Healing and Healers

Movies/Scenes Representing Healing and Healers

Shrek (2001)
- Shrek and the princess are both healed by their love for each other.
Amelie (2001)
- Amelie walks a blind man across the street, but as she goes she begins telling him all the things around, in detail, in effect giving him sight. (Darrel Manson, Artesia, CA)
X Men (2000)
- Wolverine risks his own life (shedding blood and receiving stripes in the process) bestowing his own healing power, to heal the deadly wounds of a friend (a "Rogue" no less, now that is grace). (Benjy Oliver)
The End of the Affair (1999)
- Sarah clearly believed in miracles but while she could heal others she couldn't, or wouldn't save herself. I enjoyed the way the same scene was shown from the perspective of different characters, especially the scene where Maurice appears, Lazarus like, in the doorway after Sarah makes her promise to God. (submitted by Mike Clark, Hamilton, Canada.)
Bringing Out The Dead (1999)
- 'Bringing out the dead' by Martin Scorsese is about the power of man to make others live, and about the question by which means man can find peace for his soul. It's about resurrection as well. (Dr. Matthias Walter)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
- The mutual healing between Cole and Malcolm.
The Bone Collector (1999)
- Lincoln Rhyme's life is healed through his relationship with Amelia and through immersing himself in his work once more, yet he is still a quadriplegic. (Healing can happen when the disease/disability remains.)
The Green Mile (1999)
- John Coffey (J.C.) as healer who restores health and prolongs life.
Dogma (1999)
- Bethany is fatally shot and healed by God. (see review at Hollywood Jesus)
Beloved (1998)
- The women from the community confront Sethe and drive out the demon by their prayers and their acceptance of Sethe as a courageous member of their community instead of as an ostracized one.
Patch Adams (1998)
- healing the whole person, not the disease
- The power of laughter to help in healing. (submitted by Alan Missen)
- Concerning the idea of healed healers, there is a scene in Patch Adams where Patch is describing his vision of a hospital. He says that patients and doctors there would be partners, that in any particular moment you would never know exactly which partner was healing and which was being healed. (submitted by David Miller)
The Horse Whisperer (1998)
- Tom Booker heals the bodies and souls of Grace and Pilgrim.
The Spitfire Grill (1996)
- Percy goes up into the mountains searching for the man she calls "Johnny B". He eludes her, and she finally sinks down in a clearing, looking out over the mountains. With a look of unspeakable suffereing, she begins to sing "There Is a Balm in Gilead." Silently, "Johnny B" walks up behind her and places his hand on ther head. It is a moment of healing for both of them. (FUMC, Natchitoches, LA)
- The townspeople feel 'bentover/crippled' and see only a dry future. They are awakened to a living spirit--set free from their ailment by the outsider-renewer-forgiver. They learn to live in a new way--a new 'sabbath' spirit of excitement. It is planted among them before they realize it and may only recognize what they have been given as they look back--many with joy for who came to their town. (Dennis Sytle)
Kolya (1996)
- Louka heals Kolya, but who is healing whom?
Enchanted April (1996)
- The healing power of place - San Salvatore as mystical venue of healing.
Dead Man Walking (1995)
- Many characters experience healing in the story, while others refuse to be healed.
Powder (1995)
- see review at Hollywood Jesus.
- The scene in which the teacher reaches out and touches Powder is a strong statement about the power of touch and human connection. (FUMC, Natchitoches, LA)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
- In the Shawshank Redemption, the narrator (Morgan Freeman's character) is healed from his despair by Tim Robbins'character's hope in the face of suffering. This is also the "redemption" of the title (I think), that one man is redeemed by the suffering of an innocent man who takes on the suffering of prison anyway, seeing life within and beyond it, and living fully, and freely, even in his captivity, and can still seize the opportunity for freedom. (submitted by Edie Bird, Fayetteville, Arkansas)
Natural Born Killers (1994)
- The shaman and the snakes in the desert are what "heal" Mickey and Mallory and start them on the path toward learning how not to perpetuate cycles of violence. Entwined snakes theme throughout film.
Shadowlands (1993)
- CS Lewis delivers a speech about why God allows suffering.
  Start cue: "Yesterday I received a letter".
  End cue: "Thank you very much" (approx 1.5 mins). (Youth Alpha Australia)
The Secret Garden (1993)
- The Children's movie The Secret Garden deals with the interplay of healing from grief and physical healing and family system healing. There is also a scene where the children do a ritual to call back the grieving father of the now healed boy. (submitted by Bruce Turner)
Leap of Faith (1992)
- scene where boy walks up to the statue of Jesus feet and is healed.
  Start cue: Steve Martin says no more miracles today and walks out.
  End cue: after sister runs up and hugs him.
  Alternatively use the scene where Steve Martin admits he is a fake faith healer because he has seen the young boy?s healing - the real thing. (Youth Alpha Australia)
The Fisher King (1991)
- Through their mutual respect, friendship and quest, Jack and Parry are healed.
The Favour, The Watch and the Very Big Fish (1991)
- The Pianist, a newly released prison inmate, is hired to portray Jesus for a religious photographer. Recognized by some women with a blind child, they beg for him to heal the boy. (submitted by Bette Sohm)
Awakenings (1990)
- Dr. Sayer finds medication which can temporarily awaken catatonic people from their condition. Dr. Sayer is "healed" in his own "awakening" as he learns to care for the people he is working with and for.
Empire of the Sun (1987)
- The young hero, Jim, thinks that he can raise the dead because while he was trying to rescusitate a dead woman her eyes moved. Later in the movie he thinks that he can raise everyone who has died in the war. (submitted by Michael Clark, Hamilton, Canada)
Tampopo (1985)
- The 1987 movie "Tampopo" is about the search for the perfect noodle, and features lots of loosely connected stories about the power of food and eating. In one vignette, a father mourns as his wife lies dying, asking how he and their son will survive if she dies. As she clearly breathes her last (turning a ghastly pale blue-white) the father and son sob and beg her to arise, and COOK! The wife sits up slowly, prepares one final meal, and then expires in peace. Ever since I saw that, I cannot help but connect the scene of Jesus healing Peter's mother-in-law (Mark 1:29-39; also in Matthew and Luke) since the first thing she does when he revives her is start serving everyone in the house. (The Rev. Mary Beth Rivetti)
Resurrection (1980)
- After her near-death experience, Edna McCauley has the ability to heal by taking others' infirmities on herself. (submitted by David K. Miller)
Life of Brian (1979)
- The leper who has been cleansed (by Jesus) is still sitting with the lepers, begging. He's "not quite well" and is still in need of assistance. (An interesting commentary on our own desire to be made whole.)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
- Mac "cures" the Chief's "deafness" with a piece of Juicy Fruit gum.

Index of Movie Titles

Index of Movie Themes