My Favorite Christian Movie

[smaneck]

I'm watching Les Miserables for the umpteenth time It is official. This is my favorite Christian-themed movie. What's your's?

 

[Eudaimonist]

That's a tough one. I think perhaps Quo Vadis, though Jesus Christ Superstar is fun.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Niblo]

The Cardinal (but the book was better!).

 

[Eudaimonist]

If we are talking miniseries, I like The Borgias.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Niblo]

If we are talking miniseries, I like The Borgias.


eudaimonia,

Mark

My wife loved 'The Thorn Birds'....but only because she fancied Richard Whatisname.

 

[Ada Lovelace]

If we are talking miniseries, I like The Borgias.


eudaimonia,

Mark

I'm curious about how this miniseries has a Christian theme. I didn't give it enough of a chance to discover it for myself. I know it's about the Borgia family's ascent of power in the Roman Catholic church but it seemed to be more about politics than actual Christianity. I only watched the first 10 minutes or thereabouts of the first episode. I was 13 then and to me it was a jarring juxtaposition from Pope Innocent VIII's deathbed monologue to a graphic sex scene of a young priest with a woman. I don't know if it would seem as graphic to me now but everything about it surprised me then. It just moves straight into the sex, which is all from behind a bed curtain but very visible. The first part of the dialogue is him instructing her to leave through a back alleyway when they finished. It was a one night stand because she was surprised he was a cleric, and said "there was nothing ecclesiastical about you last night." He responded that by night he was what he wanted to be, and by day he was thus. That stood out in my mind for many reasons. I thought the show might be about duplicity.

I think it's on Showtime Go. I might check it out.

 

[awitch]

I'm watching Les Miserables for the umpteenth time It is official. This is my favorite Christian-themed movie. What's your's?

Which version of the movie? (It's my favorite story and Broadway show)

Does Monty Python and the Holy Grail count as a Christian movie?

 

[Ada Lovelace]

I'm watching Les Miserables for the umpteenth time It is official. This is my favorite Christian-themed movie. What's your's?

It's the middle of the night and perhaps my insomnia-riddled brain is leading me astray but the very first movie that came to mind is Dallas Buyer's Club, which most fundamentalists would decry as the antithesis of a Christian movie. It's about a hedonistic, homophobic, womanizing rodeo rider who gets AIDS in mid-1980s America, cannot afford the medication prescribed for it, and then finds a way of obtaining it and providing it for others. He began with complete disgust for homosexuality and being outraged about having a disease associated at the time with gay men, and then evolves into becoming a caregiver and having brotherly love for a transgendered man who also has AIDS. It's gritty, heartbreaking, and resonates as true even if it took some dramatic liberties from the actual true story. Despite the drug use, prolific profanity, and sex, I saw more Christian themes in it than in God's Not Dead which was shallower than a deflated kiddie's pool to me. Christian movies seem to be all about the aesthetics. They devote themselves to what appears to be nice, modest, and clean, rather than concerning themselves with depth, integrity, challenge, or authenticity. I didn't see kindness and benevolence in God's Not Dead because it made so many passive aggressive scratches at viewers. I didn't see artistry in the making of it because it unabashedly imitated the style of Magnolia.

In Dallas Buyer's Club what resonated with me was it raw, unadorned authenticity and the actions that had the heart of Christ even though they lacked the appearance of him. Redemption, courage and Christ-like acts such as caring for the "lepers" of society and having a sacrificial and unconditional love for them was what impacted me. Jesus was subversive and daring, and what endears him to me the most is his love for the outcasts. He embraced those society marginalized, ostracized, and starved of care, and he gave them his love.

Other movies -
Saved - campy to an extent but watching it at a Christian camp at age 11 actually helped shape the way I behaved as a Christian in my teens.

Lars and the Real Girl - we actually had a screening of this at my church when I was 12 or so. It's another movie that seems like it's deficient of Christian values but actually has them.

Other movies that have Christian virtues in them (not movies that are labeled and marketed as Christian):
The Kite Runner
To Kill a Mockingbird
Les Mis - I agree!!!!
Unbroken
Toy Story
LOTR
Forest Gump
Schindler's List
Juno
The Color Purple

Oh, I forgot to include Philomena

 

[Niblo]

Which version of the movie? (It's my favorite story and Broadway show)

Does Monty Python and the Holy Grail count as a Christian movie?

Don't forget: 'The Life of Brian'.

 

[smaneck]

That's a tough one. I think perhaps Quo Vadis, though Jesus Christ Superstar is fun.

I used to have the entire lyrics to Jesus Christ Superstar memorized. I liked Godspell too.

 

[Eudaimonist]

I'm curious about how this miniseries has a Christian theme.

Christian morality provides a contrast to the corrupt papacy.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[smaneck]

If we are talking miniseries, I like The Borgias.

eudaimonia,

Mark

Okay, but you are getting pretty weird in what constitutes a "Christian" program.

 

[Eudaimonist]

Okay, but you are getting pretty weird in what constitutes a "Christian" program.

Why? It's about a Pope and his family, and Christian values are used as a contrast to the corruption in that family. It's very much a Christian miniseries.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[smaneck]

Okay, Spielberg is not going to be happy with Shindler's List being characterized as a Christian Movie. Ditto with Hosseini and Kite Runner.

 

[smaneck]

How about Chariots of Fire?

 

[Eudaimonist]

How about Chariots of Fire?

That's an awesome movie.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Aryeh Jay]

Okay, Spielberg is not going to be happy with Shindler's List being characterized as a Christian Movie. Ditto with Hosseini and Kite Runner.

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[SarahsKnight]

It's the middle of the night and perhaps my insomnia-riddled brain is leading me astray but the very first movie that came to mind is Dallas Buyer's Club, which most fundamentalists would decry as the antithesis of a Christian movie. It's about a hedonistic, homophobic, womanizing rodeo rider who gets AIDS in mid-1980s America, cannot afford the medication prescribed for it, and then finds a way of obtaining it and providing it for others. He began with complete disgust for homosexuality and being outraged about having a disease associated at the time with gay men, and then evolves into becoming a caregiver and having brotherly love for a transgendered man who also has AIDS. It's gritty, heartbreaking, and resonates as true even if it took some dramatic liberties from the actual true story. Despite the drug use, prolific profanity, and sex, I saw more Christian themes in it than in God's Not Dead which was shallower than a deflated kiddie's pool to me. Christian movies seem to be all about the aesthetics. They devote themselves to what appears to be nice, modest, and clean, rather than concerning themselves with depth, integrity, challenge, or authenticity. I didn't see kindness and benevolence in God's Not Dead because it made so many passive aggressive scratches at viewers. I didn't see artistry in the making of it because it unabashedly imitated the style of Magnolia.

Really? Sounds like it might be a good film to check out, Artemis.



Even though I am not sure of my stance on the rapture and tribulation doctrine, especially after my becoming an annihilationist a couple of years ago, I did like the final movie in that series made by Cloud Ten, called Judgment, which had Mr.T and that guy from L.A. Law in it, which Nick Mancusso stars as the Anti-Christ and really sells his role.

It was cheesy in some aspects, especially Mr.T's acting, but it's not like I expected much out of him, and he has fun with his role as the secret believer who's trying to be an action hero at the same time.

But I really liked the courtroom-based scripting and the way in which the main protagonist journeys to faith after being undecided on his stance, neither wanting to believe in God nor wanting to take the mark of the beast and joining their ranks.


The previous entires in this series, though, like Armageddon and Revelation, are really lame and way too poorly-acted overall, however well-meaning, though.

 

[Booko]

My wife loved 'The Thorn Birds'....but only because she fancied Richard Whatisname.

Richard Chamberlain.

Well he was considered dishy in his time.

 

[Booko]

Which version of the movie? (It's my favorite story and Broadway show)

Does Monty Python and the Holy Grail count as a Christian movie?

lol or Life of Brian?

My favorite scene was the one where people are deciding to follow the sandal or the gourd.

Oh, the roots of sectarianism, all in a moment of fine comedy!