What movie revealed the greatest philosophical truth to you? Why?

Answer 1

What Dreams May Come. Perhaps life and death are simply what you make them. I'd like to believe that.

Answer 2

This is a fun question! I'm sort of a movie nut (I particularly like *old* films), so it's hard to narrow it down to one... Here, though, are a few:

1. ELMER GANTRY w/ Burt Lancaster: Beware the people who spout off most about religion, god and righteousness, because they are almost inevitably phonies, charlatans and con men. (The novel is even better than the movie, but I saw the movie first).

2. THE CROWD (a 1928 or 1929 silent film): Although we all feel that we are "individuals" and important... within society, we are each viewed as little more than numbers... faces in the crowd... mere cogs in the workings of society... anonymous clowns (a great film, but sort of depressing).

3. ROGER & ME and HARLAN COUNTY U.S.A. (maybe this is more a political truth than a *philosophical* truth...?): That for all of the media blather about how every man and woman has an equal shot at success, this country is actually owned and run by corporations and corporate power. Until that changes, the "little, average guy" rarely gets a fair break.

Answer 3

Forest Gump
It made me realize many people have so much potential and throw their lives away day after day, not helping them selves or anybody else. They just exist and wonder what happened when death is near, then they vanish.
Others start with less and live beyond their dreams, they become better than themselves and do and see things others can only imagine. These people leave this planet with no regrets or wonders and are talked about for generations.
Now, I know these are extremes and real life happens in the middle, but this movie inspired me to be more. I've been from Dublin to Bagdad and Death Valley to Berlin and I think I walk the right path.

Answer 4

Honestly, I don't remember anything noble from movies in exactness that wasn't merely mildly affecting, but I do remember significant changes in my life due to TV, watching "Discovering psychology with Phillip Zimbardo (SP name?)" and A&Es Ancient Mysteries of the Bible."

The former I learned much of the how, and the need for self honesty -I was maybe 12ish, and it has affected my whole life in consequence. The latter (at age 19) I learned that I didn't dislike religion, but merely the ignorant and inflammatory interpretations of it. Since only a few of the experts expressed much intelligence in their assumptions, most were just ridiculous speculation, it was obvious the richness of it had to be pursued independently, reflecting on both my own and others thoughts, to come to ever increasingly complete conclusions.

Other things on TV that affected my life, were stand up comedians insights to the ridiculousness of modern day, and what's necessary to improve it, and ancient Philosophers, and ancient or modern writers, via TLCs "Great Books Festivals." As well many others, to lesser and greater degrees. Most movies though, havn't excelled TV in philosophical truths for me.

Answer 5

I was in my 30's when I received my answer from the movie, SLINGBLADE. One of my lifelong questions was this: "They" say it takes all kinds to make the world go 'round. But my question was: WHY does the world need a**holes? For a long time I was satisfied with the fact that we each have our bad moments when we are less than stellar in our actions and attitudes. Yes... sometimes I too am an a**hole. BUT... in SLINGBLADE I saw the mother's boyfriend, abusive alcoholic, a very one dimensional character... and I recognized him, comparative to other folks I have known in my life. Yep. A**holes. And... the sweet, dimwitted, deep-thinker knew that young boy's life would be irredeemably altered if he grew up in the presence of that a**hole. So... quite simply... he killed the a**hole with the sharpened blade from a lawnmower, similar to a slingblade, some call 'em a kiser... Mmm-hmmm.

And I realized something. My own epiphany from a pop culture movie.

WHY does it take all kinds to make the world go 'round?

THE ANSWER: It doesn't. BUT there IS a balance. And if you want to take out an a**hole... YOU must be willing to pay the price.

Answer 6

Believe it or not, "Click" !!
It has a lot of symbolism (not sure whether its intended or not)

when the guy fast forwards stuff he doesn't like, he becomes "auto-pilot" during these periods, or acting programmedly like he usually would. Then the remote memorizes the program and starts skipping on its own and then outof nowhere 5 months wud pass, then 2 years just go by in a click.. and then he suddenly is an aged man.

This is exactly what we do to our life.
We just do what we usually do... we just do.. we complain about annoying tasks but never remember them when they're over.. then POOF! 2 years have passed!

We shouldnt let ourselves be that auto-pilot we programmed ourselves to be.. learn to make every minute count and fight any built-up momentum from your life

Answer 7

Well, when "Field of Dreams" came out I went to see it with a friend, and he pointed out that what he got from it was a symbolic analogy to something we as Mormons hold dear. That is to say, when you start doing genealogy and wondering what happened to your own parents, ancestors, and others who have gone before you, that there starts to be an amazing sealing bond between you, that time starts to disappear, and you start to see more of the past and future than you ever could before. It is kind of a combination of Einstein's theories and religion put together.
If you are looking just for strict philosophy, I rather like the conflict of how self-fulfilling prophecy works in "The Chosen." Although again, that also combines philosophy, psychology, and spirituality.

Answer 8

The Labyrinth! So many messages here, one thing that has stuck with me since I was a little girl is "Never take anything for granted" The main character wishes her baby brother would disappear, (he does) and as she searches for him she keeps having trouble and shouting "Thats not fair!!" Only to realize that nothing is fair, you can't take anything for granted and you just have to keep persevering until the very end, when you are staring the goblin king right in his sexy David Bowie eyes and his spandex package almost touches your leg then you say " I have fought through this labyrinth, through heartships unumbered and disaster in my wake, to get here to the castle and take back what you have stolen. YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME" and then the whole bad dreams falls apart and you know that truly, no one has power over you.....

Answer 9

Point Break. Starts out as just your typical action/cops and robbers/good guys versus bad guys movie but then...it starts to become unclear who the bad guys really are. Frankly I think the surfer robbers have a point with their quote: "This was never about money for us. It was about us against the system. That system that kills the human spirit. We stand for something. To those dead souls inching along the freeways in their metal coffins, we show them that the human spirit is still alive." -Bodhi . Amen to that. Who are the bad guys really? The rebellion or the empire?

Answer 10

Les Miserables. I like the musical more (in fact I played Thenardier in the school edition a few weeks ago) but the movie gets the message across just fine.
Forgiveness. No matter what the crime, everyone deserves a second chance... No matter the crime...

Answer 11

I have lots of movies in mind but I have to say Shawshank Redemption and Castaway... both of these movies have been mentioned here before, because they both talk about the most important thing a man should possess... and in a beautiful manner... hope.

And I also think, funny though it may seem, that I should second they guy who mentioned "Click"... Click really made me to spend more time with my loved ones.