By Movieguide® Staff
Pope Leo XIV revealed his favorite movies, from Christmas classics to moving Christian stories of love, hope and sacrifice.
“My four favorite films,” he shared in a video posted by Variety, listing, “IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE. Jimmy Stewart, 1946.”
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE is a beloved Christmas movie, with fans and critics praising its heartfelt story of sacrifice, love and community.
“IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE is arguably the most beloved movie of all time,” Movieguide®’s review reads. “It’s certainly the most uplifting, rewarding and redemptive movie. It’s also funny, emotionally powerful, psychologically enriching, and beautifully made.”
The movie also tops Movieguide®’s Top 100 Most Inspiring Family-Friendly Movies of All Time.
Related: IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE Almost Wasn’t a Christmas Classic
The next movie on Pope Leo’s list? THE SOUND OF MUSIC. Like IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, this movie is another beloved classic, with Movieguide® praising its “strong Christian worldview.”
“There has never been a musical to top THE SOUND OF MUSIC,” the review continues. “In fact, it’s such a hard act to follow the entire genre has gone dormant.”
The Pope’s next picks included 1980’s ORDINARY PEOPLE, as well as 1997’s LA VITA E BELLA, or LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL.
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL is another inspiring movie, moving audiences with its themes of sacrifice, survival and love.
Pope Leo’s reveal of his top four movies comes just before a meeting he has planned with a delegation of Hollywood stars, including Cate Blanchett, Chris Pine, Viggo Mortensen, Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Adam Scott and Monica Bellucci, as well as Oscar-winning directors Spike Lee, George Miller, Giuseppe Tornatore and Gus Van Sant.
This meeting is intended “to deepen dialogue with the world of cinema…exploring the possibilities that artistic creativity offers to the mission of the Church and the promotion of human values,” according to a statement from the Vatican.
This isn’t the first time Pope Leo will have met with movie stars. This summer, he met Al Pacino in what is the first reported official audience between the first American pope and a movie star.
“The meeting was a moment of profound spiritual and cultural inspiration, centered around shared values that lie at the heart of both the Catholic Church and the film: family unity, love, compassion and the importance of contributing to the common good,” a statement from MASERATI: THE BROTHERS producer Andrea Iervolino shared. Iervolino also got the chance to meet the Pope.
Pope Leo’s movie picks show the power of truly inspiring cinema. Movies with moral messages and themes of love and hope resonate with everyone — even world leaders and other famous figures — and can inspire us to lead Christian lives and make positive changes in the world.
Read Next: 3 Ways the Christian Faith Shows Up in THE SOUND OF MUSIC
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