These Are the Pope's Four Favorite Films

This year, the world got a new pope, the American Pope Leo XIV. He's proven to be fairly down-to-earth so far, and is a sports fan and, apparently, a movie fan.

Pope Leo will soon honor Hollywood, with stars like Cate Blanchett, Adam Scott, Spike Lee, Viggo Mortensen, Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Monica Bellucci, and Chris Pine traveling to the Vatican for a special celebration. The pope "has expressed his desire to deepen dialogue with the World of Cinema... exploring the possibilities that artistic creativity offers to the mission of the Church and the promotion of human values," the Vatican said in a statement (via Reuters).

To mark the occasion, the Vatican released a video where Pope Leo named his four favorite movies. Check it out below.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

It's a Wonderful Life

Frank Capra's holiday classic follows George Bailey, a small-town guy who dreams of leaving Bedford Falls but keeps getting pulled back by family obligations and community needs. When financial disaster hits, George considers ending it all. An angel appears and shows him what the world would look like without him.

The film was actually a box office flop when it was released. Now it's a perennial favorite that reminds us how one person's life touches countless others.

You can read more about the film's brilliant screenplay here.

The Sound of Music

This musical tells the true story of Maria, a nun who becomes governess to the seven children of the widowed Captain von Trapp in Nazi-occupied Austria.

The opening sequence is one of cinema's most iconic character introductions, even though filming it was brutal. Julie Andrews was repeatedly knocked down by helicopter downdrafts, and the camera operator had to rig himself outside the helicopter with just straps.

Check out our breakdown of how one of its songs changed movie musicals forever.

Ordinary People

This one felt like a deep cut! From 1980, Robert Redford's directorial debut examines a seemingly perfect suburban family falling apart after the death of their eldest son. It examines grief and how families can fail each other even when they're trying their best.

The film won Redford the Oscar for Best Director and took home Best Picture.

You can learn more about Redford's filmmaking legacy here.

Life Is Beautiful

Roberto Benigni's film follows Guido, a Jewish Italian bookshop owner who uses humor and imagination to shield his young son from the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp. When they're imprisoned, Guido pretends the whole thing is an elaborate game where they're competing for points. It's both fanciful and dark.

The film won three Oscars, including Best Foreign Language Film and Best Actor for Benigni. It's one of our favorite World War II films and is also a great example of genre-bending in film.

What do you think of the pope's choices?