A Serious Man
2009 | Rated RDirected by Joel and Ethan Coen Despite trying to lead an honorable life, Larry Gopnik—a late 1960s, Jewish middle-class Job—finds his life falling apart for no apparent reason, which leads him on a search for God’s purpose in the midst of suffering.
East of Eden
1955 | Rated PGDirected by Elia Kazan An adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel, the film retells the story of Cain and Abel and, in some ways, spins it on its head. Set in central California during World War I, James Dean plays the infamous evil brother who so desperately longs for his father’s affection.
Children of Men
2006 | Rated RDirected by Alfonso Cuarón As a man transports a miraculously pregnant woman to safety in 2027, a time in which children are no longer born, the Nativity story plays out in this dystopian world. The child could help scientists solve the infertility epidemic and save humankind.
Grapes of Wrath
1940 | UnRatedDirected by John Ford In this historical exodus of the Great Depression, a family of displaced farmers from Oklahoma seeks hope in the Promised Land of California. But as with the Israelites, they find the journey to be long, hard, and, in the end, not what it seemed.
The Decalogue
1988 | UnRatedDirected by Krzysztof Kieślowski This series of short films takes a close look at the Ten Commandments. Through socio-realistic stories surrounding everyday life in Communist Poland, each captivating film explores the meaning of a commandment with intimacy and integrity.
David Roark, a Dallas-based writer and film critic
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