Top 8 Easter Movies
by Sandy Mitchell on March 19th, 2008
Whether your Easter celebrations tend towards the religious or the secular, you’re sure to find a movie among our favorites to share with you family (in random order). Rent them at your favorite video outlet or click on the titles for a trip to Amazon.com.
1. Easter Parade (1948). This MGM classic with Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, and Ann Miller makes me smile everytime I see it. The timeless movie includes several Irving Berlin standards, including “Easter Parade.”
2. The Ten Commandments (1956). Though not technically about Easter, this epic with Charlton Heston and Yul Brenner tells the story of Passover, an intergral part of the Easter Story.
3. Godspell (1973). This contemporary version of the Gospel according to Matthew puts Christ and his followers in contempary New York City with a lively score, including the popular song, “Day by Day.”
4. Jesus Christ Superstar (Special Edition)Jesus Christ Superstar (1973). The movie version of the rock opera that made Andrew Lloyd Webber a household name is still enjoyable thirty years later. Although the original Broadway version stopped short of the resurrection, the movie corrects that omission. Included the classic, title song as well as “I Don’t Know How to Love Him.”
5. The Robe (1953). Richard Burton and Jean Simmons star in this Oscar-nominated film about the Roman tribune who wins Christ’s robe gambling and is changed forever.
6. It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown (1976). Though not overtly religious like “The Robe,” Charles Schultz’s Peanuts tales are all homilies about the power of friendship and acceptance. They are also fun on multiple levels, for young and “not so young.” “Easter Beagle” is no exception.
7. Here Comes Peter Cottontail (1971). This animated tale is an enjoyable look at the story of the Easter Bunny.
8. The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965). In my view, this is the definitive movie of the Easter Story. The MGM epic, directed by David Lean, stars Max von Sydow as a very human and accessible, yet still touching, Christ.
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