undertake a trip up a treacherous river and use his boat to attack a German gunship.
The Sound of Music
Maria, an aspiring nun, is sent as a governess to take care of seven motherless children. Soon her jovial and loving nature tames their hearts and the children become fond of her.
Smiley
Smiley Greevins is a cheeky, mischievous, imaginative little boy who lives in the small town of Murrumbilla in the Australian outback. His father Bill is a poor drover who is often away from home. Much to the exasperation of his overworked wife, Ma Greevins, Bill is also very fond of the drink. Smiley is determined to buy himself a push bike
The Third Man
Set in postwar Vienna, Austria. A writer of pulp Westerns, who arrives penniless as a guest of his childhood chum Harry Lime, only to find him dead. Martins develops a conspiracy theory after learning of a “third man” present at the time of Harry’s death, running into interference from a British officer and falling head-over-heels for Harry’s grief-stricken lover, Anna.
Love Tails Of Morocco
At an outpost of the Dogville Foreign Legion. The soldiers go to the local bar and tell each other the stories behind the reason they joined the legion.
Jerry Lewis and Carol Burnett
Two superstars of comedy meet up on their first date together, with hilarious consequences.
The Court Jester
Former carnival performer Hubert Hawkins (Danny Kaye) and maid Jean (Glynis Johns) are assigned to protect the infant royal heir from tyrannical King Roderick I (Cecil Parker). While Jean takes the baby to an abbey, Hawkins gains access to the court by impersonating the king’s jester, unaware that the jester is really an assassin hired by scheming Sir Ravenhurst (Basil Rathbone).
The Dam Busters
After inventing the “bouncing bomb, Dr. Barnes Wallis (Michael Redgrave) struggles for years to develop his new device for use in World War II. Once the bombs are ready to be tested, Wing Commander Guy Gibson’s (Richard Todd) squadron must be specially trained to drop the sensitive weapons on Germany’s Ruhr Dams.
Fiddler on the Roof
A poor milkman whose love, pride and faith help him face the oppression of turn-of-the century czarist Russia.
Great Expectations
Orphan Pip discovers through lawyer Mr. Jaggers that a mysterious benefactor wishes to ensure that he becomes a gentleman. Reunited with his childhood patron, Miss Havisham, and his first love, the beautiful but emotionally cold Estella
The 39 Steps
While on vacation in London, a man becomes embroiled in an international spy ring related to the mysterious “39 steps.” Then he meets agent Annabella Smith, who is soon killed in his apartment. He must elude the police, who are hunting him for murder, while he tries to stop Professor Jordan from sending secrets out of the country. Hannay is assisted by Pamela, an unwilling accomplice who discovers the truth.
Bicycle Thieves
Unemployed Antonio is elated when he finally finds work hanging posters around war-torn Rome. However on his first day, his bicycle—essential to his work—gets stolen. His job is doomed unless he can find the thief. With the help of his son, Antonio combs the city, becoming desperate for justice.
Gentlemans Agreement
When journalist Phil Green moves to New York City, he takes on a high-profile magazine assignment about anti-Semitism. In order to truly view things from an empathetic perspective, he pretends to be a Jew and begins to experience many forms of bigotry, both first-hand and through a Jewish friend.
Pip
Pip goes to canine university to become a guide dog. This is one for the underdogs.
Old Yeller
While Jim Coates is off on a cattle drive, his wife, Katie, and sons, Travis and Arliss, are left behind on their Texas ranch. When a runaway dog named Old Yeller causes damage in one of their fields, Travis tries to drive him away. However, Travis and Katie both warm to Old Yeller when he saves Arliss from a bear attack.
So Quiet on the Canine Front
During anatomy class, students learn that war has broken out. Several enlist and are sent to Camp Poodle, for rookie training. At first the constant shelling bothers them, but within a week they are veterans, unfazed. Barker sort of volunteers to parachute behind enemy lines disguised as a nurse.
Mother India
The hardships faced by Radha (Nargis), a village mother of three sons who is abandoned by her husband and forced to toil the paddy fields to survive in newly independent India . The film entrenched the idea of the pure, self-sacrificing mother figure as synonymous with the notion of an idealised Indian nation.
Crocodile Dundee
Sue Charlton is a feature writer for her father’s newspaper, and is dating the editor Richard Mason. She travels to Walkabout Creek, a small township in the North of Australia, to meet Michael J. “Crocodile” Dundee, reported to have lost half a leg to a croc. before crawling hundreds of miles to safety.
Sorrowful Jones
Screen legends Bob Hope and Lucille Ball unite for the first time in this heart-warming story spun from Damon Runyon’s famous fable about a penny-pinching Broadway bookie called Sorrowful Jones (that’s Hope). Sorrowful takes a bet from a rotten gambler who leaves his young daughter as collateral. When the bettor doesn’t come back, Sorrowful Jones learns some hard lessons about parenthood—whether he wants to or not!
Man Saves his Dog from Kangaroo
A group of hunters got together to help a young cancer sufferer with his last wish of catching a wild boar with his dogs. One day while hunting, one of the highly trained dogs was chasing some pigs by scent and collided with a big buck kangaroo that then held and wrestled the dog by its protective gear (boars have tusks like knives), the horrified owner tried to save it.
An All Barkie College Hounds
This Dogville comedy is a spoof of college football movies. A man in debt to a loan shark uses his daughter to stop football hero Red Mange from playing in the big game between Airedale College and Spitz University. Guess who makes a last second score to win the game for Airedale.
How Green Was My Valley
Huw Morgan (Roddy McDowall), the academically inclined youngest son in a proud family of Welsh coal miners, witnesses the tumultuous events of his young life during a period of rapid social change.
A Matter of Life and Death
A British Air Force pilot is on his way home to England from a World War II bombing mission in a badly damaged aircraft. Before he bails out of the plane into the ocean, he contacts an Allied radio operator with whom he shares what he believes to be his final moments on Earth. A problem arises when a divine messenger arrives to escort Peter to heaven to rectify his wrongful survival.
Come To The Stable
Two nuns arrive unannounced and determined to build a children’s hospital in the small New England town of Bethlehem. They seek to fulfill a promise they made to God when he saved a similar infirmary in war-torn Normandy.
Mrs Miniver
A middle-class English family learning to cope with war, told in a series of dramatic vignettes. The family, headed by the lovely and gracious matriarch, endures the departure of the father for the beaches at Dunkirk, the discovery of a wounded Nazi pilot, the death of the daughter-in-law in an air raid, and the entry of the son into the Royal Air Force.
Heidi
An orphaned young girl named Heidi lives happily with her grouchy but gentle grandfather, Adolph in the Swiss Alps. When she’s stolen by her ruthless aunt, Dete, and sold as a servant to the wealthy Herr Sesemann, Adolph embarks on a journey to find his granddaughter. Meanwhile, Heidi keeps her spirits high and befriends Sesemann’s crippled daughter, Klara, but longs to return home.
The Ghost and Mrs Muir
Mrs. Carolyn Muir rents charming Maine Gull Cottage for her family and finds that it comes with a resident ghost. Captain Gregg takes a shine to the pretty widow and allows them to stay in his house.
Steptoe and Son
British rag and bone men Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H. Corbett get involved in a shady deal that has vast consequences.