- Entertainment from Photos
I often lead film discussions, and even more often I’m asked to recommend films that are good for talking about. So here’s a list. It’s nowhere near exhaustive, but is merely a list of films that I’ve either enjoyed using myself or that I’m confident would be great. The list is very roughly in order of how suitable I think a film is for discussing: things near the top are very good; things near the bottom are less so, but they may suit a particular occasion. Don’t read anything into the order beyond that; it’s certainly not in order of how much I like them as films.
There are a few criteria to bear in mind when choosing a film to discuss:
- Relevance – does the film raise good issues which are worth talking about, and are they the right issues for your group?
- Appropriateness – is the film suitable for your group in terms of language, violence, sexual content, etc.? There are films in this list which I would use with some small groups in a home, some which would be fine with students, and some which I would never use in church! Don’t just look at the film certificate, look at what the BBFC give as reasons for the certificate.
- Popularity – is your group going to prefer a mainstream film which they know about, or have already seen, or would it be better to use something unfamiliar, maybe something arty?
- Length – a film which runs for 90 minutes or so is great – you can have time for a good discussion and the evening doesn’t feel too long. I think two hours is the top limit in most circumstances. One that runs for 150 minutes may be OK for your group, but many people will be too tired to discuss it much afterwards. Check the running time on DVD, not what it was in cinemas. Cinema projection is at 24 frames per second, but films are transferred onto DVD at 25 fps, which means it will be about 4% shorter. I think the times below are all DVD running times.
If you’re showing a film in your church, etc. you do need to make sure you have the appropriate licence. Either CVLI or Film Bank (if you’re in the UK), depending on the distributor.
I’ll add to this list as other things occur to me and as new films come out. The Culturewatch website, for which I am Managing Editor, is a great place to find discussion guides – around 500 of them (though they’re not all on films). I’ll try to add some links to articles and discussion guides when I get a moment.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2009)
Directed & written by Woody Allen; starring Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz
Cert. 12 (Contains moderate sex references and implied sex); 92 mins
My article on Culturewatch | Discussion guide
Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
Directed by Marc Forster; starring Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman
certificate 12 (contains one use of strong language); running time 108 mins
Culturewatch article | discussion guide
13 Conversations About One Thing (2005)
Directed by Jill Sprecher; starring Alan Arkin, Matthew McConaughey, John Turturro, Amy Irving
cert. 15 (contains strong language); running time 99 mins
My article on Culturewatch | Discussion guide coming very soon
Lars and the Real Girl (2008)
Director: Craig Gillespie; Screenplay: Nancy Oliver; Starring: Ryan Gosling, Patricia Clarkson, Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider
Cert. 12A (Contains mental illness theme and moderate sex references); 102 mins – a brilliant, quirky independent film that most people will have missed, lots about identity, self-worth and finding acceptance in a community
Culturewatch article | No discussion guide
Juno (2008)
Directed by Jason Reitman; Oscar-winning screenplay by Diablo Cody; starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, J. K. Simmons, Alison Janney
Cert. 12A (Contains strong language and moderate sex references); 92 mins – life and love; lovely film
Culturewatch article | discussion guide
Son of Rambow (2008)
Directed and written by Garth Jennings; Starring: Bill Milner, Will Poulter, Jessica Stevenson, Neil Dudgeon
Cert. 12A (Contains dangerous behaviour, smoking and moderate language); 91 mins – more religious extremism with a strong theme of freedom and expression
My Culturewatch article | No discussion guide
The Lives of Others (Das Leben der Anderen) (2007)
Written and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck; starring: Martina Gedeck, Ulrich Mühe, Sebastian Koch
Cert. 15 (Contains strong sex); 138 minutes – too long for most contexts. But this is one of my favourite films of the last few years. Bear in mind that it’s in German with English subtitles.
My article on Culturewatch | No discussion guide
There Will Be Blood (2007)
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson; starring Daniel Day Lewis, Paul Dano, Dillon Freasier, Ciarán Hinds, Kevin J. O’Connor
Cert. 12A (Contains strong violence), 158 mins – too long for most contexts
Themes: obsession, greed and religious extremism
Culturewatch article by Nicola Lee | No discussion guide
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Director: Frank Darabont; Screenplay by Darabont, based on the novella by Stephen King; starring: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler
Cert. 15 (Contains frequent strong language, violence and sexual assault); 136 mins – too long for most contexts but a very powerful, now classic film
Culturewatch article | Discussion guide
The Dark Knight (2008)
Director: Christopher Nolan; Screenplay: Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan; Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman
Cert. 12A (Contains strong fantasy violence and sustained threat); 146 mins – powerful exploration of morality but too long for most contexts
Culturewatch article | No discussion guide
Gone Baby Gone (2008)
Director: Ben Affleck; Screenplay: Ben Affleck and Aaron Stockard, based on the novel by Dennis Lehane; Starring: Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, Amy Ryan
Cert 15 (Contains very strong language, strong violence and hard drug use); 109 mins – a little on the long side
My Culturewatch article | No discussion guide
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