Some movies for men, others for women and most for family.

Chuck Stecker

Provided by CN Building Adult Ministries Resource Center

• August Rush (2007) (PG-13)

AUGUST RUSH is an inspiring movie about a gifted boy who believes he can find his parents through music. The movie is redemptive, glorifies God as the giver of great talent and presents a pastor as one of the heroes, but it does open with a child being born to an unwed couple.

• Ben Hur (1959)   (G)

Charlton Heston brings a muscular physical and moral presence to the role of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish nobleman in Palestine whose heroic odyssey includes enslavement by the Romans, a bold escape from an embattled slave galley, vengeance against his tormentors during a furious arena chariot race and fateful encounters with Jesus Christ. Heston’s charismatic performance brought him the Best Actor Oscar. The winner of 1959′s Best Picture, with the legendary William Wyler earning his third Best Director trophy, the film won a total 11 Academy Awards – a tally unequalled until 1997′s Titanic.

• The Blind Side (2009) (PG-13)

THE BLIND SIDE is a compelling, feel great drama that tells the true story of Michael Oher, a homeless young black teenager who is welcomed into a caring Christian family. Though there are unnecessary elements requiring caution, this wonderful drama is a faith filled, truly inspiring movie with overt Christian values.

• A Bridge Too Far (1977)  (NR)

**An historic telling of the failed attempt to capture several bridges to Germany in World War II in a campaign called Operation Market-Garden.

• Bucket List (2007)   (PG-13)

THE BUCKET LIST stars Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman as two terminally ill men who make a bucket list of all the things they should do before they die. THE BUCKET LIST is very funny with some great moral moments and positive references to Christian faith, but it has some serious moral lapses, including plenty of strong foul language.

• Chariots of Fire (1981)   (PG)

The inspiring true story of two runners from the United Kingdom, Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell. Contrasting the spiritual motives of one man versus the more selfish goals of the other, their fierce, personal competition ends up uniting them in a great victory in the 1924 Olympics.

• Cheaper by the Dozen (2003)   (PG)

The very funny CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN stars Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt as parents of 12 children who must confront their priorities when their careers get in the way. CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN is highly entertaining. Although it is not the beloved original novel, it makes a tremendous number of positive, redemptive, and moral points including affirming the resurrection of Jesus Christ in the midst of messy situations.

• Cinderella Man (2005)  (PG-13)

CINDERELLA MAN, based on a true story, is about the family and boxing career of James Braddock, who made one of the greatest comebacks ever in 1934 and 1935. CINDERELLA MAN is one of the most inspiring, entertaining and top-notch movies produced in the last few years, and its strong Christian worldview extols family, faith, prayer, determination, and integrity in the face of adversity, but the boxing violence and foul language deserve a media-wise caution.

• Coach Carter (2005)  (PG-13)

COACH CARTER is an entertaining morality lesson that sends great messages until the final moments, when a teenager chooses abortion. Samuel L. Jackson plays Ken Carter, a store owner in urban San Francisco who takes a job coaching an undisciplined high school basketball team. He teaches them to respect themselves, try hard, obey the law, and have true honor.

• Cool Runnings (1993)  (PG)

After the disastrous outcome of a 1988 Olympic qualifying trial he was destined to win, Jamaican sprinter Derice Bannock decides his only chance to follow in his father’s footsteps to the Olympic games is as a member of the yet-to-be-formed Jamaican bobsled team in the new Disney adventure comedy COOL RUNNINGS. A small amount of mild foul language mars this otherwise fun, enjoyable film which promotes friendship, acceptance, integrity, and teamwork.

• The Count of Monte Christo (2002)   (PG-13)

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO is the story of a young, naïve sailor who is wrongfully imprisoned and escapes to take revenge on his betrayers only to learn that there is a better way. Filled with Christian truths and a strong apologetic defense of the existence of God, this movie is marred by implied fornication, suggested adultery, some intense violence, and revenge.

• Dead Poets Society (1989)  (PG)

**Painfully shy Todd Anderson has been sent to the school where his popular older brother was valedictorian. His room-mate, Neil, although exceedingly bright and popular, is very much under the thumb of his overbearing father. The two, along with their other friends, meet Professor Keating, their new English teacher, who tells them of the Dead Poets Society, and encourages them to go against the status quo. Each in their own way are changed for life.

• Dreamer (2005)  (PG)

DREAMER tells the heartwarming story of a father who, for the love of his daughter, sacrifices nearly everything to save the life of an injured racehorse and bring the filly back to her former glory. DREAMER is deeply gratifying, redemptive and entertaining. Audiences will want to gallop, not trot, to their local theater to catch this satisfying piece of cinema.

• Drumline (2002)   (PG-13)

DRUMLINE is a pulse-pounding musical drama about a young, undisciplined, freshman drummer who tries to fit into a disciplined show-style marching band at a fictional college in Atlanta. DRUMLINE is an interesting, but humanist, exploration of the dangers of pride and contains 28 mostly light obscenities and some brief, but light, sexual references.

• Facing the Giants (2006)   (PG)

FACING THE GIANTS is a thoroughly entertaining high school football movie with a strong evangelistic thrust. When Coach Grant realizes that the importance of the football team is not winning the game but serving God, he completely rebuilds the team, revival breaks out in the school, and miracles start to happen. MOVIEGUIDE® commends the filmmakers for producing such an inspiring, entertaining movie.

• Father of the Bride (1991)   (PG)

Returning from architectural study in Rome, 22-year-old Annie Banks announces her engagement to a youth she met abroad. The news wreaks havoc on soon-to-be FATHER OF THE BRIDE in this updated modernization of Vincente Minnelli’s 1950 MGM classic. Refreshingly, FATHER OF THE BRIDE affirms old-fashioned family values, though there is one exclamatory profanity and sexual innuendo. Aside from these flaws, FATHER OF THE BRIDE is a heart-warming father-daughter story that reflects family life in the 1990′s.

• Father of the Bride II (1995)   (PG)

FATHER OF THE BRIDE PART II is a funny, entertaining, positive portrait of a traditional family produced with exquisite love and compassion. When Annie, the now-married daughter of George Banks, announces she is pregnant, George comically tries to turn back the aging process and ends up with his wife Nina expecting another baby herself which delights his wife but scares him. Every element of FATHER OF THE BRIDE PART II has been crafted to perfection. It lifts up the family and the father in a positive, entertaining way that has never been done in film before.

• Finding Forrester (2000)   (PG-13)

Sean Connery plays a Pulitzer prize-winning author in FINDING FORRESTER, a story about an esteemed author who comes out of seclusion to mentor an aspiring high school student from the Bronx. Despite this movie’s lessons on friendship, honor and trust, it is marred by excessive language.

• First Knight (1995)   (PG-13)

Written by William Nicholson, the same man who penned SHADOWLANDS, FIRST KNIGHT presents a biblical and noble spin on the age-old tale of King Arthur, Lady Guinevere, Lancelot, and the Knights of the Round Table. Tasteful direction of war, no nudity nor profane language, and a biblical and moral treatment of issues of war, love and forgiveness make this film a must see for those who want their values affirmed and for those who yet need to learn some values.

• Fly Wheel (1999)   (G)

FLYWHEEL tells the story of a cheating, rude car salesman who eventually comes to Christ and changes his ways, but is threatened when his past comes back to haunt him. FLYWHEEL is one of those rare, low budget movies that totally captures and entertains the audience through the quality of the story.  Get at Christian Book Stores. Same producers as Facing the Giants.

• Freedom Writers (2007)  (PG-13)

Based on a true story, FREEDOM WRITERS stars Hillary Swank as Erin Gruwell, a young teacher in a mixed race class in high school who reaches out to the ethnic gangs in her class by teaching them about their shared experiences and the history of the genocide against the Jews during the World War II. Entertaining and uplifting, FREEDOM WRITERS focuses on moral values, urging young people to do the right thing, be kind and apply good moral values, but it contains plenty of foul language and some gun violence.

• The Great Debaters (2007)  (PG-13)

Directed by Denzel Washington, THE GREAT DEBATERS is a very emotional and powerful David versus Goliath story of an African American college debate team struggling against racism in the highly racist, Jim Crow South of the 1930s. THE GREAT DEBATERS contains some morally uplifting, Christian moments, but it also has heavy drinking, sexual content, intense violence, and some politically correct elements that distort biblical truths.

• The Guardian (2006)  (PG-13)

THE GUARDIAN is the story of a celebrated Coast Guard rescue swimmer who is forced to teach a class of swimmer recruits. The movie is strongly patriotic and moral, portraying Coast Guard members as devoted to saving every life they can, but it fails to deal with the author of selflessness, God.

• Guess Who (2005)  (PG-13)

In the comedy GUESS WHO, a young white stockbroker has problems pleasing his black fiancé’s father. GUESS WHO is a funny, breezy comedy that has a Christian worldview, but includes some light sexual innuendo and foul language.

• Hook (1991)  (PG)

**Peter Pan (Williams) has grown up to be a cut-throat merger and acquisitions lawyer, and is married to Wendy’s granddaughter. Captain Hook (Hoffman) kidnaps his children, and Peter returns to Never Land with Tinker Bell (Roberts). With the help of her and the Lost Boys, he must remember how to be Peter Pan again in order to save his children by battling with Captain Hook once again. Written by Ed Sutton <esutton@mindspring.com>

• Hoosiers (1986)  (PG-13)

**A classic tale of redemption, this film features a volatile coach and a former star player-turned alcoholic leading a small-town basketball team on an improbable run to the Indiana high school championship game. Coach Norman Dale encounters several hurdles in his path: a feisty teacher determined to keep the best player from going out for the team, a town chock full of second-guessing fathers, and a group of undisciplined athletes. Story inspired by the Milan (Indiana) Indians’ state title of 1954. Written by David S. Johnson {davidsjohnson@bigfoot.com}

• Ice Princess (2005)   (G)

ICE PRINCESS stars Michelle Trachtenberg as a brainy bookworm who secretly dreams of becoming an Olympic ice skating champion and uses her book smarts to become a late-blooming skating prodigy. Though sometimes unbelievable and slightly corny, ICE PRINCESS is an entertaining, adorable and uplifting look at the world of competitive ice skating.

• In Good Company (2004)  (PG-13)

IN GOOD COMPANY is a surprisingly warm, authentic story with a moral perspective that blooms out of the characters’ difficulties. Dennis Quaid is Dan Foreman, an accomplished advertising executive comfortable in his routine. He has two daughters in their late teens and a lavish office. Life throws him a curve when he finds out that his middle-aged wife is pregnant and that his new boss is a cocky 26-year-old (played by Topher Grace of THAT 70’S SHOW).

• The Incredibles (2004)  (PG)

THE INCREDIBLES is another incredible animated movie from Pixar and Disney, about two retired superhero parents who must battle a villain targeting their family. Beautifully animated, THE INCREDIBLES is full of exciting energy, fantastic fun, and humorous hilarity, with a very strong redemptive, Christian worldview full of many positive moral messages.

• Invincible (2006)   (PG)

INVINCIBLE tells an incredible, entertaining story about a regular guy from Philadelphia who tries out for the Philadelphia Eagles football team and becomes a star player. Rated PG, INVINCIBLE has a strong moral outlook, with only a few plot problems and very little foul language.

• Jumanji (1995)  (PG)

JUMANJI is a game that lets wild animals on the loose in a New England town. Robin Williams and a talented cast play through to the end to stop the animal destruction. Though fantasy, it implies no false religion or occultism, but it may scare young viewers. JUMANJI creates a jungle and caution should be advised before entering it.

• The Kid (2000)   (PG)

**Russ Duritz is a high-powered, successful “image consultant” whose life is suddenly turned upside down when he magically meets Rusty, himself as an 8-year-old child. Rusty is a sweet, but slightly geeky, awkward little kid who painfully reminds Russ of everything he hated about himself when he was a child–a pudgy little crybaby who was the daily victim of the school bullies–an image Russ has worked hard to overcome and consciously forget. Ironically the kid is also unhappy with who his 40-year-old self has turned out to be.

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1800361264/details

• A Knight’s Tale (2001)  (PG-13)

** Inspired by “The Canterbury Tales,” as well as the story of Ulrich von Lichtenstein, this is the story of William, a young squire with a gift for jousting. After his master dies suddenly, the squire hits the road with his cohorts Roland and Wat. On the journey, they stumble across an unknown writer, Chaucer. William, lacking a proper pedigree, convinces Chaucer to forge genealogy documents that will pass him off as a knight. With his newly-minted history in hand, the young man sets out to prove himself a worthy knight at the country’s jousting competition, and finds romance along the way. Written by Anonymous. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183790/plotsummary

• Madison (2005)   (PG-13)

MADISON is a very nostalgic movie. Through the eyes of young Mike McCormick, it tells the story of his father, Jim, who keeps alive the dying town of Madison, Indiana, especially Madison’s dreams of winning the grand championship in hydroplane boat racing. MADISON has a big heart, but media wisdom is definitely required due to some lying, stealing and foul language.

• Man of the House (1995)  (PG)

MAN OF THE HOUSE, the latest live-action comedy from Walt Disney, would be a great family entertainment were it not for some objectionable lifestyle choices and a horribly written subplot. Sandy (Farrah Fawcett) and her eleven-year-old son, Ben (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), have been living happily on their own for five years since Ben’s father left them, an event portrayed in a poignant opening sequence. Their domestic bliss is interrupted by the entrance of Jack (Chevy Chase), a U. S. attorney with whom Sandy falls in love. Sandy asks Jack to move in with them, and he accepts, much to Ben’s dismay. However, Jack is an all around nice guy and spends most of the film trying to win Ben’s trust and affection. Ben is determined to manipulate this situation in order to get rid of Jack. Jack is determined to stick it out.

• A Man for All Seasons (1966)   (G)

**The story takes place in 16th century England. But men like Sir Thomas More, who love life yet have the moral fiber to lay down their lives for their principles, are found in every century. Concentrating on the last seven years of English chancellor’s life, the struggle between More and his King, Henry VIII, hinges on Henry’s determination to break with Rome so he can divorce his current wife and wed again, and good Catholic More’s inability to go along with such heresy. More resigns as chancellor, hoping to be able to live out his life as a private citizen. But Henry will settle for nothing less than that the much respected More give public approval to his headstrong course. Written by alfiehitchie

• The Man in the Iron Mask (1998)   (PG-13)

Randall Wallace writes and directs THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK featuring a Grade-A cast in a further adventure of the classic story of the three musketeers. Aramis, Athos and Porthos plot to overthrow a wicked king by replacing him with his lost twin brother. Containing some violence, mild sexual situations and no nudity, it has many epic qualities, grand ideas and Christian ideals.

• The Mask of Zorro (1999)   (PG-13)

THE MASK OF ZORRO includes lots of swashbuckling and a very tight plot. This handsome production features the fight for control of Mexico and California. Antonia Banderas and Anthony Hopkins put moral humanity on this old-world hero in an adaptation which features extensive swordplay and action violence as well as one grotesque scene of a man’s head in a jar, but no sex, no nudity and only a few mild obscenities.

• Miracle (2004)   (PG)

**The inspiring story of the team that transcended its sport and united a nation with a new feeling of hope. Based on the true story of one of the greatest moments in sports history, the tale captures a time and place where differences could be settled by games and a cold war could be put on ice. In 1980, the United States Ice Hockey team’s coach, Herb Brooks, took a ragtag squad of college kids up against the legendary juggernaut from the Soviet Union at the Olympic Games. Despite the long odds, Team USA carried the pride of a nation yearning from a distraction from world events. With the world watching the team rose to the occasion, prompting broadcaster Al Michaels’ now famous question, to the millions viewing at home: Do you believe in miracles? Yes! Written by Sujit R. Varma http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0349825/plotsummary

• Miracle on 34^th Street (1947/1994)  (PG)

MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, a beautifully crafted and well-acted remake of the 1947 classic, relates the arrival of a department store Santa who believes he is the genuine article and who turns a child’s perspective from skepticism and fatalism toward hope and imagination. The film stresses the importance of family and that intangibles like love, hope and trust are more important than money. The only flaw in this warm-hearted movie is the tendentious courtroom argument about Santa Claus which examines reality versus fantasy and harmless game playing versus harmful deception.

• Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995)   (PG-13)

MR. HOLLAND’S OPUS is a big-hanky movie that will remind us that our lives are important and can positively affect many people, even if we believe otherwise. Covering 30 years, it shows the trials of high school music teacher Mr. Holland. Containing no sex, nudity, or violence, and very little foul language, it is a heartwarming story for the whole family.

• Leap Year (2010)   (PG)

LEAP YEAR stars Amy Adams as an American girl looking to propose marriage to her boyfriend while visiting Ireland, when she finds romance with another man. Amy Adams and Matthew Goode shine in this cute, well-done romantic comedy, which honors marriage and opposes sex outside of marriage but contains brief foul language and some heavy drinking in one scene.  

• Letters to Juliet (2010)   (PG)

LETTERS TO JULIET is a surprisingly chaste, entertaining movie about Sophie who writes a response letter to a fifty-year-old “letter to Juliet” from Claire at a sort of “wailing wall” in Verona, Italy, that draws Claire back to Italy in search of the long-lost heartthrob. LETTERS TO JULIET has a Romantic worldview with Christian aesthetic signs, marred by exclamatory profanities and a few paintings and statues (some nude) representing mild sexual liaisons, but it strongly affirms marriage.

• Lion King (1994)   (G)

A magnificent example of Disney animation, THE LION KING is a heroic tale of good versus evil, which embodies many Christian allegorical elements. The sinister usurper Scar plots to kill his brother and nephew so he can become King himself. While there are several minor areas which call for discernment in THE LION KING, the good far outweighs the bad, and the film conveys a clear message of hope, reconciliation and appreciation for the majesty of creation.

• Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
• Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
• October Sky (1999)  (PG)

Based on a true story, the movie tells how a West Virginia teenager named Homer in 1957 starts building home-made rockets with his friends so that they can eventually win a prize at the state science fair. Homer’s father is the major obstacle the “rocket boys” face in their goal to escape the confined world of their mining hometown. The movie’s pro-family, moral worldview is marred by more than 30 obscenities and one line of dialogue about teenage premarital sex that is not rebuked.

• The Patriot (1999)   (R)

THE PATRIOT stars Mel Gibson as a family man who wrestles with his desire for revenge and the just cause of the American War for Independence in the late 1700s. The violent battle scenes may concern older moviegoers, while younger moviegoers might chafe at the soul-searching, but at the heart of this movie is faith.

• Patton (1970)   (PG)

The story of General George S. Patton, Jr. during World War II. His battlefield genius garners him fear and respect from the Germans, and resentment and misunderstanding from the Allies. A military historian and poet, he believes he was a warrior in many past lives, and that he is destined for something great during this life, but his stubbornness and controversial methods nearly prevent the fulfillment of that destiny. Written by Jeff Hansen <jmh@umich.edu>

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066206/plotsummary

• The Princess Bride (1987)   (PG)

When a young boy falls ill, his grandfather pops round to visit him. To cheer his grandson up, Grandpa has brought a storybook; The Princess Bride, a tale of the love between the beautiful Buttercup and the besotted Westley, a love cruelly interrupted by Westley’s tragic apparent death at sea when seeking his fortune. Heartbroken, Buttercup has sworn never to love again, but accepts the marriage proposal of the rich and handsome Prince Humperdinck, heir to the throne of Florin; but death is no barrier to true love, and in a story filled with exotically-accented swordsmen, big-hearted giants, genius kidnappers, sadistic torturers, vile swamps, Rodents of Unusual Size, the Dread Pirate Roberts and a somewhat embittered miracle worker, the love between Westley and Buttercup twists and turns on a path filled with adventure. Written by Scott Nisbet

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093779/plotsummary

• Princess Diaries (2001)   (G)

THE PRINCESS DIARIES is a G-rated modern fairy tale about a teenage girl in San Francisco who finds out that she is heir to the throne of a small European nation. THE PRINCESS DIARIES is a wonderful, wholesome filmmaking gem, a movie that children and young teenagers should want to see over and over.

• Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004)   (G)

THE PRINCESS DIARIES 2: ROYAL ENGAGEMENT is the story of Mia as she returns to Genovia to accept the crown, where she learns that women must be married before they can be crowned queen. Without any foul language or mean spiritedness, this virtuous movie is more than delightful.

• Pursuit of Happiness (2006)   (PG-13)

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS, starring Will Smith and his real-life son, is based on the true life and struggles of Chris Gardner as he attempts to create a better life for himself and his young son. One of the most inspirational movies of the year, the movie puts forth a strong message about a parent’s commitment to their child and that with hard work and a belief in one’s self, great things can be accomplished.

• Remember the Titans (1999)   (PG)

Based on a true story, REMEMBER THE TITANS depicts the forced integration of an all black high school with an all white school and its impact on football in 1971 Alexandria, Virginia. Faced with the need to unify their team, two coaches, one of them played by Denzel Washington, must help the team to learn that the real victory lies in changed hearts. Humorous as well as dramatic, TITANS is a moral, uplifting, well-acted tale.

• Resurrecting the Champ (2007)   (PG-13)

In RESURRECTING THE CHAMP, a boxing journalist who wants to write bigger stories and lift himself up in his son’s eyes goes around his difficult boss to do a story on a homeless black man who claims to be a famous boxer from the 1950s who everyone thought was dead. RESURRECTING THE CHAMP is a small, but powerful, incisive and impressive movie with a very strong moral worldview, but it does have some foul language and boxing violence, although not quite as strong as other modern movies in the genre.

• The Rookie (2002)   (G)

From the studio that brought you REMEMBER THE TITANS comes a family film based on a true story. Jim Morris (Dennis Quaid), father, teacher, and high school coach, thought his dream was over. He’d had his shot playing baseball, blew out his shoulder, and retired without ever making it to the big leagues. Then, in 1999, Coach Morris made a fateful bet with his perpetually losing team. If they won the district championship, Morris — who threw a 98 mph fastball — would try out for the majors. The team went from worst to first, and Jim, living up to his end of the bargain, threw caution to the wind and was on the road to becoming the oldest rookie in the major leagues. This heartfelt, uplifting story about not giving up on your dreams will have everyone cheering.

• Rudy (1993)   (PG-13)

RUDY is the heroic, basically true struggle of a little guy trying to reach the impossible dream of playing football at Notre Dame. Through his perseverance, he becomes a real life role model in reaching a desired goal. Regrettably, the depiction of Catholicism is somewhat skewed, although a sovereign God is implicitly extolled; and, the film is marred by some foul language, although the character using the most profanity is reformed by his girlfriend.

• Running Brave 91993) (PG)

This is the true story of a man’s triumph over prejudice, pain and himself. Billy Mills, a North American Indian brought up on the reservation, destined against all odds to become the best distance runner in the world.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086220/taglines

• Sabrina (1995)   (PG)

SABRINA is the perennial fairy tale of a humble chauffeur’s daughter who gets invited to the ball. While infatuated with one brother, she falls in love with another. Witty and romantic, it has no sex, nudity or violence, but a few obscenities. Resolving its dilemmas within a moral framework, the film might just steal your heart away.

• Seabiscuit (2003)   (PG-13)

The movie SEABISCUIT is a story of three wounded men, and a hurting nation, who find an unlikely healer in a small, crooked-legged racehorse. The good feelings generated by the movie’s moral, redemptive, and patriotic worldview are spoiled by foul language, sexual content, and a brief socialist connotation or two.

• Secondhand Lions (2003)   (PG)

SECONDHAND LIONS is a magical family movie for older children, teenagers and adults of all ages. It’s a whimsical character study full of adventures, comedy, and spirited fun. SECONDHAND LIONS, set mostly in the 1950s, stars Haley Joel Osment, Michael Caine, and Robert Duvall in a story about a young boy left in the care of his two irascible, cantankerous great-uncles. With help from his talented cast, writer and director Tim McCanlies has crafted a heartwarming, exciting, humorous, and ultimately uplifting tale for older children, teenagers, and adults, but the movie contains many light obscenities and a Romantic element.

• Shenandoah (1965)  (NR)   (Jimmy Stewart)

**Charlie Anderson is a farmer in Shenandoah, Virginia and finds himself (and his family) in the middle of the Civil War. He decides not to get involved in the war because he believes that this is not “his” war. But he eventually has to get involved when his youngest boy is taken prisoner by the North. Written by Paul T. Mason <ptm9863@rit.edu> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059711/plotsummary

• Simon Birch (1999)   (PG)

SIMON BIRCH is the most spiritually intuitive, spiritually sensitive, pro-God, pro-faith movie released so far this year. The story begins with an adult Joe Wenteworth (played by an unbilled Jim Carrey) visiting the grave of his childhood friend Simon Birch (played by first-time actor Ian Michael Smith). Joe says that Simon is the reason he believes in God. Based loosely on John Irving’s book A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY, the story is Joe’s memory of a remarkable dwarfed boy with great faith in God who became a hero and an instrument of God’s grace.

• Space Cowboys (1999)  (PG-13)

Clint Eastwood directs himself in SPACE COWBOYS, where he plays a former test pilot who, more than 40 years later, gets a chance to finally go into space. This fairly exciting and entertaining movie contains a mild Christian worldview about heroism and sacrifice, which is marred by lots of inappropriate foul language, a couple sexual references and some shallow characterization.

• Vantage Point (2008)   (PG-13)

VANTAGE POINT is a modern-day political thriller starring top Hollywood talent like Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, and William Hurt. It follows a presidential assassination as it unfolds from the perspectives of eight different people. While in Spain to sign a treaty in the global war on terror, President Ashton is shot by an assassin. Moments later, chaos ensues. Then, a bomb underneath the platform explodes, killing hundreds. Amid the confusion, Secret Service agents Thomas Barnes and Kent Taylor must piece together the clues in order to catch the assassin. As the plot unfolds, Barnes realizes the assassination is part of a conspiracy that even includes some U.S. government agents. A Walk in the Clouds   (PG-13)

• A Walk to Remember (2002)   (PG)

In A WALK TO REMEMBER, troubled teenaged boy, Landon, played by Shane West, finds his life is changed as he falls in love with Jamie Sullivan, a Christian pastor’s daughter, played by pop star Mandy Moore. As described by Landon, both Jamie’s exemplary strength of character and her faith in him saved him because she was the only one who believed in him.

• We Are Marshall (2006)   (PG)

**In November, 1970, virtually the entire football team and coaches of Marshall University (Huntington, W.V.) die in a plane crash. That spring, led by Nate Ruffin, a player who was ill and missed the fatal flight, students rally to convince the board of governors to play the 1971 season. The college president, Don Dedman, must find a coach, who then must find players. They petition the NCAA to allow freshmen to play, and coach Jack Lengyel motivates and leads young players at the same time that he reexamines the Lombardi creed that winning is the only thing. The father and the fiancée of a player who died find strength to move on. Can Marshall win even one game in 1971? Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758794/plotsummary

• We Were Soldiers (2002)   (R)

In a place soon to be known as The Valley of Death, in a small clearing called landing zone X-Ray, Lt. Colonel Hal Moore and 400 young fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons, all troopers from an elite American combat division, were surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers. The ensuing battle was one of the most savage in U.S. history. We Were Soldiers Once… And Young is a tribute to the nobility of those men under fire, their common acts of uncommon valor, and their loyalty to and love for one another. Written by John Willis <Cavalier6@aol.com> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0277434/plotsummary

• Wild Hogs (2007)   (PG-13)

In the comedy WILD HOGS, Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, William Macy play four goofy, middle-aged men in Cincinnati who like to spend time getting away from their families to ride motorcycles. They call themselves the Wild Hogs. Due to personal problems, they decide to get away by going on a road trip to the West Coast. Eventually, they run into a tough motorcycle gang and have to defend themselves and a small town against the gang.

Here are three sites that give a very good rating on the movies. My preference is for Ted Baehr, MovieGuide. I know Ted and can speak personally to his integrity and motives.

MovieGuide

http://www.movieguide.org/

A service of Salem Communications

http://www.crosswalk.com/movies/

Focus on the Family’s Entertainment reviews. Includes movies, videos, music, TV and games.

http://www.pluggedin.com/