JUST FYI POD: CULTURE
⏸️: “Our 20 Most Spiritually Significant Films of All Time”: A Recap to Date
It was not too long ago—September 27, 2023 to be exact—that my cohost Amy Welborn and I launched our countdown of the “20 Most Spiritually Significant Films of All Time.” Much has happened since then. We have recorded episodes on busy street corners and in quiet parks, in coffee shops and in brewpubs. We have celebrated Halloween, and we have celebrated Christmas. And now, as we enter the last week of February, we can see the end in sight. As of this writing, Amy and I have each selected 15 films—which means, of course, that we only have five more to go.
So, with that in mind, we thought this would be a good week to pause and to take stock. Below I’m going to update our respective lists, providing a complete catalog (with links!) of where things currently stand. If nothing else, I hope this will be a useful reference for those who are creating watchlists based on our recommendations. (We know you’re out there!) But perhaps it will also encourage our audience to catch up on podcast discussions they may have missed.
Whatever the case may be, we appreciate everyone who has listened to the inaugural season of Just FYI Pod: Culture. Please stick around for the final five episodes in this series—the first will drop on Monday, March 4th—and invite others to come along. Indeed, as I always say, we’re truly grateful for your likes, ratings, reviews, and support!
Amy’s List to Date
(20) The Best Years of Our Lives (William Wyler, 1946)
(19) The Third Man (Carol Reed, 1949)
(18) The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973)
(17) O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Joel and Ethan Coen, 2000)
(16) Dead Man Walking (Tim Robbins, 1995)
(15) Joe Versus the Volcano (John Patrick Shanley, 1990)
(14) Amadeus (Miloš Forman, 1984)
(13) Lilies of the Field (Ralph Nelson, 1963)
(12) The Apartment (Billy Wilder, 1960)
(11) Crimes and Misdemeanors (Woody Allen, 1989)
(10) Groundhog Day (Harold Ramis, 1993)
(9) Gattaca (Andrew Niccol, 1997)
(8) Ikiru (Japanese: 生きる, Akira Kurosawa, 1952)
(7) A Man for All Seasons (Fred Zinnemann, 1966)
(6) The Road (Italian: La strada, Federico Fellini, 1954)
(5) ?!
Chris’ List to Date
(20) Winter Light (Swedish: Nattvardsgästerna, Ingmar Bergman, 1963)
(19) The Mission (Roland Joffé, 1986)
(18) Bringing Out the Dead (Martin Scorsese, 1999)
(17) The Big Lebowski (Joel and Ethan Coen, 1998)
(16) Dogville (Lars von Trier, 2003)
(15) The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008)
(14) Andrei Rublev (Russian: Андрей Рублёв, Andrei Tarkovsky, 1966)
(13) The Shawshank Redemption (Frank Darabont, 1994)
(12) It’s a Wonderful Life (Frank Capra, 1946)
(11) Crimes and Misdemeanors (Woody Allen, 1989)
(10) Babette’s Feast (Danish: Babettes Gæstebud, Gabriel Axel, 1987)
(9) A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick, 1971)
(8) Calvary (John Michael McDonagh, 2014)
(7) Silence (Martin Scorsese, 2016)
(6) Magnolia (Paul Thomas Anderson, 1999)
(5) ?!
Really appreciate the reference list!