AFA Staff
AFA Journal staff reviews movies, books and other resources
November-December 2010 – Two new Christmas films make family friendly cut
Among the seasonal movies AFA has discovered this fall, a couple of Christmas stories merit the applause of pro-family groups. A number of other films are very family friendly. However, please note that AFA suggests caution regarding others that are primarily good, but not quite 100%.
A Christmas Snow
Themes of alienation and forgiveness take the spotlight in A Christmas Snow (Trost Moving Pictures), a movie which centers on three very unlikely house-mates trapped together during a Christmas ice storm. Kathleen, a restauranteur, is characterized by local news media as the “gourmet grinch” because she doesn’t decorate her restaurant or her home for Christmas.
It is her home that becomes a three-day prison for herself, 10-year-old Lucy (her boy friend’s daughter) and Sam, a man whom Kathleen almost ran over on the icy streets.
Both Kathleen and Sam deal with family estrangement and forgiveness issues. Lucy deals with pain over her mother’s death and fear that her Dad will leave her
The issues are resolved, but not everything is tied up in the pretty package one anticipates. Some surprising twists lead to a conclusion that’s both gripping and fulfilling for the viewer.
Review by Randall Murphree
WWJD
Based on the book In His Steps, this movie is true to the theme of Charles Sheldon’s 1896 novel that features a church in which a pastor challenges his congregation to make no decision for one week without asking the question, “What would Jesus do?”
WWJD (Nasser Entertainment) is set in Raymond, California, in contemporary times. Pastor Henry Maxwell, his wife and Jacob, their only child (about 9), leave for family vacation. An auto crash brings tragedy, and Henry spirals downward into despair. His personal plunge parallels that of his town, where jobless people are becoming homeless, and there’s almost no hope.
Enter Alex York, the villain. York promises jobs and prosperity for all if they’ll help him build a casino where Henry’s church is located. Fortunately, there’s a hero, too – a mysterious drifter whose brief encounters with townspeople plant seeds of hope in them one by one. The story illustrates how hope and faith can change lives.
Review by Randall Murphree
Homeless for the Holidays
Writers opted for the alliteration of “homeless” and “holidays” to title this movie, but a narrator’s voice-over begins the film with these words: “Everyone loves a good story, especially a Christmas story.” While Homeless for the Holidays (Breath Motion Pictures) begins several months before Christmas, it is very much a Christmas story of Jack Baker and his family’s struggles after he loses his job in the early fall.
Subsequently, the Bakers encounter a long string of family crises – a car repossessed, electric power turned off and a home in foreclosure. But through it all, they pray in Jesus’ name at family meals, and they attend church regularly.
There are some tense conversations between husband and wife. It is a dire situation, but it is handled in a manner appropriate for family viewing.
Review by Randall Murphree
Tilly
Tilly, based on Frank Peretti’s novel by the same name, is a moving 40-minute video. It focuses on Kathy and Dan Ross who have a random encounter with a woman mourning in front of a gravestone inscribed very simply with the name “Tilly” and one solitary date. The story that follows is one of sorrow, shame and forgiveness.
This made-for-TV production carries a clear pro-life message. The story has some gaps that, if filled, would have given more depth and reality to the characters, but the experience is still powerful. While the story is about abortion, Jesus’ love and forgiveness are clearly shown.
LoveLifeAmerica, a nonprofit organization, produced the film and offers a plan for church screenings.
For more information, click here.
Review by Teddy James
Documentary: My Run
Like most parents, Terry and Sue Hitchcock planned on watching their children grow up while they grew old together. However, their story took a tragic turn when Sue was diagnosed with breast cancer. A few weeks later, Terry lost his job. After Sue’s death, Terry was left to raise two sons and a daughter by himself. He hit rock bottom and did not know where to turn. But, he says his faith was the only thing that kept him going.
My Run (Indiewood Pictures) documents Terry’s years of struggle and finally finding peace, Terry began noticing children who were being raised in single-parent homes and felt compelled to do something to help them. With the Olympics coming to Atlanta in 1996, he and his children decided to run the 2,100 miles from their St. Paul, Minnesota, home to Atlanta.
In total, the 57-year-old man ran 75 marathons in 75 days. He experienced everything from freezing rain to extreme heat and suffered three fractures. While not overtly Christian, the documentary is an inspiring, family friendly story.
Review by Teddy James
Documentary: Comedy – The Road Less Traveled
In this one-hour documentary film, Christian comedian Michael Jr. demonstrates his passion for ministering to those who are in greatest need of laughter.
One night outside a venue where he had just performed, Michael visited and joked with fans. Then he looked across the street to where a homeless man sat on the curb. The man’s hollow expression haunted Michael as he wondered, “Why can’t this guy laugh? Why can’t he have what these people have?”
Michael was already working on Comedy: The Road Less Traveled, and now he knew it needed to focus on comedy in a world where people are desperate, wounded and hurting. So he began venturing out from the comfortable confines of comedy clubs to makeshift stages in homeless shelters, prisons, and centers for drug-endangered children and HIV patients.
Viewers should be cautioned that Michael’s opening dialogue is about taking his four-year-old son to the doctor’s office where the child asked his dad about a woman breast-feeding her baby. Other jokes (at a men’s prison) talk about skinny jeans – and women who shouldn’t wear them.
Review by Randall Murphree
Amish Grace CAUTION
The nation was shocked in October 2006 when a lone gunman entered an Amish schoolhouse in Pennsylvania and shot 10 girls, killing 5 of them, before shooting himself. Amish Grace (Fox Home Entertainment) is the story of that event and its aftermath, as the Amish responded with forgiveness.
The senselessness of evil, forgiving one’s enemies, and trusting God in tragedy are treated as complex and challenging issues. It is a well-told story of redemption that underscores the power of God to work through obedience. Unfortunately, the film contains two profanities.
Review by Ed Vitagliano
Christmas With a Capital C CAUTION
This seasonal film (PureFlix Entertainment) is set in a small Alaska town which is thrown into an uproar when native son Mitch Bright returns home after 20 years and disrupts everything by suing to keep the traditional Nativity scene off city property.
Predictably, townspeople are forced to reconsider what is important about Christmas and they come up with creative ways to make the holiday even more meaningful.
There is one offensive expression when a town council member shouts, “Sc- -w the establishment clause!”
Review by Randall Murphree
Upside CAUTION
What happens when your life seems to turn completely upside down? That is the question Solomon White faces when a sports accident leaves him seeing the world upside down – literally. Upside (Provident Films) is aimed at teens and young adults. It is a refreshing movie that will inspire and encourage viewers in their walk through life.
Faith is a thread running through each scene. From a blind girl who clings to her faith to a teacher who risks everything to explain salvation to a student, Jesus is the central character.
Some cautions are in order. There is some immodest dress, with a little bit of cleavage. Also, Solomon’s mother drinks wine, but she is depicted as an arrogant, self-centered person who apparently has no use for faith.
Review by Teddy James
