Posted on 12/02/2003 10:21:42 AM PST by Mr. Silverback
In the rush of the Christmas season one thing is certain these days, and that is that people will spend time watching movies on VCR or DVD players. But which movies? Let me suggest a few that make solid worldview points.
First, let me make it clear: I’m not suggesting that you always have to watch movies just to get a lesson out of them. That’s not what movies, or stories in general, are about. A good movie is just that, but movies, at the same time, do shape our thinking. It’s no accident that, for the most part, the movies and stories that stay with us are the ones that dramatize truths about the human condition—like our fallen nature, our need for a Redeemer, our dependence on each other, good and evil. And the movies I suggest are like that.
One of the most popular Christmas movies ever is Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, a film that’s appropriate for all ages. The movie is about a businessman who spends his life giving up what he wants to help others. And then one day he finds himself in desperate need of help, and he’s rescued by an angel. There’s a reason people watch this movie again and again: Though it is a simple story, it reaffirms the value of faith, life, and friendship.
Another classic, for older children and adults, is To Kill a Mockingbird. In Depression-era Alabama, a white lawyer defends an innocent black man on rape charges. The movie clearly shows the depravity of human nature and the tragedy of prejudice. And it also portrays an unforgettable story about the eternal impact a good father has on his children.
There are more recent classics, like Saving Private Ryan. This is not a movie for children. But older teenagers and adults who can handle its graphic depiction of war will be deeply moved by the struggle of a group of soldiers assigned to rescue a single private. It’s a timely reminder of both the horrifying realities of war and the words of Jesus: “Greater love has no man than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” The ending is worth the cost of the rental.
A very different wartime story is told in the Italian film Life Is Beautiful. In it a devoted father shelters his young son from the brutal realities of a World War II labor camp by turning the whole experience into a game. Is it possible to tell a comic story against such a horrific backdrop? Some people thought it was a sacrilege, trivializing the horrors of prison; I think it’s a beautiful depiction of the biblical principle of bringing good out of evil.
Finally, for those in your family who enjoy getting scared out of their wits, I recommend the film Signs, in which a former minister tries to defend his family against an invasion from space. Signs is not a typical alien flick. It has subtlety, humor, and nail-biting suspense—and it gradually develops into a strong affirmation of faith.
This list is only a starting point. You can get my complete list by calling us here at BreakPoint. And, of course, you and your family might benefit from Ted Baehr’s very helpful family guide to the movies, What We Can Watch Tonight. With the right movie and the right attitude, a little family time around the TV can be a life-changing experience, a Christmas gift you’ll long remember.
Best action movie ever made, but not exactly a Christmas movie.
3 best Christmas 1/2 hour TV shows: "Charlie Brown Christmas," "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" and don't forget "The Little Drummer Boy."
hahahaha.. A few years ago when my daughter was in high school, she came home telling me how she couldn't stay awake all day in class. Even fell sound asleep in band! She asked me if the cough medicine would do that and I asked her what cough medicine. She said, "The one in the triangle bottle"!
We still tease her about it.
My kids can recite whole segments of the darned thing. I thought my boss was going to bust a gasket when he was talking about evidence (I live in a nest of lawyers) and my daughter fixed him with a quizzical smile and asked, "Twenty-seven eight by ten color glossy photographs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one to be used in evidence against us?"
Heads up, Charlie Brown is on ABC tonight at 8:00PM.
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A family movie that's worth seeing at Christmas. It almost qualifies as a miracle.
I have always taken C.S. Lewis's approach to reading for children. Our children are free of all books in our house, although I have forbidden my son to read several rather violent science fiction books "until you are older." We have some rather unusual and remarkable books - of course, we don't have any real trash of the sort that dirty old men used to buy in the bookstores with paper over the windows. But, as my daughter sniffs, "Who would want to read THAT?" (world of scorn from critical reader.) Expose them to the really good stuff early, and they will make appropriate judgments on their own.
my daughter fixed him with a quizzical smile and asked, "Twenty-seven eight by ten color glossy photographs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one to be used in evidence against us?"
Oh man, that is a clasic moment. How old was she?
The correct title is Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. It's available on DVD at Amazon for $8.
I remember watching this when I was a kid. Stupidest movie ever made but damn funny. A little tidbit here, Pia Zadora is the little girl in the movie. Her first film.
My father was a big dissuader in the Irish RC tradition. The veins on his temples would flare out and throb menacingly whenever (the one time) I brought up Santa and presents as a child. "Christmas is about Christ's suffering, d*mnit! You feel guilty right now, or I'll beat your @$$ till it bleeds."
Christmas memories....*sigh*
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! That is without a doubt one of the funniest gags in any movie - icicle vandalism, priceless.
In fact, I think I'll make the man of the house watch it tonight. And I will be sure to tell him he has you to thank for it, LOL.
Freepmail on the way...
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