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‘Unbroken’ and Billy Graham The movie and the book about Louis Zamperini’s life skimp on the pivotal role of a certain preacher. By Grant Wacker Jan. 1, 2015 Newspaper headlines agreed. Billy Graham —“heaven’s super salesman,” “the Lord’s top salesman”—knew how to close the deal. If he just read from a telephone book, one associate quipped, people would stand up and commit their lives to Christ. Louis Zamperini, who died July 2 at age 97, was a case in point. The Olympic distance runner and World War II hero is the subject of Laura Hillenbrand ’s acclaimed 2010 biography, “Unbroken,”...

First things first: the reviews and social media claims arguing that director Angelina Jolie’s “Unbroken” somehow short shrifts the Christian faith or the Christianity of its subject are not just untrue, they are preposterous. This cinematic adaptation of the true story of Olympian and WWII Veteran Louis Zamperini has its flaws, but respect and reverence for the Zamperini’s Christian faith is not one of them. Quite the opposite. [...] “Unbroken” is the second devoutly Christian WWII film to enjoy a wide studio release in 2014. The first was “Fury,” an even better movie  starring Brad Pitt — Jolie’s husband.  “Fury” and...

Last week, I began to explain the spiritual power behind World War II prisoner of war hero Louis Zamperini, whose amazing life is retold in the movie "Unbroken." This week, I want to discuss what his adult children are saying about how his faith is portrayed in the movie and give further details to show just how deeply it permeated his life. Movie viewers and pundits are debating Zamperini's spirituality and whether or not the movie depicts it accurately. Fox News asked, "Where's the rest of Louis Zamperini's story?" The Christian Broadcasting Network reported that the movie "does not portray...

Angelina Jolie Wins Christmas Day Box Office With Unbroken, Bests Into the Woods Celebrity News Dec. 26, 2014 AT 5:30PM By Madeline Boardman Merry Christmas, indeed! Angelina Jolie unwrapped a $15 million present on Thursday, Dec. 25, when her new movie Unbroken won the Christmas Day box office. The drama, which is Jolie's sophomore directorial effort, debuted in 3,131 theaters. An adaptation of Laura Hillenbrand's non-fiction book of the same name, Unbroken brought in $15.59 million to take the No. 1 spot at the domestic box office.

Let’s imagine, for a moment, that “Unbroken” had been directed by somebody who wasn’t Angelina Jolie. It easily could have been. This tale of wartime adventure and survival, adapted from Laura Hillenbrand’s nonfiction bestseller, definitely called for a big-name Hollywood director, but it would have been highly plausible – maybe more plausible – as a project for Ron Howard or Ridley Scott or Steven Spielberg or Clint Eastwood than as the second film for the star-turned-director best known as the female half of the world’s most famous celebrity couple. Would it be getting less attention if one of those guys...

On Dec. 25, the unforgettable story about Louis Zamperini, an Olympian turned World War II prisoner of war hero, opens in theaters nationwide. As astoundingly resilient as Zamperini was, however, his real power was found in a fact underplayed in the movie; namely, he whose birth we celebrate Dec. 25 is the one responsible for restoring and transforming Zamperini's heart and life. First, let me say, few lives can compare with Zamperini's. He lived hard from a young age. He smoked cigarettes by the time he was 5, and his favorite pastime as a youth was stealing beer from bootleggers.Cops...

TOKYO — Angelina Jolie’s new movie “Unbroken” has not been released in Japan yet, but it has already struck a nerve in a country still wrestling over its wartime past. The buzz on social networks and in online chatter is decidedly negative over the film, which depicts a U.S. Olympic runner who endures torture at a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp during World War II. Some people are calling for a boycott of the movie, although there is no release date in Japan yet. It hits theaters in the U.S. on Dec. 25. Others want the ban extended to Jolie, the director...

New York, NY -- You may have heard of World War Two hero Louie Zamperini, whose story is told beautifully in Laura Hillenbrand’s 2010 New York Times bestseller, “Unbroken.” But, this Christmas, audiences will be able to watch his miraculous life unfold on screen. Director Angelina Jolie broke what some have called the ‘movie curse.’ After Zamperini’s life story was tossed around in Hollywood for years, Jolie finally committed to the project and what resulted is the two-hour heart wrenching epic, “Unbroken.” Zamperini’s daughter, Cynthia Garris, spoke with Townhall at a press junket in New York on Friday, sharing how her...

The government announcement of Louis Zamperini's death in World War II made headlines. Zamperini was the "Torrance Tornado," the tough kid turned track star who set a national high school record for running the mile. In 1936, he was known as "The Zamp," the 18-year-old USC standout who ran at the Berlin Olympics, where his roommate was Jesse Owens. In 1943, he was Lt. Zamperini, a bombardier on a B-24 Liberator, who, along with 10 other crew members, fell off the map on a May 27 mission over the Pacific.

Louis Zamperini, a former Olympic runner and war hero who survived 47 days at sea and three years in a Japanese POW camp after his plane crashed in the Pacific during World War II, died of pneumonia late Wednesday. He was 97. "After a 40-day long battle for his life, he peacefully passed away in the presence of his entire family, leaving behind a legacy that has touched so many lives," Zamperini's family said in a statement, according to Deadline. "His indomitable courage and fighting spirit were never more apparent than in these last days." The Olean, N.Y., native's astonishing...

Laura Hillenbrand reached the No. 1 best-seller spot with her first book, "Seabiscuit." Her new book, "Unbroken," is another best-selling forgotten tale of American history. Instead of a racehorse, the lead character of this book is a man. Louis Zamperini leaves his troubled childhood behind, growing into an Olympic runner who hopes to break the 4-minute mile in the 1940 Games. But the Games are cancelled when the world starts to fall apart. Zamperini ends up serving as a bombardier on a B-24 in the Pacific Theater. When his bomber ditches in the ocean, he floats a thousand miles on...