By Dr. Joseph Mercola

I don't watch television but I do watch DVD movies for recreation. Personally, I consider Frank Capra's movie "It's a Wonderful Life" with Jimmy Stewart and "The Green Mile" starring Tom Hanks, two of my favorite films. However, recently "In America" made "the best movies I have ever seen list", as it was one of those rare and truly outstanding visions of filmmaking.

The movie stars Ariel as one of the most precious and absolutely irresistible little girls you will ever see. The movie is told through the eyes of her slightly older sister, Sarah, who brings an impressive, totally convincing sense of gravity to her role as a child. Sarah feels responsible for keeping her entire family afloat. Her younger sister captures the essence of the film until the final few minutes when you realize Sarah is really the genius mastermind behind the recovery of her family.

"In America" is a great, emotional story about accepting happiness in the face of contrary evidence and about daring to hope and love even when the evidence says you shouldn't. It also symbolically shows all the other contradictory miracles life offers us through experiences of joy and pain.

The story begins with the family sneaking over the Canadian border on tourist visas to start a new life in a strange, abrasive, enchanting place called New York City. It's set in the 1980s, a period when the AIDS epidemic is yet to be named and the country is spellbound by a creature named E.T. This creature appears throughout the film acting as a metaphor to the family's "alien experience". The family's life is a series of large and small obstacles, potent victories, money worries, lucky breaks, quiet despair and unexpected adventures.

This is a semi-autobiographical tale that pits the pain and grief of unimaginable loss against the resilience of the human heart. "In America" touches your emotions in countless ways. It was warm, funny, at times painful and beautifully written. To call a film heartwarming risks turning some people off, but "In America" pulls at your heartstrings in a completely genuine, non-manipulative way. It is that rare find: A film that is as emotionally truthful as it is satisfying. If you like the end of the "The Green Mile" as much as I did with its tragic mystical enchantment than you will love the last ten minutes of this film.

In addition, the holiday season would not be complete without seeing the movie "It's a Wonderful Life." If you have NOT seen this movie yet, I highly recommend viewing it, for it is truly a classic. If you have seen the movie then you will develop a new appreciation for the movie by reading Dr. Gary North's recent review of the movie.

The movie is about a man named George Bailey who is played by Jimmy Stewart. It is filled with his enormous hopes, dreams and aspirations for the future. Throughout the film you will witness the many setbacks George must endure as he constantly struggles trying to find his place in the world. At the start, you will see George as an ambitious 12-year-old who wants nothing more than to travel the world and accomplish monumental tasks. Yet years later, he finds himself at his wits end, never having set foot outside his hometown.

But it isn't until the ending of the movie where George discovers he truly has done a great thing and finds that his life has been nothing short of a series of miracles. From his wife to his children to his drafty old home, everything seems to fall into place.

Internet Movie Database

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