America reviewed a range of films over the last year, including many of the awards-show contenders.
Arts & Culture
Posted inArts & Culture, Catholic Book Club
R.I.P. John Coleman, S.J., distinguished sociologist (and parish priest)
One of the nation’s most distinguished sociologists for many years and an expert on the relationship between religion and public life, the Rev. John A. Coleman died on Jan. 17, 2025 in Los Gatos, Calif., at the age of 87.
Posted inArts & Culture, Catholic Movie Club
‘Pan’s Labyrinth’: Guillermo del Toro’s ‘riff on Catholic dogma’ in fascist Spain
“Pan’s Labyrinth” embodies the core tension of Catholic life: the push and pull between the eternal and the worldly.
Posted inArts & Culture, Film
Mike Leigh’s ‘Hard Truths’ asks: Do hurt people always hurt people?
Why is Pansy so angry? That is, in many ways, the raison d’etre of ‘Hard Truths.’
Posted inArts & Culture, Music
Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan and the Communion of Saints
Bob Dylan, more than anyone, fused the pop cultural and the religious experience into one.
Posted inArts & Culture, Catholic Book Club
Octavia Butler: A Black science fiction writer who predicted today’s dire headlines
Octavia Butler, the Black science fiction writer who died in 2006, did not just create imaginary worlds with parallels to ours. Sometimes she created worlds that are eerily a little too much like our own.
Posted inArts & Culture, Film
In ‘September 5’, an Israeli hostage crisis plays out on live TV
“September 5,” a claustrophobic chronicle of the ABC sports journalists who brought the 1972 Munich Olympics terrorist attack to 900 million viewers, is a story of confidence and failure.
Posted inArts & Culture, Theater
Why we need more Middle Eastern stories on our stages
Middle Eastern representation is notably scarce in New York. ”English” and ”A Knock on the Roof” seeks to change that.
Posted inArts & Culture, Film
A sports film Wendell Berry would love
The new film ‘Green and Gold’ credits prolific Christian writer and farmer Wendell Berry as its biggest influence. It’s easy to see why.
Posted inArts & Culture, Catholic Book Club
Michael Longley’s poetry perfectly blends Irish political and pastoral themes
Michael Longley, the Irish poet whose long career included more than 40 books, died last week. He was lauded by literary, social and political figures alike for his many contributions to Irish literature and to the cause of social reconciliation.