AFA Staff
AFA Journal staff reviews movies, books and other resources
March 2005 – Movies for Christian families engage heart, head and humor
Because of Winn-Dixie review by Rebecca Grace
In February, Twentieth Century Fox and Walden Media released the family-oriented, faith-based movie Because of Winn-Dixie.
The uplifting film has a Christian tone and includes overt elements of faith, prayer, reconciliation, fellowship and unconditional love gently balanced with feel-good doses of humor. The Wayne Wang Film immediately engages both children and adults in a delightful but serious manner as the characters deal with issues of alcoholism, child abandonment, loneliness, fear, broken relationships and tarnished reputations, thus prompting a PG rating.
Based on the 2000 Newberry Honor book written by Kate DiCamillo, the movie includes an esteemed cast of Hollywood veterans such as Jeff Daniels, Cicely Tyson, and Eva Marie Saint, as well as Dave Matthews of the Dave Matthews Band and newcomer AnnaSophia Robb.
The story is set in a small Florida town and centers on the life of 10-year-old India “Opal” Buloni (played by Robb), daughter of a Baptist preacher with whom her relationship is strained. Abandoned at a young age by an alcoholic mother, Opal asks God to bring her new friends after she and her father move to this lonely town.
Opal’s prayer is answered almost immediately as she opens her heart to a bedraggled orphan dog she brings home from the local Winn-Dixie supermarket. She names the mutt Winn-Dixie, and together the spirited duo restores a sense of hope to the down-trodden community by befriending eccentric personalities who are all seeking to put their past behind them in search of acceptance.
“People forgot how to share their joy,” Opal says, but she and Winn-Dixie are the perfect pair for reminding others, as they too are reminded, about the importance of unconditional love.
Rating: PG
Considerations:
• One mild use of profanity and infrequent uses of the Lord’s name in vain
• Some mild uses of disrespectful name-calling
• Elements of lying and minor disrespect to authority figure
• Hints at an understanding of sin and alludes to a direct explanation of salvation through the almighty God but falls short.
Availability: Released 2/18/05 nationwide.
Benji Off the Leash! review by Jenni Parker
An old friend of the family recently returned to theaters and is now making his presence known once again in homes nationwide, thanks to GoodTimes Entertainment. With the December 28 home video and DVD release of his new movie, Benji Off the Leash!, filmmaker Joe Camp is reminding audiences what family entertainment is all about.
Camp says Benji Off the Leash! is “not a Christian movie per se,” but he says Christ has been involved in the project from the beginning, and the film embodies Christ’s teachings about love, hope, and perseverance.
“It teaches you to always think of somebody else’s needs, and don’t give up when you’re trying to help someone,” the filmmaker says, “and I think Benji was able to do that all through the story.
“All of the Benji movies are about love and hope and persistence toward a goal – about not giving up,” Camp further explains, “and that’s where this one wound up as well.”
The film is neither saccharine nor stilted, but well-acted with an involving plot that often delves into humor but also deals poignantly with some serious themes, which is what prompts a PG rather than a G rating. The story touches on conservation and care for animals, blended family and broken family relationships, and even abandonment and abuse. But while wrestling with those harsh realities, it never becomes dark, thanks to winning moments of comic relief from the human cast and a shaggy co-star – as well as a plucky protagonist who never stops seeking to make things better for those he loves.
What better tool is there to put into the hands of Christian parents than an engaging story about a lovable hero both they and their young children can relate to, whose kindness and character inspire instant admiration?
Rating: PG
Considerations:
• One mild use of crude name-calling
• Negative portrayal of an abusive father figure with no redemption rendered in the end
Availability: Rent or purchase. Available for purchase at www.benji.com.
Luther review by Rusty Benson
If a film about church history doesn’t seem like exciting family movie night fare, MGM’s Luther may change your mind. But understand that the makers of this historical drama have not opted for a simplified or even child-friendly presentation. This movie demands more than casual viewing, but the payoff is an opportunity for parents to discuss with their children such essential Protestant doctrines as Scripture alone, grace alone, faith alone and Christ alone.
At any rate, if your children can hang with the twists and turns of The Lord of the Rings, with a little help, they can handle Luther.
Contemporary moviegoers will settle for nothing less than total realism, high production values and world class actors in the historical drama genre. Luther does not disappoint. The cast includes Joseph Fiennes as Martin Luther (Shakespeare in Love, Enemy At the Gates), Alfred Molina as John Tetzel and Sir Peter Ustinov as Fredrick the Wise.
Luther accurately portrays the German monk who began the Protestant Reformation as a complex and sometimes conflicted man: submissive monk and driven reformer; enlightened theologian and confused doubter; close to God, but greatly tempted by Satan.
Reviewers of this 2003 release have largely agreed that Luther is as historically authentic as possible. After all, compressing the 25 earth-shaking years from 1505-1530 is no small undertaking.
But the highlight of the film is that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is clearly and uncompromisingly presented in several contexts. That in itself is worth the rental price.
Rating: PG-13
Considerations:
• Bloody scenes of dead bodies
• A few profanities, mostly Luther fighting with the Devil
Availability: rent or purchase
