A Whole Life in Twelve Movies

“As a fan of Kathleen Norris’s Cloister Walk and Dakota, I loved reading her honest engagement with various films in this book. Higgins and Norris add to a conversation that the filmmaker has begun and draw from their experience of life to give these humble films more depth. I wish there was more writing about films like it. I feel my perspective about the world widening through it.”—Lee Isaac Chung, director of Minari and Twisters

“In A Whole Life in Twelve Movies, Norris and Higgins do what they do so well: weave together stories and commentary that remind us what it means to be human, to long for love and connection, and to search the world around us for moments of kinship as we carry grief, joy, healing, and longing inside our own hearts. Art is powerful, and in the pages of this book you’ll find an incredible guide into one of the most effective forms of art—film—to explore our connection to ourselves, spirituality, and one another. Whether you’re an avid movie watcher or hoping to dive into these films for the first time, please read this book and let it lead you into curiosity and wonder. You’ll be so glad you did.”—Kaitlin B. Curtice, award-winning author of Native, Living Resistance, and Winter’s Gifts

“This book is a loving embrace of a new way of seeing—which used to be an old way of seeing. With eyes and souls wide open, Norris and Higgins dare to engage cinema on its deepest and most meaningful levels; they dare to believe in it as art. Most scandalously of all, they dare to believe movies can teach us how to live better, if only we’d allow them to. This book is a treasure.”—Scott Teems, writer-director, Rectify, Narcos: Mexico, and The Quarry

“There are few pleasures as distinct as viewing a great film, then chasing it with a spirited chat with a friend. This book is loaded with that lovely feeling. A rich format and rich set of films; Norris and Higgins make excellent tour guides who can lead us into the vast landscape of world cinema.”—Josh Jeter, producer of Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life

“Norris and Higgins seem to engage movies for the same reason I do: in the faith that better is possible and that good stories show us the way. Their experience of said stories and which stories have the most meaning for them are, of course, different from my own. But isn’t that the gift? In the movies they have invited us to, I get to experience the world through their eyes, and my own experience is broadened. What will we choose to do with the broadening of our experiences? This is the charge these two movie lovers so deftly set before us.”—Melvin Bray, equity designer and author of Better: Waking Up to Who We Could Be

“Reading this beautiful book is like having an endlessly fascinating conversation with two friends about film, when those two friends are always wise, thoughtful, and funny and have inspiring things to say about the movies they love. . . . For me, the first thing I want to do after watching a powerful film is see what others have to say about it. At heart, it’s a desire for conversation, for learning, and for being challenged. This book is an answer to those common desires.”—James Martin, SJ (from the foreword)