Is Pope Leo a cinephile? The answer may surprise you.
Pope Leo has also decided to share his four favorite movies of all time. In a video with Variety (but not Letterboxd?), he listed the following: Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, Robert Wise’s The Sound of Music, Robert Redford’s Ordinary People, and Roberto Benigni’s Life is Beautiful.
Although it’s tempting to hope for more out-of-box movie picks in Pope Leo’s roster (was he not moved by Aunt Gladys in Weapons?), his four films point to the papal father’s love of a good drama. Ordinary People picks apart a dysfunctional family’s grief, aptly set in his home city of Chicago, Life is Beautiful looks at the lengths a father will go to shield his son from the horrors of the Second World War, and the last two choices — It’s a Wonderful Life and Sound of Music — may suggest his affinity for an old-fashioned happy ending. I’m inclined to make a nun joke here about that latter movie, but I shall hold back.
What’s more Pope Leo’s announcement of his favorite films is anything but random. As part of the Roman Catholic Church Jubilee celebration, a special yearlong event that takes place every 25 years, Pope Leo XIV is hosting dozens of actors and directors from across the globe. The guest list is undeniably star-studded, considering that it includes celebrities like Cate Blanchett, Monica Bellucci, Judd Apatow, Wang Bing, Spike Lee, Adam Scott, Chris Pine, Dave Franco, and Alison Brie. The gaggle of stars will be received at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City on November 15, in a meeting that is a first for the Catholic Church.
“Pope Leo XIV has expressed his desire to deepen dialogue with the World of Cinema,” wrote the Vatican in its official announcement of the event, “and in particular with actors and directors, exploring the possibilities that artistic creativity offers to the mission of the Church and the promotion of human values.”
While it would be a goldmine to hear what Pope Leo has to say about movies with his celebrity audience — will they discuss Cate Blanchett’s performance in Tár? Or argue who the best Chris in Hollywood is? — it also isn’t the first time that the papal father has sat down for a chat with celebrities. Earlier this July, Al Pacino stopped by the Vatican for a quick exchange with Pope Leo, and Robert de Niro did the same this November.
