Films serve many purposes. Primarily we think of them as entertainment. They also educate us, challenge us, expand out horizons and help us escape the stresses of our daily lives. I have always been drawn to films that seek to celebrate the human condition, that uplift us by showing how alike we all are. I seek to celebrate the movies that, while often small in scale, are big on showing the positive potential for living this life.
A Beholds Spirit Film is the year’s film that I found the most uplifting. I have used the four criteria below to choose the films. It was not about trying to select the “best” film overall in terms of artistic or technical merit. Similarly, I did not always choose my favorite film of the year, but rather the film that best meets the criteria. This is obviously an extremely subjective process. Having not seen (or had access to) every film ever made, and being only one person, I am sure you will disagree with some of my choices
Beholds Spirit Films: Criteria
- The film celebrates the potential for kindness, greatness or resilience in the human spirit.
- A story that explores multiple dimensions of being human.
- A film which shows connections among people, places and/or ideas.
- The film tells its story using a human scale.
- The film is respectful to its characters, and all groups of people.
In studying the list of films, you will notice that not all of the films are upbeat, nor all of the endings happy. The human spirit is best celebrated by exploring all aspects of life, and all of us have positive and negative experiences. Different choices made in life lead to different paths, and different people find themselves in different circumstances. We are connected in our humanity, and the films here explore those connections.
Spirit Films List
Early Films
1940s Spirit Films
- 1940: Our Town
- 1941: Meet John Doe
- 1942: Now, Voyager
- 1943: Heaven Can Wait
- 1944: None But the Lonely Heart
- 1945: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
- 1946: It’s a Wonderful Life
- 1947: The Bishop’s Wife
- 1948: The Bicycle Thief
- 1949: Come to the Stable
1950s Spirit Films
- 1950: Orphee
- 1951: The Day the Earth Stood Still
- 1952: The Star
- 1953: Little Boy Lost
- 1954: On the Waterfront
- 1955: The Night of the Hunter
- 1956: The Catered Affair
- 1957: Old Yeller
- 1958: Mon Oncle
- 1959: The Diary of Anne Frank
1960s Spirit Films
- 1960: La Dolce Vita
- 1961: The Children’s Hour
- 1962: To Kill a Mockingbird
- 1963: A Child is Waiting
- 1964: Seven Up!
- 1965: Juliet of the Spirits
- 1966: Fahrenheit 451
- 1967: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
- 1968: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
- 1969: Midnight Cowboy
1970s Spirit Films
- 1970: Woodstock
- 1971: Harold and Maude
- 1972: Brother Sun, Sister Moon
- 1973: Jonathan Livingston Seagull
- 1974: Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore
- 1975: The Sunshine Boys
- 1976: Rocky
- 1977: Amar Akbar Anthony
- 1978: Every Which Way But Loose
- 1979: Being There
1980s Spirit Films
- 1980: The Gods Must Be Crazy
- 1981: Arthur
- 1982: E.T.
- 1983: Educating Rita
- 1984: Starman
- 1985: The Trip to Bountiful
- 1986: Jean de Florette
- 1987: The Whales of August
- 1988: Stand and Deliver
- 1989: Steel Magnolias
1990s Spirit Films
- 1990: Edward Scissorhands
- 1991: The Fischer King
- 1992: A River Runs Through It
- 1993: What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
- 1994: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
- 1995: Circle of Friends
- 1996: Marvin’s Room
- 1997: Ma Vie en Rose
- 1998: Waking Ned Devine
- 1999: Cookie’s Fortune
2000s Spirit Films
- 2000: Chocolat
- 2001: Amelie
- 2002: My Big Fat Greek Wedding
- 2003: Under the Tuscan Sun
- 2004: Ray
- 2005: Brokeback Mountain
- 2006: Little Miss Sunshine
- 2007: Lars and the Real Girl
- 2008: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
- 2009: The Soloist
2010s Spirit Films
- 2010: Children of Invention
- 2011: The Help
- 2012: Sing Your Song
- 2013: Nebraska
- 2014: Hector and the Search for Happiness
- 2015: The Lady in the Van
- 2016: Moonlight
- 2017: The Shape of Water
I would love to hear your thoughts on this list. As I see more films and reflect on films that I have seen, I may make changes to this list. I welcome your thoughts and suggestions. What films would you have chosen instead for a particular year?
Notes on Yearly Film Lists
In the film lists for each year (click on each year above to find those posts), I name the Spirit Film of the year, plus 5 or 6 uplifting films that I also liked. These films say something positive about humanity and generally follow the same guidelines as the Spirit Films. Note I only include films here that I personally like, so films that are uplifting that I am neutral about or do not like might be listed in the Other Films section, or omitted entirely. The Other Films section also includes films which cannot be described as “uplifting” but are important or particular favorites of mine.
Revised on 6/4/2019