AFA Staff
AFA Journal staff reviews movies, books and other resources
April 2014 – New film portrays Christian family in colonial America
While not always up to the standards of typical Hollywood fare, many Christian movies continue to improve, and Alone Yet Not Alone is an example of that trend.
The film is based on the true story of sisters Barbara and Regina Leininger. Caught in the violence and retribution of the French and Indian War (1754-1763), a family of German immigrants, the Leiningers, is torn apart when the father is killed and the two daughters kidnapped by Delaware Indians.
The girls endure their 10-year ordeal by holding onto their Christian faith, which is a prominent theme in Alone Yet Not Alone. The song by the same name, composed by Bruce Broughton and sung by Joni Eareckson Tada, is both beautiful and powerful and plays a remarkable role in the story itself.
The acting is good but not great, and there are a few story inconsistencies. But the film is poignant, interesting and faith-affirming.
Parents should be cautioned that the film contains battle violence and its subject matter (children being kidnapped) is not suitable for youngsters. Alone Yet Not Alone is scheduled for a June 13 theatrical release.
Review by Ed Vitagliano
Son of God
Adapting any book to film can be a challenge, but when you adapt the Book – the Bible – you’re just asking for it.
Yet Son of God, the new 20th Century Fox film from the Lightworkers Media Studio, succeeds in presenting a moving tale of the Christ. It is directed by Christopher Spencer and produced by Roma Downey (Touched By An Angel) and her husband Mark Burnett, the pair who stunned Hollywood with their popular miniseries, The Bible.
The film is a partly fictionalized account, like many movies that delve into biblical material and must try to fill in some gaps. So Bible snipers beware: Son of God might irritate those expecting a word-for-word rendition of say, the Gospel of John. This film condenses the entire ministry of Jesus into a 2½ hour movie, taking bits and pieces from all four Gospels and using a fictionalized narration from John the Apostle to tie the story together.
It gets plenty of things right, capturing the grand sweep of the narrative from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry to the growing conflict between the Messiah and the religious leaders. The brutality of life under the oppressive heel of the Roman Empire is true to life, as is the background imagery of daily Jewish life in the first century.
Son of God is a first-rate production, and there are some interesting and standout portrayals of biblical characters, such as the bitter, frustrated and contemptuous Pontius Pilate (Greg Hicks). The interpretation of Barabbas (Fraser Ayres) as a sociopath is brilliant, though the character appears only a handful of times.
This fast-paced story of Jesus Christ is faithful to the gospel message. Overall, artistic license aside, Son of God is worth seeing.
Review by Ed Vitagliano
Heaven is for Real
Heaven is for Real is based on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller of the same name. It is the story of Colton Burpo, who had a near-death experience and saw heaven at the age of four. In the book, Colton is the main character, but his father Todd becomes the protagonist for the film adaptation. Todd is the pastor of Community Wesleyan Church in Imperial, Nebraska.
As portrayed in the film, he does not know how to handle his son’s stories of seeing Jesus and hearing angels sing. The challenging situation causes a crisis of faith that brings turbulence to his marriage and almost costs him his job. In the end, Todd embraces the belief that his son saw “a heaven God showed him,” as he says in front of his congregation.
The film is beautifully shot and well acted by Greg Kinnear, Kelly Reilly and Thomas Haden Church.
Notes of concern include the implication of universalism, the belief that everyone goes to heaven. A church member whose son was killed while serving as a Marine asks Todd if he believes her son is in heaven. After a few minutes of dialogue, Todd asks her, “Do you think God loves my son more than He loves your son?” She sighs with relief and the scene ends. There is no discussion of repentance or salvation as a prerequisite for entry into heaven.
Review by Teddy James
Indescribable
This warm-hearted story is based on the history of The Love of God, a classic hymn from the early 1900s. It will be welcomed by generations who have heard or sung the familiar old hymn. And hopefully by some who will just now be discovering it.
According to the film, Pastor Frederick Lehman, who wrote the lyrics, is the father of nine children. The German family lives in California, and when one of his older sons is drafted to serve in World War I, it is a matter of family tension as to whether he can fight against Germany. The pastor’s salary is reduced by his church because of declining finances, and he has to supplement his salary with a factory job. All of the details do not match up with written histories of the hymn, but the basic story remains intact.
The themes of forgiveness, combating fear and overcoming resentment are presented with clarity and depth. One stanza of the hymn is attributed to Meir Ben Isaac Nehorai, a 11th century rabbi. In a series of flashbacks, there are a few brief violent scenes from the Crusades of that time. Available at AFA Store.
Review by Randall Murphree
Rufus and Ryan Celebrate Easter
Ryan is excited about brightly colored eggs as he prepares for Easter. However, he quickly learns there is much more to be excited about in Easter celebrations when he goes to his dad to ask, “What is Easter?”
Ryan learns from his parents that Easter is about Jesus and the celebration that Jesus is alive. He then shares the wonderful news with his toy friend Rufus, and later celebrates Jesus with others at church on Easter morning.
Rufus and Ryan Celebrate Easter will give the youngest children an excellent, concise and age appropriate introduction to the Easter story and ultimately to the joy and hope found in Jesus Christ. For more information about this title and others in the series or for purchase information, visit idealsbooks.com.
Review by Stacy Long
