I loved your list! I am sorry to say I have
not seen all of these films.
Thanks to your suggestions I now have lots of great titles to add
to my "must
rent'' list!
I am a Christian mommy who would like to make
some suggestions for your
list. I was surprised you did not include "Forrest Gump.'' Yes,
it's a hoakey
feel-good film, but the main character's moral compass never wavers.
His
values and loving sacrifice for his friends are very Christ-like.
"Witness'' starring Harrison Ford is
also a great choice. In this film
Ford's tough guy character does a lot more than protect the young
Amish boy
who is a witness to a crime. He resists sexual attraction to the
boy's
mother. The gentle Amish people serve as a witness to him (and to
the
movie-going audience) as they strive to live a simple Christian life
in the
modern world. Ford's character cannot help but be changed by their
example.
At the end of the film, he too becomes a witness when he ends a potentially
violent situation without the use of his gun. This is great viewing
for youth
groups and can spark lively discussions on faith, philosophy, and
violence in
society.
Finally, I want to add a Canadian film called "Jesus
of Montreal.'' This
foreign film is clearly not for everyone because of a brief scene
with sexual
language, yet it is clearly based on the Gospels! Here's the plot:
a ragtag
group of under-employed actors gets involved in re-writing and performing
the
annual Passion Play in Montreal during Lent, and they are all forever
changed by this experience.
The film begins when a local priest asks
a young
actor to generate some new life into the annual play, which has
become humdrum and routine. The young man begins his own personal
search
for Jesus.
He writes a daring, bold new script for the play that stuns all
who see it.
By playing Jesus, the young man becomes increasingly Christ-like
himself. He
resists temptation, speaks out boldly against exploitation, and
eventually becomes "the Resurrection and the Life'' in a way
I will not reveal here.
This film is geared toward college-age viewers. The offensive scene
I
mentioned occurs early in the film, when the actors (who later
become
apostles in the play) are shown doing voice-overs for porno films
-- the only
work they could find. Even this scene shows how empty and meaningless
their
working lives were before they encounter the love of Christ.
Like the
apostles, their lives takes on new meaning as they hear the truth
and spread
the Good News through their not-so-little play.
The film is not
Rated G but
is worth seeing for the transforming power of Christ.
Thank you and God bless!