Fireproof vs. Religulous

Two completely opposite movies are showing in theaters right now: Fireproof, a Christian movie about marriage, and Religulous, a movie by Bill Maher that mocks religion.

Fireproof opened on September 26 and was the # 4 movie that weekend.

Religulous opened on October 3 and was the # 10 movie that weekend, while Fireproof was # 8.

At the website www.the-movie-times.com, people were rating Fireproof as "very good" or "classic." Many posters were saying that this movie will save marriages. On the other hand, they were rating Religulous as "terrible" or "worst of all time." One poster said it was "stupid" and another said he wanted Bill Maher to give him his money back.

Is Hollywood listening?

This weekend another Christian movie opens in theaters about Billy Graham. It's called Billy: The Early Years. Christian's let's show Hollywood what kind of movies we want to see!

Movie review: "Fireproof"

This past Tuesday my wife and I saw an early pre-release screening of Fireproof, the new movie from Sherwood Baptist Church of Albany, Georgia, the same people who did Facing the Giants and Flywheel. (Can they make a movie that doesn't start with the letter "F"?)
The movie opens September 26 in 800 theaters across the country, but we were given the opportunity to see an early showing for ministers. They handed out tissue at first, and I gave the tissue to my wife and said, "Here, you may need this." She handed a piece back to me and said, "You may need it, too." She was right.
Fireproof is a better film than Facing the Giants for several reasons. For one thing, they spent more money on the movie, which made for better acting (professional actor Kirk Cameron played the fireman), better quality cinematography and more realistic action scenes. They spent $500,000 on this movie, which is a low-budget film by Hollywood standards, but Facing the Giants was done for $100,000.
But more importantly, the storyline of Fireproof was much more believable than Facing the Giants. There were no miracles in the sky, just a gut-wrenching, struggling marriage. The movie pulls no punches in showing how hard it is to work out a marriage. Men and women will relate to the characters, and it will force couples to evaluate how they treat the man or woman in their lives. The movie makes great use of humor, like in the former Sherwood movies, but this time the humor is more sophisticated, particularly the use of the recurring theme of the neighbor who watches the fireman lose his temper.
Fireproof is very clear about presenting the gospel, and does so in a way that is very appealing and reasonable. It shows how Christ is the answer to our struggles with marriage, and does so without preaching to the audience, rather, the movie lets the audience discover this truth alongside of the struggling husband and wife.
I enjoyed Facing the Giants, and while I enjoyed Fireproof, it was much more than that. Fireproof caused me and my wife to talk about our marriage relationship as we drove home. I believe that God will use this movie to strengthen good marriages and save struggling marriages. I would encourage anybody who is married and anybody who is thinking about getting married to go see this movie. When you do, don't thank me for recommending it. Don't even thank Sherwood Baptist Church for making the movie. Thank God, who made marriage.

NOTE: Read the first comment below for information about how you can get tickets for the showing our church has booked on Saturday, September 27.

UPDATE: The movie Fireproof opened on Friday night, September 26, and was the third most popular movie that night, even though it was only in 839 theaters, whereas the 5 movies that were behind Fireproof in popularity were showing on 2,500 screens.

Recommended movie list

Can you give me a list of your recommended christian movies?
Thanks
Christi Ricker

Christi,
That's an interesting question. Let me see...
The following I would recommend to all ages:
"Facing the Giants" (high school football, great feel-good movie despite no
professional actors, gospel message)
"Flywheel" (low budget, unprofessional acting, but humorous, great message
about fatherhood, faith and honesty, gospel message)
"Joshua" (imagine if Jesus visited a small town in America today; well done
movie, unique story)
"Time Changer" (unique movie about what happens if a Christian from 1890
sees our culture today; gospel message)
"Unidentified" (about UFO's, Christian message)
"Something to Sing About" (comedy, music, gospel message)
"The Climb" (mountain climbing, adventure, gospel message)
"The Road to Redemption" (comedy with gospel message)
"Last Flight Out" (exciting missionary story, gospel message)
"The Nativity Story" (story of Jesus' birth; follows the Bible story)
"Matthew" (word for word through gospel of Matthew; actor who plays Jesus
smiles a lot)
"The Gospel of John" (word for word through gospel of John; very well done
film)
"The Ten Commandments" (Carlton Heston classic and the 2007 animated version)
And of course, all of the "Veggie Tales" movies are great for the kids

The following are good Christian movies with a good message, but they may be
too intense for children:
"A Vow to Cherish" (about faithfulness to marriage when spouse becomes
sick-- one of the most emotional movies I have ever seen)
"The Second Chance" (about a pastor who got too big and forgot his roots,
like prodigal son)
"End of the Spear" (about missionaries murdered in South America; about
forgiveness and gospel is explained by the natives to other natives)
"The Visitation" (about cults and false Messiahs and Jesus being the only
true way; this is a scary movie, however)
"The Hiding Place" (true story of Nazi concentration camp, gospel message)
"Hangman's Curse" (about "haunted" high school, good movie for teenagers,
deals with bullying, gospel message)
"Amazing Grace" (about end of slave trade and Christians being involved in
politics to make a difference in society; very well done with good acting,
costumes; makes use of the song "Amazing Grace" several times; be sure to
watch the musical tribute after the credits)
"The Passion of the Christ" (you know this one)

And the following are not explicitly Christian movies, but they have a
spiritual message or a message affirming faith in God:
"Bella" (shows the value of human life through the eyes of one man, and one pregnant woman)
"Saving Sarah Cain" (wonderful feel good movie; secular, worldly woman who
must adopt her sister's children who are Amish and is confronted by their
simple faith)
"The Chronicles of Narnia: Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe" (classic children's
fantasy story- Lion symbolizes Jesus)
"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian"
"Saints and Soldiers" (WWII movie-- not for children; shows a soldier who
has faith and one who does not)
"Gods and Generals" (Civil War movie-- not for children; shows the true
faith of Generals Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee as well as faith of Union
soldiers)
"Thr3e" (intense, psycho thriller, but good faith message)
"Because of Winn Dixie" (cute, feel-good movie about a pastor's daughter and
a dog)

Any comments from readers about these films? Would you add some other movies to the list?

Beware of "The Golden Compass"

A new movie opening December 7 appears to be similar to The Chronicles of Narnia in TV ads. The similarity is deliberate, but deceptive.
The story opens with a girl getting lost in a wardrobe (sounds like "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," doesn't it?) but the message she finds is the opposite of Narnia's.
The Golden Compass is based on the "His Dark Materials" book trilogy by agnostic writer Philip Pullman. Pullman says that he hates the Narnia books. "If there is a God," says Pullman, "and he is as the Christians describe him, then he deserves to be put down and rebelled against."
So in this movie, the church is the evil empire to be opposed, and the "good guys," according to Pullman's movie, are those who oppose the church. In one scene, a witch actually says that every church is the same, trying to destroy every good feeling.
The Golden Compass exalts homosexuality, evolution, divination, witchcraft, and premarital sex. Suffice to say, this movie is poison for children. Want to know more? Read the review at "Plugged In Online."
If the kids want to see a good movie, take them to see Enchanted instead.

Movie "Bella" is heart-warming story

On Friday my wife and I went with our daughter and her boyfriend to see the new independent film, Bella.
It is a heart-warming, and at times, heart-wrenching story about the value of life.
Nina, a waitress at a Mexican restaurant, is fired because she shows up late, due to her pregnancy. Jose, the chef, walks out of the restaurant and spends the day traveling around New York City with Nina, who is considering an abortion. Jose never preaches at her, but he literally shows her the value of life as he opens up to her about his own past.
The movie flashes back in time and flashes forward, as well. My daughter found this confusing, but my wife and I understood it and felt it helped hold our interest in the plot. There is no sex or bad language in the movie (some of the dialogue is in Spanish with subtitles). A violent event is portrayed in a flashback, but not graphically.
If you are looking for a fast-paced, exciting movie, don't go see this movie. At times, it moves slowly. However, if you are looking for a thought-provoking, clean, intelligent film about the meaning of life, go see Bella. It will touch your heart and mind.

"Amazing Grace" was an amazing story

Two hundred years ago this weekend, the slave trade was abolished in the British Empire. The story of how that happened, however, is largely forgotten. The new movie, Amazing Grace, tells the true story of how it took the tireless efforts of William Wilberforce, who was inspired by his faith and his boyhood pastor John Newton, former slave trader himself and author of the hymn, "Amazing Grace."
My wife Mary and I went with our friends Chris and Janna Dyals to see it today. The first two showings were sold out, so we had to go to the later showing, and that theater was packed, although the theater was one of the smaller theaters at the Wynnsong 11 Cinema in Savannah.
Chris was impressed by the quality of the production. Mary was moved by Wilberforce's determination to keep trying and not give up. I noticed how they brought out the Christian faith of Newton and Wilberforce, yet it is not so "in your face" as to turn off the non-religious movie viewer. I also found it fascinating how they connected the history of the time to the story, including the American Revolution and the French Revolution.

The movie is rated PG for scenes of slavery and some mild language.
Here's how I would grade the movie:
Storyline/plot: B+
It is difficult to retell a story when the ending is already known going in. But although I knew Wilberforce led the crusade to end the slave trade, the story of how he almost gave up, how he was inspired to continue and how a little political trickery helped get it done was all new to me. The movie tells the story well, bringing out the highs and lows of the effort, and using some moving back and forth in time. For many people who are not familiar with the story, the involvement of John Newton, author of "Amazing Grace," is also very inspiring part of the story. I think the story could have been stronger if they had shown more scenes of the suffering endured by the African slaves. They showed white people discussing how the slaves suffered, and they showed one African who revealed his scars and showed Wilberforce around an empty slave ship. I think the movie could have been more forceful by showing Newton's younger days as a slave trader and showing the suffering of the slaves on the voyage. That possibly would have made it a PG-13 movie, but I think it would have strengthened the story.
Acting: A+
There are no famous actors in this movie, but all of the acting is excellent. The actors are all British, and speak comfortably in 18th century English. Ioan Gruffudd plays William Wilberforce with a passion, and Benedict Cumberbatch is equally real and believable as Prime Minister William Pitt, Wilberforce's friend. Albert Finney as John Newton nearly stole the show with the scene where he shares his confessions with Wilberforce. Romola Garai was captivating as the beautiful Barbara Spooner, Wilberforce's wife. The rest of the supporting cast, from the abolitionists and members of parliament down to the butler and cooks in Wilberforce's household, made the entire story come alive.
Costumes/scenery: A+
Chris commented after the movie that they must have spent a lot of money on it, and I agreed. The old ships, scenes in London, costumes of actors wearing powdered wigs, and details such as food and candles took the viewer back in time. For example, in one scene as Wilberforce and Barbara Spooner talk late into the night, the way that he replaces the candles as he is talking looked so natural as if it was a common practice in the 18th century that he had done many times before.
Musical score: A
How can I give a low musical score to a movie featuring the greatest hymn ever written? The way they use the words to the song at key times is effective, without being overdone. If you go see the movie, don't leave when they begin to show the credits for the lead actors, or you will miss a moving bagpipe rendition of "Amazing Grace" done in the square in front of Westminister Abbey.

Movie review: "The Nativity Story"

I finally saw The Nativity Story this weekend with my wife and son. So how was it? Here's my grade:

Biblical accuracy: A-

The movie is faithful to the basic story, using the exact words of scripture when the angel appears to Mary, Joseph's dream, Elizabeth's words to Mary, etc. The wise men are accurately depicted as astrologers and religious scholars, not kings. King Herod is correctly shown as the brutal and insanely jealous tyrant that he was. However, the movie shows the wise men arriving at the manger on the night Jesus was born, even though Matthew's gospel indicates that they arrived up to two years later (Matthew 2:7, 16), and by then they were living in a house, not a stable (Matthew 2:11).

Scenery and costumes: A+

The move is a visual feast. You truly feel as if you are in first-century Palestine. The costumes and scenery are as realistic as any biblical movie I have seen, including The Passion of the Christ.

Acting and drama: B

This was my biggest disappointment. It lacked the power and intensity of The Passion of the Christ. While the acting is not bad, it is not great, either. There are some good one-liners, such as when Joseph and Mary are headed out of Nazareth for their journey to Bethlehem, and as they see the judgmental looks of the townspeople who think Mary has an illegitimate baby, Joseph says with a smirk, "They'll miss us." The wise men almost steal the show with their humor, such as when a third wise man decides to join them at the last minute, saying, "You forgot the map." However, at several places the acting seemed to lack enthusiasm. Mary and Joseph do not seem to get very excited about seeing an angel, and the shepherds come to the manger and just stare. My family said they were trying to show them in awe, and I suppose that's true, but the shepherds don't even seem very excited when the angel announces the birth of Christ. Despite these disappointments, there are some very nice touches to the story. There are several foreshadows of Jesus' future ministry, such as when Mary washes Joseph's tired feet on their journey to Bethlehem, and when Joseph sees the sellers in the temple and said it should not be that way, for the temple should be a house of prayer. The movie does an excellent job of showing the emotional pain of Mary and Joseph and Mary's family in dealing with the mystery of the virgin birth, and this will probably open the eyes of many Christians who had not thought about how hard that was for them at the time. And while I was critical of the movie director's decision to show the wise men arriving at the same night as Jesus' birth because of its biblical inaccuracy, I must admit that one of the best theatrical elements of the movie was how they go back and forth between the wise men traveling and Joseph and Mary traveling, with everybody arriving at the same time.

Musical score: A

The music was beautiful and moving, and helped to draw an emotional response at the right times. I especially like the subtle use of tunes to Christmas carols at several points.

Overall, I highly recommend the movie to truly appreciate the real meaning of Christmas. I certainly plan to buy it when it comes out on DVD. My son said, "Now I have a picture of it in my mind." Given the accuracy of the costumes and scenery, and faithful reverence of the movie, it's a picture I'm glad he has in his mind.

The Nativity Story is rated PG due to some violence (King Herod's men killing innocent children of Bethlehem, although no blood or gore is shown).

Facing the Giants

Today my wife, son and I went to see Facing the Giants, the new movie made for only $100,000 by Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. They only used one camera for the filming. A "B" film? Not at all! That one camera not only caught some good angles, but some good acting, lots of action and heart-felt emotion. This is like The Purpose-Driven Life meets Remember the Titans. It's a film that will make you laugh and cry and feel good and inspire you to trust God. Therein lies the problem. The Motion Picture Association rated this "PG" instead of "G" because it might offend some people because it has a strongly Christian message. Interestingly, the controversy over rating the film "PG" caused Sony Pictures to notice it, and distribute it in 435 theaters this weekend. If audiences in those theaters react the way they did in Savannah today, the Hollywood media giants may be falling, too. The crowd (half-full theater at the early 1:15 p.m. showing) in our theater laughed, cried and applauded at the end. Amen! David, got another pebble?