July 24, 2006 8:06 PM
Movies to Talk About
A movie doesn't have to be specifically Christian to have a Christian worldview. And the plot can contain sadness and sin - after all, the Bible portrays plenty of that, too. It's how the sadness and sin are resolved that defines whether a movie has the potential to remind us of God and his work in our lives. Here are a few older favorites of mine. Each of them offers a lot of material for family discussion with kids over 12:
Places in the Heart (1984), Sally Fields, Danny Glover, John Maklovitch (PG)
"Blessed Assurance" paints the background of a beautiful opening portrait: families of all races from all walks of life praying around their dinner tables. This idyllic Sunday afternoon in 1935 Waxahachie, Texas, takes a dramatic turn when Sheriff Spaulding is called away from a well-deserved day of rest to be sent to a permanent rest instead.
Left behind by this senseless accident, his young widow and two children are threatened with the loss of their farm and each other. Instead, God brings into their lives two unlikely instruments of His mercy: a black drifter who steals but is forgiven, and a blind man who has been hurt but learns to love.
But God chose the foolish things of this world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. (1 Cor. 1:27) With the help of these two men and her children, Mrs. Spaulding is able to plant her first cotton crop and pay her mortgage - against all odds.
By way of subplots, viewers are confronted with the brutality of racism and the emptiness of adultery. Yet because there is no gratuitous sex or violence, these are useful starting points for family discussion with older kids.
The closing portrait, framed with "This Is My Story" and "In the Garden," is one of reconciliation. Finally, all - black and white, rich and poor, living and dead -- are divinely united through communion in Christ.
Tender Mercies (1981), Robert Duvall, Tess Harper, Ellen Barkin (PG)
"Give me the bottle," and the sounds of men struggling in a motel room. The manager and her son watching from the office door. A country music singer crooning, "It hurts to face reality." Thus begins this quietly-paced, but powerful movie.
Mac Sledge wakes after a two-day binge to find himself in the middle of nowhere with his pockets and his spirit empty. "Lady, I'm broke. I'd be glad to work off what I owe," he offers the manager. She agrees - with the stipulation that he not drink - then feeds him and puts him to work.
Mac was once a famous country songwriter, but his alcoholism cost him his marriage and his career. Rosa Lee, a widow, is lonely as well. But she has a peace that is missing in Mac - the peace of Jesus Christ.
The movie lovingly traces Mac's salvation, water baptism, marriage to Rosa Lee and trials as a new Christian. "Jesus Saves" and "On the Wings of a Dove" provide perfect punctuation.
The Trip To Bountiful (1985), Geraldine Page, John Heard, Rebecca deMornay (PG)
"Jesus is Calling" is the anthem of this gentle portrayal of an elderly woman who wants to see her girlhood home just once more before she dies. Living like a prisoner in the cramped 1940's apartment of her son and his wife, she endures her daughter-in-law's hardness of heart only by singing her well-beloved hymns and planning her final visit to Bountiful.
Following a successful escape, Mama shares a bus ride with a young woman who, in contrast to her daughter-in-law, is blessed by the older woman's insights, as well as the comfort of the 91st Psalm.
However unproductive the end - Bountiful turns out to be deserted, friends have died, and the lovingly remembered home is now empty and gray - the journey itself is the reward for the woman who made it. Geraldine Page won an Academy Award for her brilliant performance in this unusual film.
Chariots of Fire (1981), Ben Cross, Nigel Havers
How does one accurately hear the Lord's direction, so as to bring glory to God the way He would choose? This portrayal of 1924 Olympic champion, Eric Lidell, is rich with themes of Christian commitment and response.
Eric's sister provides the voice of Christian common sense: God has called Eric, therefore he should go into missions. And yet, Eric feels compelled to run: "When I run, I feel His pleasure. It's not just fun. I win to honor Him."
In spite of his sister's objections, Eric postpones missionary work to compete in the Olympics. His principles are tested when he is unexpectedly required to run on the Sabbath and refuses. The headlines made by his refusal pave the way for God's lesson to all when he finally wins: Those who honor me, I will honor. (1Samuel 2:30)
Asking the question "Where does the power come from to see the race to the end?" this Academy Award winning film leaves the viewer with no doubt as to the answer.
Shadowlands (1993), Anthony Hopkins, Debra Winger (PG)
This exquisite movie takes us into the heart of C. S. Lewis (known to his friends as Jack), the Oxford professor/Christian apologeticist who spoke so eloquently of the value of pain and suffering while living a life carefully insulated from either.
Into this carefully contrived bachelor paradigm, God finally brought a woman whose own suffering would call forth Lewis's own.
"It's because He loves us that He gives us the gift of suffering...We are like blocks of stone out of which the sculptor carves the forms of men. The blows of His chisel, which hurt so much, are what make us perfect," Lewis sagely tells one respectful audience after another. Yet when God brings the gift of suffering into his own life, it puts Jack to the test, and he becomes as weak as any man, questioning God's love, hanging on through prayer: "I pray because I can't help it. It doesn't change God. It changes me."
In the end, he is cherished, he is chiseled, he is changed.
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Can you tell I'm not really into mindless movies? Why waste your time wasting your time when you can watch something that enriches your family individually and collectively? Tripp and I have loved using movies to stimulate our kids to think about how we apply our values. They can be great character developers.
Which is why I repeat: why waste your time wasting your time?
I always wanted to write a book about the movies our family had learned from, but someone beat me to it - Bob Smithouser at Focus on the Family. Bob has two books out Movie Nights: 25 Movies to Spark Spiritual Discussions with Your Teen and More Movie Nights: 25 More Movies to Spark Spiritual Discussions with Your Teen. It is almost unbelievable that our lists are about 90% the same.
If you haven't thought of using movies as an educational tool, these books can really help you. If a pictures says a thousand words, a movie says a million.
Comments
You listed a few long lost favorites! Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Posted by: Kim | July 24, 2006 10:17 PM
I have never seen any of those movies. Your recommendations make me wish that we still had Netflix. I'll have to see if our video store has these titles.
Posted by: Rachel | July 24, 2006 11:10 PM
We recently unplugged our cable and have been having family moving nights again. We recently watched both The World's Fastest Indian and Glory Road. Again, great movies that spark great discussions with your teens.
Posted by: sam | July 25, 2006 9:56 AM
Thanks Mrs. C for suggesting Places of the Heart. I watched it last night (since you recommended it) and it was wonderful. What a great movie! I am going to watch Tender Mercies tonight, if I am able to:)
Thanks again.
Mrs. DMG
Posted by: Mrs. DMG | July 27, 2006 11:53 AM
hey barbara, I'm on the road for many days with my family and had to stop at the nearest library just to see what you're writing about ; )
Now of course I could have weighed in on the more serious topics but movies being near and dear to my heart...you really must see Robert Duvall in "The Apostle" -- the themes in that are moving and true and sad. Not for young children.
And our all-time family favorite, a very tender and crusty "The Straight Story"... Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek. Here's a clip from imdb.com: "It takes patience to get through David Lynch's eccentric, but-- for a change-- life-affirming chronicle of Alvin Straight's journey, but stick with it. Though it moves as slow as Straight's John Deere, when he meets the kind strangers along his pilgrimage we learn much about the isolation of aging, the painful regrets and secrets, and ultimately the power of family and reconciliation. Richard Farnsworth caps his career with the year's most genuine performance, sad and poetic, flinty and caring. And Sissy Spacek matches him as his "slow" daughter Rose who pines over her own private loss while caring for dad. Rarely has a modern film preached so positively about family."
Posted by: floorplan | July 27, 2006 12:34 PM
