Joseph: King of Dreams (2000)

Though not in the same league artistically as its astonishing big-screen predecessor The Prince of Egypt, this direct-to-video animated prequel brings a similar sensibility to retelling the story of Joseph and his brothers in a way that is both reverent and creative.

Dreams, of course, are integral to the story of Joseph. For King of Dreams the DreamWorks team crafted new dream sequences with their own visual flair. Joseph's dreams look like living, flowing Van Goghs; the dream-sky swirls like “Starry Night” and the grass ripples under the dream-Joseph's feet like ripples in a pond.

Joseph's sibling rivalry with his brothers is depicted in terms any child will readily understand. The sequence in which they throw him into a pit and sell him into slavery is handled with the same sensitivity as Moses’ killing of the Egyptian man.

In one small way, Joseph: King of Dreams even outshines the earlier film: The spirituality of its signature song, “You Know Better Than I,” is much more profound than anything in the more mainstream “There Can Be Miracles.”

Content advisory: Fraternal hostility; slavery and imprisonment.

Babette's Feast (1987)

Babette's Feast is a feast in itself, but it's also a restrained, ascetical film that aims at elevation, not mere gratification. A parable of religion and life, the deceptively simple story centers on a pair of aging daughters of a deceased Protestant minister who serve the austere community their father built.

Into their lives comes a French refugee named Babette, who begs to be allowed to serve them. The pious sisters hardly suspect they are as needy as Babette or that she might supply what they lack. She is French and, presumably, Catholic. What can she have that they might need?

Babette is an ambassador of incarnationalism, of grace. Her feast is both a meal and also (in a way the sisters cannot guess) a sacrifice. Babette's Feast is a quiet celebration of the grace that meets us at every turn, redeeming even our sacrifices and losses. One of the 15 films on the Vatican film list in the Religion category.

Content advisory: Nothing problematic. Subtitles.

Monsieur Vincent (1947)

St. Vincent de Paul led a remarkable life. Born into poverty, sold into slavery in Africa after being kidnapped at sea by Turkish pirates, he eventually rose to become a trusted adviser to queens, princes and nobility. Even more remarkable was the way this unassuming priest brought about a major change in social consciousness in France that made its effects felt throughout Europe and eventually the world. Five centuries earlier St. Francis had sparked a spiritual revolution by teaching his followers to live as beggars. Vincent sparked another by teaching his followers to feed and shelter beggars.

Of course Christians had always practiced charity on an individual basis. Vincent's innovation was to organize charity, to found institutions and orders to care for the needy. Every soup kitchen and shelter today continues his work. Monsieur Vincent, director Maurice Cloche's beautifully crafted, award-winning biopic, celebrates the saint's devotion to the poor without romanticizing the objects of his devotion.

One of the 15 films on the Vatican film list in the Religion category.

Content advisory: Brief scenes of violence, including a fleeting war montage with a glimpse of rape (no nudity).