Beholds Spirit Film of 1951
The Day the Earth Stood Still
One the classic science fiction greats, The Day the Earth Stood Still has a simple message: mankind should try harder to get along with one another. A single mother and a young boy end up encountering an alien who has come to Earth to warn its inhabitants of impending doom. But of course the government doesn’t react well, and the aliens must try and teach humanity a lesson before it is too late.
Uplifting Movies: Brian’s 1951 Favorite Films
The African Queen
Opposites attract is the premise of the story between an alcoholic boat captain and a proper missionary at the start of World War I. It remains a great study in fortunetelling because it takes time to let us watch the characters interact and get to know one another.
An American in Paris
A musical about art and starting over and dancing. Lots of amazing, athletic dancing on colorful sets.
Angels in the Outfield
The Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team are in a terrible losing streak. A young girl prays for help that they can turn things around; her prayers are answered with a voice to the manager, saying things will turn around if the manager becomes nicer to those around him.
Bellissima
A working class mother enters her daughter in a beauty contest to get her a starring role in an upcoming film. We relate to the mother’s hopes and ambitions even as we see how ridiculous and harmful they are.
The Well
Race relations and how our point of view colors everything that happens combine to make this a moving story. A young black girl is missing, and a white man is accused of having something to do with it. The structure of society favors the white man. The fears and suspicions of the black people are that justice will not be served, while the white people fear racial unrest. The truth of the matter helps bring them all together, at least briefly.