Rebecca Davis
AFA Journal staff writer
January 2010 – No Greater Love
From Coram Deo Studios and Lionsgate comes No Greater Love, a feature film about a broken marriage, a sovereign God and a life-changing love.
Jeff and Heather were young and in love. They married but soon their happily-ever-after fell apart. Jeff was consumed by his job, Heather by alcohol. Taken by the bottle and depression, Heather disappears from Jeffrey’s life … until 10 years later.
Despite years of pain and heartache, Jeff’s love for Heather still runs deep. But there is something different about her now, and Jeff’s life is changed forever as he comes to grips with it.
No Greater Love is a powerful story about forgiveness, obedience and grace. It’s a beautiful depiction of how loving God and loving others can bring the unlovable to Christ. In this film the church reaches out in love and with truthful correction. It’s a visible reminder that God is in control and His love is compelling.
The film is rated PG and does contain scenes of social drinking by unbelievers as well as scenes of unbelievers depending on alcohol to relieve their pain. Brief scenes of arguing and yelling could be intense for young viewers. The movie does deal with mature themes and shows a married couple passionately kissing.
However, No Greater Love, rated PG for thematic materials, is powerful and engaging. Church premieres are slated for January 17, with the movie coming to DVD January 19. The DVD is now available for pre-sale at afastore.net.
Sarah’s Choice
Christian music artist Rebecca St. James stars in Sarah’s Choice, a new DVD release from Pure Flix Entertainment.
Sarah Collins is a young executive on her way to the top when an unexpected pregnancy turns her successful life to turmoil. Torn over whether or not to terminate the pregnancy, Sarah meets a mysterious stranger who foretells three nocturnal visions that will challenge her heart and change her life.
Sarah’s Choice, unrated, offers the viewer moral reasons to choose life and has a redeeming ending. Unfortunately the pro-life storyline is overdone and predictable, the acting weak at times and some content questionable.
Birdie and Bogey
With a feel-good storyline, Birdie and Bogey has emotional appeal, but that’s about all.
This new DVD release from Pure Flix Entertainment is about pro-golfer Danny O’Conner and his daughter Birdie. She loves the sport of golf, but even more than that she loves her daddy and encourages him to try out for the PGA Tour. He makes it, and she becomes his caddy – her dream come true. But suddenly Birdie is diagnosed with leukemia. Now Danny must press on without his daughter’s inspiration.
Birdie and Bogey, unrated, contains immodesty, the use of God’s name in vain, bad cinematography, weak acting, disrespect to elders, questionable theology and a confusing ending.
Kabul 24
Produced by Michael W. Smith and narrated by Jim Caviezel, Kabul 24 is an eye-opening documentary about eight aid workers in Afghanistan who were arrested by the Taliban in 2001 for spreading Christianity. Among the prisoners were Americans Heather Mercer and Dayna Curry.
The group’s arrest drew international attention as they endured 105 traumatic days in captivity. The documentary details their captivity and connects their arrests to the September 11 attacks.
Kabul 24 is well done, raw and real. It attributes the prisoners’ release to God and shows how He was at work in and through the lives of the aid workers.
The documentary is not rated, but it does contain graphic descriptions of beatings as well as footage of shootings and the inhumane prison conditions. But for the mature audience, it’s alarmingly moving.
For more information, visit http://kabul24movie.com/.
In the Blink of an Eye
From Pure Flix Entertainment, In the Blink of an Eye is intended to be an end-times thriller but will likely leave viewers dazed and confused.
Detective David Ramsey, his wife and their friends board a private yacht for the perfect vacation. It seems to be paradise until David’s wife and friends disappear.
In the Blink of an Eye is unrated, but contains disturbing thematic material, immodesty, an unclear message, potentially problematic theology and a great deal of violence.
