It's Legal Month at Movie Churches! The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ (2017)

Some might argue with beginning Legal Movie Churches Month with a film about journalist, but I feel the blame for that is squarely on the shoulders of Lee Strobel, the real life protagonist of the film. The title, The Case for Christ, sure sounds like it takes place in the courthouse -- and a bit of the film actually does.

The film is based on a nonfiction book well described by its title, The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus. The film itself is a biographic look at the time in Strobel’s life when he decided to investigate the case for the divinity of Christ and went from being an atheist to a believer.

The film begins with Strobel (Mike Vogel) joining the staff of the Chicago Tribune. His investigations into car safety (the Ford Pinto) won awards. He was able to publish a book on the subject. His marriage was happy, but his young daughter, Alison, chokes in a restaurant, a nurse is comes to her rescue. Though the Stobels comment that luck saved their daughter, the nurse, Alfie (L. Scott Caldwell), says, “It’s not luck - it’s Jesus.”

At bedtime that night, Alison asks about Jesus. Lee tells her that they’re atheists, and Alison says, “I guess I’m an atheist too.”  

Lee’s wife, Leslie (Erika Christensen), seems troubled by this statement. As a couple they’d decided to let Alison choose her faith path, but she feels Lee is pressuring their daughter to follow his. She asks about their unbelief, “How can we be so sure?”

The real Bill Hybels back in the day

Alfie invites Leslie to her church, Willow Creek Community Church. She goes to a Wednesday night service (in those days, the church met in a movie theater). Leslie hears Pastor Bill Hybels (Jordan Cox) say, “God is patient. When you’re ready, He’ll be waiting for you.” And he quotes from the Gospel of John, “As many as received Him, to them he gave the right to be children of God.”

Leslie grew up in church and remembers her mother singing her hymns as a child. he says her mother sang her hymns as a child and took her to church. When she tells Lee, “She invited me to her church, so I went. Are you interested in hearing from me or are you done condescending?”

He listens as she says, “I went to church, and I felt something. I prayed. I talked to Jesus and asked Him in my life...I know it’s a good thing for me, for us.”

Lee says, “Not us.”

Lee is quite upset by his wife’s decision to follow Jesus. He goes to his mentor, another atheist, saying, “I think I can get through to her before she gets too deep. It comes down to facts and truth.” Lee believes truth can drive out superstition, and he believes in the old journalist’s motto, “If your mother says she loves you, check it out.” Lee decides to pursue the evidence about Jesus Christ in hopes of showing Leslie that Christianity is a fraud.

He goes to see an array of experts. He goes to talk to Father Jose Maria Marquez (Miguel Perez), one of the world’s leading experts in archaeology, who went from the life of an academic to the life of a priest. While there, Stobel scoff as the money that goes into building such elaborate buildings as the large Catholic church where Father Marquez serves.

But the priest gives convincing evidence for the reliability of the Gospels as historical documents. He points out that there is a gap of over a hundred years between extant copies of the Iliad and the original document, whereas with the Gospels it is a matter of decades.

Movie Lee with Real Lee

Lee continues to conflict with Leslie, accusing her of “cheating on me with Jesus.” He abuses alcohol, even drinking and driving.

Leslie eventually convinces Lee to go to Willow Creek with her.  They sing the Keith Green song, “You Put This Love in My Heart”.  Hybels preaches, “Churches aren’t perfect, but God is.” The people at the church seem happy and are of mixed ethnicity, but Lee is not happy, and asks Alfie to stop interfering in their lives.

Lee goes to see a psychologist, Dr. Roberta Waters (Faye Dunaway), to talk about whether the Apostles and authors of the New Testament are reliable. She says they are, and asks Lee about his father issues. His relationship with his father (Robert Forster) is not healthy.

While all of this is going on, Lee is covering a major story from the legal affairs desk about a gang member accused of shooting a cop. Lee goes to court to cover the gang member’s sentencing. He condemns the defendant in his stories for the Tribune, but he eventually finds out that it was a dirty cop who framed the gang member. Strobel realizes he sometimes gets things wrong -- which helps him to understand he might have gotten things wrong about God.

He also realizes that just as a court case is rarely ever an ironclad case, but usually a judge or jury must use an element of faith, he will never have an ironclad case for or against Christ. He must choose with an element of faith. One of the most weighty pieces of evidence is the love and faithfulness of his wife following her Christian conversion.

He talks to Leslie about following Jesus, “What is the protocol? Should I go to church?”

They are alone at their home, but she says, “This is church.”  And he prays to ask Christ into his life.

An on screen epilogue informs the audience that Strobel eventually left the Tribune and became a pastor at Willow Creek Community Church in 1987. He is currently is a pastor at Woodlands Church and teaches at Woodlands Seminary, both in Woodlands, Texas.

This blog is about churches in movies, usually, but because the church in this film, Willow Creek Community Church, is real, I have to look at it differently. I’ve worshiped at Willow Creek a couple of times, and I’ve even gone to a conference there. The church is not without its problems, but as the church is presented in the film, I’m giving it our highest rating of Four Steeples. (As for the other prominent clergy in the film, Father Marquez; I’d give him Four Steeples as well.)

A Thief in the Night (1973)

 In 1973, two films provided sleepless nights to very different audiences. For those old enough to see an R rated film or the under-aged with the ingenuity to sneak into an R rated film, it was "The Exorcist."  For those whose religious scruples kept them out of the movie theater, the terrifying film was "A Thief in the Night," and children were more than welcome to watch.

"A Thief in the Night" was made as an evangelistic tool, using the tropes and techniques of horror and science fiction films. Most famously, it used the device used in "Dead of Night" and "Invaders from Mars" of having the horrible things that take place be only a dream that  proves real on awakening. The horrible events in this film are caused by the Rapture, when Christ takes all Christians from the world leaving all those who remain to face the Great Tribulation.

Not surprisingly, this film that was predominately shown in churches, features churches.

We see the outdoor sign of one of the churches. It reads, "First Church of the Open Bible - Pastors Frank W. Smith & Calvin F. Archer." There is also room for a message on the sign which was unfinished due to interruption by the Rapture, "The End is Nea."

Prior to the Rapture, we see Pastor Balmer at work. He preaches at Open Bible and seems to be the senior pastor there, but for some reason his name is not on the sign. He goes to the hospital to pray for the victim of a venomous snake bite. We know that the victim, Jim, is the love of the film's heroine, Patty, and he's not a Christian. Somehow the pastor knows this also, praying, "May this boy's life be spared so he will have another chance to trust in You."

Jim is healed, and he's touched that Pastor Balmer prayed for him. He goes to the Open Bible, where Balmer is preaching on the End Times from I Thessalonians 5. One gets the feeling that most of the sermons in this church are about the End Times. Balmer says if Jesus Christ comes again in the next thirty years, then the Anti-Christ might be active in the world now. Of course, the film is over forty years old now, so...

Anyway, Pastor Balmer visits Jim, now married to Patty, at home.  To save Jim from his snake bite, doctors used a blood transfusion from another man who'd survived bites. The pastor says that just as that man gave his blood to save Jim, Christ's blood will save him if he receives it. Jim becomes a Christian, but Patty does not. She says her pastor says you don't to worry about that theology stuff.

We never learn the name of the church of Patty's pastor, Matthew Turner. We assume it's a mainline denomination because they don't preach about the End Times.

Pastor Turner preaches, "Do these so-called basic tenets of Christianity make a difference in our lives? Would I appreciate the world's beauty any less if Christ's birth wasn't a virgin birth?" (Would that question be any more of a non sequitur if zebras were green and orange?) Pastor Turner goes on, "Would I respect people less if Jesus didn't perform miracles? Could I be so gross as to be responsible for the death of the Son of God? Would I be so harsh as to condemn people to a fiery pit? Could I be more merciful than God, who is reported to be love?"

Pastor Turner is still around after the Rapture, but he feels really bad about misleading people back in the day. He can't sleep thinking of those he misled.

Pastor Balmer is raptured (as one assumes is the case for Pastors Smith and Archer). This film provides an unusual case for the good pastor NOT being there in times of crisis. The bad church and the good church in "A Thief of the Night" average out to two steeples.

My 10 Favorite Films of 2017

2017
First, a note: this list is not exactly scientific. It's just what I enjoyed. (I saw 27 films this year, these are the top ten.)

10) The Case for Christ - (Directed by Jon Gunn) What with writing a blog about churches in films, I have to watch a lot of Christian films. That often means watching a lot of pretty lousy films (looking at you God’s Not Dead franchise), so I really appreciate a simple story well told. Lee Strobel didn’t believe in God, but he used his skills as a reporter to investigate whether Jesus was who He says He was. Sure, it’s a Sunday School lesson. But there are good Sunday School classes, and this is one of ‘em. (Plus it has a Faye Dunaway cameo that's better than her Oscar appearance this year.)
Rated PG for "Thematic Elements".

9) Colossal - (Directed by Nacho Vigalondo)  This rather strange film has Anne Hathaway as a lost woman with a doppleganger -- who is a giant monster. It's a hipster retelling of Godzilla that could go wrong in so many ways, and yet somehow, it works.
Rated R for "Language".

8) It - (Directed by Andy Muschietti) If Dickens was writing about Stephen King, he might write that King's books have made the best of films (The Shining, The Shawshank Redemption) and the worst of films (Maximum Overdrive, Dreamcatcher). This is good King: a tale of kids coming together to face real evil (and children do die). Pennywise the Demon Clown is not the only Big Bad in the film; some people are pretty awful as well, but there is hope in community, even if it’s a community of odd kids.
Rated R for "violence/horror, bloody images and language".

7) Get Out - (Directed by Jordan Peele) This is the second horror film in a row on the list, though the Golden Globes nominated it in the Musical/Comedy category (because they are crazy). The movie does have funny moments, but it's definitely a horror film. Unlike all the films where the black guy is a side character killed first, long before Jamie Lee Curtis’ inevitable confrontation with the boogie man, the central character in this film is a black man. (I don't remember this happening since 1968 in Night of the Living Dead.)
Rated R for "violence, bloody images, and language".

6) Wind River - (Directed by Taylor Sheridan) If you can get past the fact that the two lead characters in this film (set on an Indian reservation) are white, you’ll see a very good action film. Jeremy Renner plays a game hunter and Elizabeth Olsen plays a FBI agent investigating the murder of a young Native American woman. It also has some worthy things to say about loss.
Rated R for "strong language, a rape, disturbing images, and language".

5) Spider-Man: Homecoming - (directed by Jon Watts) There were several films I liked this year, but this was the most fun. (Logan was very good, but not “fun.”) Sam Rami’s first two Spider-Man films were also very good, but they were about a “Man,” and it was fun to have the teenager of the early comics on the screen in all of his innocent, smart aleck glory. Plus Michael Keaton was a much better Bird-Man in this film than he was in Birdman.
Rated PG-13 for "sci-fiction violence, some language and brief, suggestive comments".

4) Your Name - (directed by Makoto Shinkai) One of the most successful anime films of all time, this movie actually came out in 2016, but it received a wide release in the States this year. It's a Freaky Friday-like scenario with a boy of one time and place switching with a girl from another time and place. It's funny, but also poignant.
Rated PG for "thematic elements, suggustive comments, brief langauge, and smoking".

3) Lady Bird - (directed by Greta Gerwig) - I wrote about this film for Movie Churches. Like the other two films in the top three of this list, it is said to be in contention for a Best Picture Oscar. If so, the Academy will have done something right.
Rated R for "language, sexual content, brief graphic nudity, and teen partying".

2) Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - (directed by Martin McDonagh) It's a film about revenge for deep hurts and petty slights, but in the end, it's also a compelling case for simple kindness as a more satisfying route. Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell are two of my favorite actors, so watching them together would have been enough for me. But there was much more.
Rated R for "violence, language throughout, and some sexual references".

1 ) Dunkirk - (directed by Christopher Nolan) There are plenty of complaints about this film not providing enough context for the incredible true rescue story of World War II. So if you need context, Google “Dunkirk”. Because the film is about surviving an extreme experience of war when one has no context; when one doesn’t know a rescue is coming, that Hitler won’t win. Ordinary people in an extraordinary event provides the making of a great film. Nolan is one of the few directors today who consistently provides films one can call epic.
Rated PG-13 for "intense war experience and some language".

Best Movie Churches Films

To be honest, most films don’t exactly have good life lessons. 

I love Liam Neeson action films, and while Taken does teach the important lesson that Father Knows Best (and as much as we in the audience cheer on his sadistic trail of revenge to save his daughter), we know that going out on our own to kill bunches of people would not lead to good places. We may delight in James Bond’s bon mots as he hops from one bed to another, but in real life, emotional and spiritual havoc is brought on by such behavior (leaving aside pregnancy and STDs).

I am a Christian and a pastor who also happens to love films. I recognize that most films, even ones that I enjoy, don’t present a healthy approach to decision-making or relationships. I’m with Paul who (in Romans 12:19) advised against taking revenge because that's God’s territory. Yet I still want to see Wayne or Eastwood shoot up the town. I agree with the writer of Hebrews in the 4th verse of the 13th chapter that the marriage bed should be kept holy, but part of me really wants Rick to fly off with Ilsa.

But every once in a while, the filmmakers get some things right and show characters making choices that would be wise choices in real life. The following films are sources of spiritual encouragement for me, and maybe they will be for you, too. 

12) Silence (2016) 

The first couple of films on this list aren’t the kind of films you’ll find on PureFlix, the Christian streaming channel. Martin Scorsese adapted this grim film about the persecution of the church in Japan from the novel by Shusaku Endo. It’s not a film about Christians boldly holding up to persecution; it’s a film about Christians giving in to severe persecution. It teaches that life can be hard, we can mess up, but God is still there and still faithful.

11) Wise Blood (1979)

John Huston adapted Flannery O’Connor’s tale of a man who tried to create a "Church without Christ," but instead finds he can’t escape Christ. These are two films in a row of people not being faithful where God is faithful. Both films encouraged me greatly.

10) Millions (2004) 

In Luke 16 you can read the parable of the Shrewd Manager about a man who used resources he was entrusted with for his own benefit. The point of the story is that we should use our resources for the benefit of others and eternity. This story is told in another way in this film. (I do have a problem with St. Peter's recollections in this film, but otherwise…) Bonus -- it's a Christmas film!

9) The Case for Christ (2017)

This is the only “Christian” film on the list. Most films made by Christian filmmakers are… what's the word? Oh yeah. Bad. This true story of Chicago Tribune reporter Lee Strobel’s investigation into the truth of the Christian faith works. For three Christmases, I’ve shown this film to men in a recovery program at my mission, and every time they've found it to be moving in a positive way. 

8) Ordet (1955) 

The great Scandinavian director, Carl Theodore Dreyer, told this story of a family and a town, divided by petty denominational differences, brought together by a man who seems mad -- and a miracle.

7) Chariots of Fire (1981) 

“I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.” So says Eric Liddell in this Oscar-winning story of an Olympian who didn’t put his sport first. Liddell was a man who recognized what was truly important in life but found joy in secondary things as well.

6) Joyeux Noel (2005)

This is the second Christmas film on the list. Set in World War I, it tells the story of peace on Christmas Eve. If it could happen that one night, why not more?

5) Babette’s Feast (1987)

This Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language shows the joy to be found in sharing your gifts with others.

4) A Hidden Life (2019)

Terrence Malick isn’t known for making edge-of-your-seat blockbusters. This isn’t an exception to the rule. It's a meditative telling of a lone man's opposition to the power of the Third Reich.

3) The Apostle (1997)

Robert Duvall has starred in three of the best films about Christianity ever made. (If this was a top twenty list, I would have also included Get Low.) Duvall wrote and directed this film, as well as starring as the Apostle, E.F. There have been many films about flawed clergymen, but this film does an amazing balancing act of presenting a preacher’s mistakes and sins with the glory and value of the Gospel.

2) Leon Morin, Priest (1961)

Over this blog's seven years, I’ve seen many pastors on the silver screen. Some were crooks and murderers, but more often they were sappy and insipid. This French film presents an intelligent, funny, and wise man who is also faithful to God and his ministry.

1)Tender Mercies (1983) 

This is my favorite film about faith. An alcoholic country-western singer passes out in a small, rural motel. The motel's owner cares for Mac Sledge (Robert Duvall) as he comes to recovery and new life. He still has pain and regrets. I work with men overcoming addictions to alcohol and drugs, and this film rings true. Mac’s walk of faith rings true. And do you know what else? The pastor and church in this film deserved the Four Steeple Rating.

Next week, we'll wrap up the blog and 2022.

Literary Movie Churches: Wise Blood (1979)

There's a whole bunch of preachers in 1979's Wise Blood who talk about their churches, but you don't really see much in the way of churches in film; which might be just as well, because usually they don't seem like churches you'd like to see.

John Huston adapted the Flannery O'Connor novel, without losing any of its strangeness. It takes place in the gothic South when the "N" word is still sadly prevalent, almost as prevalent as talk about Jesus.

The opening credits of the film are shown over signage: there's a home painted sign that reads "If You Repent God has Forgiveness for You in Jesus Your Savior," and another that reads, "Whatever Enslaves You, Jesus Christ of Nazareth Can Set You Free, Call on Him Now." Even a Dairy Queen puts "Repent, Be Baptized in Jesus Name." The name of Jesus seems to be everywhere, which is not to the liking of the film's protagonist, Hazel Motes.

O'Connor's childhood church, not a Wise Blood type of church

Motes returned home from serving overseas, finding many changes -- such as a new highway running through town. He goes to visit his grandfather's grave, which is inscribed with the words, "Gone to Become an Angle" (perhaps someone believed in a strange kind of geometric reincarnation). Motes' grandfather (played by director, John Huston) was a traveling preacher, and we see flashbacks to his revival meetings. All the preaching we hear from him is hellfire and brimstone.

There’s a place for such preaching. Jonathan Edwards' "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is one of the greatest sermons in the history of the Church, and warning of hell can be as important as warning homeowners of an approaching forest fire. But such preaching can be lacking in grace, which seems to be the case of this deceased preacher. In one flashback, we see young Hazel so frightened by a sermon that he wets his pants. So the church of Grandpa Motes receives our Movie Churches only one steeple.

Going to the city, Hazel comes across a street preacher by the name of Asa Hawks (played by Harry Dean Stanton) who claims to be blind. Asa happily shows people a newspaper clipping that tells of the dozens of people coming to the Lord when he promised to blind himself for Christ's sake. Asa doesn't show people the article about his chickening out of blinding himself, but he does tell Motes a very important thing: "Jesus is a fact. You can't run away from Jesus."

Asa is accompanied by his daughter, who hands out flyers that read, "Jesus Saves." His street sermon consists of "Give up a dollar for Jesus." I'm afraid I'll also have to give Asa Hawks’ ministry one steeple because we don't give less than that.

In reaction to the ministry of these two men and what he saw in his service overseas, Hazel Motes begins a very different kind of ministry. He stands on top of his car to proclaim the beginning of "The Church without Jesus Christ Crucified." He attracts a small crowd to proclaim the tenets of his new sect. "Where you've come from is gone, where you're going weren't never there, and where you are you should just run away from" is his doctrine, a homespun existentialism. He claims there was no Fall (into sin) so there's no judgment or need for redemption.

Motes claims have peace, but no one can see it in him. He claims he's no preacher, but everyone thinks he's a preacher. He also says that no one needs redemption if he has a good automobile. But what he claims is his good automobile is continually breaking down. "A Church without Christ" seems as useful as "Food without Nutrition or Flavor" or a "House that Provides No Shelter," so even though Motes has more integrity than almost anyone else in the film, his church in this movie gets just one steeple.

The huckster Hoover Shoates (Ned Beatty) sees potential for profit in "A Church without Christ,"

but when Motes rejects him, Shoates makes his own: "Church of Jesus Christ without Christ." He cites three benefits to his church:

1) Nothing foreign about the church

2) The church is right up to date, so no one will get ahead of you

3) It costs just a dollar to join.

Those are three awfully persuasive selling points, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to give this church one steeple.

So none of these Movie Churches are ones I'd like to join. But somehow, the more these churches exclude Jesus, the brighter He shines.

(Visiting Savannah, Georgia we were able to visit Flannery O'Connor's childhood home and see the farm from her later years)

Christian Movie Churches God's Not Dead

(Originally posted at Dean and Mindy Go to Church in 2015.)

2014 was a banner year for Christian and Biblically themed films. Most impressive were the films made by independent Christian producers that earned sizable amounts of money. One would think such films would certainly get the details of church right. One would be sadly disappointed.

God's Not Dead stood out as one of the show business wonders of the year. On a budget of $2 million, it took in $62 million, not a bad return on an investment. I like the premise of the film, the conflict between a Christian student, Josh, and a professor with an aggressive atheist agenda. The religious liberty issues on campuses are real and could provide an interesting story. But this movie deals with these issues in the most ham-handed way possible, with Kevin Sorbo (TV's Hercules) playing the professor with Simon Legree subtlety.

But once again, the focus here is to look at the church in the film. And this film does have a church, with a pastor and stained glass and all. As is often the case in such films, the name of the church and its denomination is difficult to discover. There are clear shots of the exterior of the church, but no signage is visible. In fact, one object that looks like it should be a sign in front of the church is bricked over. But a sharp eye will spot parking spaces marked "St. James."

Since we see no sign for the church, we don't see the denomination, and no one mentions it. But Pastor Dave wears a clerical collar, and the interior trimmings appear to be high church. Since we never see a worship scene in the film, it's even more difficult to know.

It's also puzzling what Pastor Dave does with his time. We do see him advise Josh when the young man visits the empty sanctuary. Pastor Dave sees Josh sitting in a pew and asks if he's waiting for someone. "Seems he's out for the moment," Josh replies. "Maybe that's why he sent me," Pastor Dave responds.

Josh presents his dilemma: should he stand up for Christ in the atheist's class? Pastor Dave tells Josh to read Matthew 10: 32 & 33 ("whoever acknowledges me before men, I will acknowledge") and Luke 12:48 ("everyone who is given much, much will be demanded"). Then he leaves Josh, without taking time to pray with him. He does text him shortly after that, but doesn't, apparently, follow up again.

Much of the time we spend with Pastor Dave is time spent with the Rev. Jude visiting from Senegal. The two make many attempts to drive to Disneyworld. When Dave's car won't start, they try to rent a car. But not a single rental car brought to them works. (They live in an amazing place where, when renting a car, you don't have to present a credit card or driver's license.) They make no effort to get Dave's car repaired until they pray for it at a crucial moment toward the end of the film.

With time to kill while Disneyworld is out of reach, Rev. Jude asks Pastor Dave what they should do with their time. Pastor Dave says they can meet with the choir director to discuss songs for the upcoming concert, or they could meet with the women's club to discuss details on the upcoming craft bazaar. Pastor Dave comments that back on the mission field, Rev. Jude is winning souls for Christ every day. Pastor Dave's strategy seems to wait for people to call him.

And a person does! A woman calls Pastor Dave to meet her for lunch to discuss her problems with her boyfriend (her boyfriend is none other than the atheist professor). A little clergy pro tip, though nothing scandalous comes of it in the film, it really is best not to meet someone of the opposite sex you don't know well in a restaurant to discuss romantic relationships. This has often led to not good things.

We also see Pastor Dave meet with a young woman whose Muslim father tried to beat her when he discovers she had become a Christian. He encourages her to be strong, but perhaps he should also have called the police.

But back to that crucial moment when the car finally starts. Pastor Dave and Rev. Jude start on their way to Disneyworld but get caught in the traffic for the big Newsboys concert in town. And wouldn't you know it? They come across Professor Hercules who has been hit by a car. A quick visual exam by Rev. Jude shows them that the Prof is dying, so instead of calling 911, Pastor Dave shares the gospel with the man bleeding out on the street.

The adamant atheist trusts in Christ, and then kicks the bucket. Rev. Jude assures Pastor Dave that though there is sorrow now, there is celebrating in Heaven. Pastor Dave really hadn't seemed too upset. It looks like they're about to high five for the conversion over the dead body. I'm cool with praying with the dying, but it seems that they might be concerned about whether the man left behind a widow and/or orphans.

So, as the more perceptive reader may have guessed; St. James with Pastor Dave doesn't get a thumbs up in our movie church rating system. It's a pretty strict system.

Some Film Recommendations

It goes without saying that people have been doing a lot of screen watching in days. A friend on Facebook recently asked for suggestions of things to watch, so I did some digging around for some options.

Since we don't review the movies here at Movie Churches (instead, we review clergy and churches in movies -- as you know), many, many of the films here aren't good. Some are almost painful to watch, but I do it for the good of you, dear readers. These, on the other hand, are films I enjoyed. Some of them I love dearly. They're divided into categories, and if you'd like to know more, click the title to go to the original post. Most are available on Amazon Prime.

Robert Duvall Trilogy
Duvall has made (IMHO) made three of the best films about the Christian faith. (And a couple of pretty awful ones as well, but that’s not what we’re talking about here.)
Get Low
Tender Mercies
The Apostle (language and violence)

Classics
Two of these films won the Oscar for Best Picture, and the other should have. (And all of the clergy did pretty well in their steeple ratings too.)
On the Waterfront (Adult themes)
A Man for All Seasons
The Quiet Man

Comedy
Frankly, there have been funnier films reviewed here, but the original request stressed that the films should be family-friendly. Still, these films did make me laugh.
Heaven’s Above
Millions (language)
O Brother Where Art Thou (language and sensuality)

Foreign
I know, I know, reading is hard. Subtitles. But worth it.
Au Revoir, Les Enfants
Joyeux Noel (violence)
We Are Brothers (strong language)

Musicals
The theology is rarely great in musicals, and these films aren’t exceptions. But they’re fun.
Cabin in the Sky
Guys and Dolls
The Sound of Music

Science Fiction/Horror
For some reason, people often think these genres are not Christian. But horror acknowledges the supernatural and science fiction often stresses that some things are beyond human understanding.
The Hunchback of Norte Dame
Signs (language, violence)
War of the Worlds (1953)

Worthy Christian Films
Christian films are, as a group, pretty bad. Too often they're nothing more than sappy propaganda. I’ve watched some really bad Christian films for this blog, but I enjoyed these.
The Case for Christ
Soul Surfer
Grace Unplugged

What about you? Looking for any movie recommendations? Let me know.

Martin Luther, Luther, Luther

Martin Luther (1953)

Luther (1974)

Luther (2003)

I was duped by contemporary holiday priorities. 

Last Sunday was Reformation Sunday and this post should really have led into that day, but instead, like most of America, I thought first about last Sunday being Halloween. 

As penance, I watched not one, not two, but three films about Martin Luther. This really makes no sense at all because Luther was all about getting rid of penance and seeking forgiveness through faith in Christ alone. So my bad twice.

But let's move on, shall we?

Martin Luther (1483 - 1546) was one of the most influential men in history. His life and work led to the foundation of not just the Lutheran Church, but all Protestant churches. Because of Luther, religious and also political authority became open to question. His translation of the Bible into the German vernacular had the same kind of impact on the language that the King James Bible did on English, and furthered the cause of popular literacy. And he changed the kind of beer consumed in his homeland, as drinking hops was an act of rebellion against the Catholic Church (the whole beer thing never comes up in any of the films below.)

1953’s Martin Luther very much has the feel of an educational film, because, well, it is. Though the opening crawl reads that it is the work of “historians of many faiths”, the film was a co-production of the Lutheran Churches of Germany and America (sponsored by Luther Filmgesellshaft and the Lutheran Church of America.) and Luther comes off well throughout.

The film opens with Martin (Niall MacGinnis) leaving law school to go to the monastery, much to the displeasure of his father who had pinned hopes on his son’s success as a lawyer. Martin had hoped to find peace after taking the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, but as a monk, believes God doesn’t approve of him. His superiors send him to Wittenberg to serve as a priest saying, “We’ll keep him so busy, he won’t have time for his troubled soul. He’ll find his peace in Christ.”

Luther is sent to Rome and is encouraged to see one of Judas’ silver coins and the Pope, Julius the Second, for his spiritual benefit. But he is disappointed by what he sees. He sees the relics as not symbols of salvation, but “crutches to uphold a faltering faith.” Luther claims to have found true hope in “Romans 1:17” (though the numerical system for denoting New Testament verses was popularized by Robert Estienne in the 1550’s, after Luther’s death).  Luther says, “The just will live by faith. Is there anything about relics? Faith in what God has done for him through His Son.”

Luther speaks out against relics as a means of grace, much to the displeasure of Duke Frederick, the sponsor of Luther’s professorial chair at Wittenberg University. Luther also preaches against indulgences (the theology of giving financially to the church to shorten the years loved ones spend in purgatory). Johann Tetzel, a representative of the Vatican, was most displeased about this since his chief work was selling indulgences.

Tetzel threatens Luther, “I’ll burn his books, and I’ll burn him, too.” The Vatican begins to take Luther seriously as a threat. The German people admire Luther for standing up to Rome, and one of the locals says, "For the first time in a hundred years, someone has told the Pope where to get off!” 

Martin’s supervisor, Augustinian Father Johann von Staupitz, sees nothing but pain for Luther, “Martin, Martin, I see nothing ahead of you but the Cross. May God have mercy on your soul and those who try to follow your preaching.”

The Vatican condemns Luther, but he is protected by the Emperor of Germany, leading to the country's break from the Roman Church. We see Luther working on his translation and his joy in seeing his servant read the Gospel for himself for the first time. And we see his marriage to Kate the nun. And the narrator assures us that all of this led to the still prospering Lutheran Church. “A Mighty Fortress” (lyrics by Martin Luther) plays during the end credits, in case we had doubt who produced this film.

1974’s Luther was most certainly not a production of the Lutheran Church but rather a production of the American Film Theater. This production company was made with the goal of bringing important stage plays to the screen, including this adaptation of John Osborne’s 1961 play. Osborne was interested in the themes of rebellion against society; he was best known for his plays Look Back in Anger and The Entertainer.

Stacy Keach plays Luther as a man who can be understood by psychological rather than theological drives. He is dealing with daddy issues and toilet troubles. (Both of these things were certainly influences on Luther, but the play and the film make these Luther’s primary drives.)

The film opens later in Luther’s life, during the Peasants' Rebellion when Luther encouraged the authorities to crack down on the rebellion. A peasant accuses Luther of being a butcher with blood on his hands. “My father is dead, and you’re alive and well and cuddling in the arms of your nun.”

But then we go back earlier in Luther’s life when he stripped down to a thong to take his vows and was told, “Choose God or the world, if you choose the order, you are not free to reject it.” He chose the Augustinian order, but of course, would later reject it.

He is shown dealing with digestive issues as he struggles with the question of his salvation (“I wish my bowels would open”). And when he does rebel against Rome, he talks about it in scatological terms, “If I break wind in Wittenberg they might smell it in Rome.” But he does break with Rome, saying, “It is as hard for me to do what I must do as for a man to truthfully call his mother a whore.” And he says, “When the words emerged, ‘The just shall live by faith’ and my (intestinal) pain vanished.”

The film ends as it begins in the Peasants' Rebellion. He sees violence all around, but says “There’s no such thing as an orderly revolution… In the teeth of death we live, if He (God) butchers us, then we live.”

2003’s Luther is my favorite biography of the man, and certainly the most entertaining. It features a great cast: Joseph Fiennes in the title role, Peter Ustinov as Frederick the Wise, Claire Cox as Katrina, Alfred Molina as Tetzel, and especially Bruno Ganz as Luther’s Augustinian mentor. This film was also produced by the Lutheran Church (“Thrivent Financial for Lutherans” reads the production credit), so there is little doubt as to where its sympathies lie.

This film begins with Luther's conversion, his decision to give his life to God to become a monk. Caught alone on a road during a fierce thunderstorm, he fears for his life. “Help me!” he cries out. “Don’t let me die like a dog on the road! I give myself to God!” (One can’t help but be reminded of the conversion of Saul to Paul on the road to Damascus.)

Again we see Martin confront his disappointed father who hoped his son would become a lawyer. We see him struggle with fear of judgment, “I’m too full of sin to be a priest!” 

His Augustinian father tells him, “After two years of confessions I’ve never heard you confess anything remotely interesting.” He encourages Martin to “Bind yourself to Christ and say, ‘I am yours, save me.’”

Again we see Martin travel to Rome, to his great disgust. He hears barkers hawking relics, such as, “This way for the John the Baptist’s head!” On these sites, he is encouraged to “Give generously!” He is distraught to learn there are brothels for clerics in Rome. “You can buy anything, sex or salvation,” he frets.

After this, he is sent to Wittenberg to be a priest and study the New Testament. This perplexes him. But he is told it is there, as a preacher, he will find his faith.

We are shown two events that, in the film, change him greatly. In a class lecture, the priest teaching the class assures them that there is no salvation outside of the Roman Catholic Church. Luther asks, “There are no Christians outside of the Roman church, so you consider Greek Christians damned?” 

The teacher asks, "Do you question the authority of the church council?” 

Luther responds, “Salvation can be found outside of the church, but not outside of Christ.”

We see Luther come across a boy who has hung himself. Against the orders of the church, he buries the boy in the church graveyard, arguing that the child is no different from a man killed by the robber in the woods because the boy was killed by the lies of the devil.

As in the other two films, we see Luther preach against relics and indulgences, but in this film, his preaching is genuinely funny. “God once spoke through the mouth of an ass, and He may be about to do it again… 18 of the 12 apostles buried are in Spain... Enough nails from the cross are available in Rome to shoe all the horses in Saxony.” His preaching is not just funny, but gracious and enlightening.

We also see Tetzel's preaching, which is the epitome of fire and brimstone. “Can’t you hear the screams of your parents? Grandparents? Aunts and uncles? For a few coins, you could rescue them.”

When Luther learns that a poor widow, mother of a young child, gave money to Tetzel, he is outraged, “This paper means nothing. You must trust in God’s love, use your money to feed Greta.”

But Tetzel claims, “I can save the soul of a man who violates the Holy Mother herself.”

Luther preaches against putting hope in relics and indulgences. He says, “Christ isn’t found in the bones of saints, but in your love for one another, in His sacraments, and in His Holy Word.”

So again we see Luther in trouble with Rome. He is called to appear there but is warned, “The Rome Inquisition doesn’t give rulings, it gives death sentences.” When the German authorities refuse to hand him over, the trial by Rome is set for the Diet of Worms.

When he refuses to deny his work, he gives one of the most famous of history’s speeches, “Unless I am convinced by Scripture and by plain reason and not by Popes and councils who have so often contradicted themselves, my conscience is captive to the Word of God. To go against conscience is neither right nor safe. I cannot and I will not recant. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me.”

Luther’s relationship with Katrina von Bora is shown with humor and tenderness. Katrina is one of a dozen or so nuns who escaped a convent hidden in herring barrels, and she's the only one who can't find a husband. She has to settle for Martin (and he didn't especially want to marry her -- or anyone) The marriage eventually becomes a delight to both. 

Luther, as presented in these films, is a man who would be a pleasure to know as a preacher and a companion in a pub. That’s why he earns our highest Movie Churches rating of Four Steeples.

Science Fiction Movie Churches: Left Behind, the Movie

Left Behind: The Movie (2000)

I have to admit up front that this is a questionable entry in this month of Science Fiction Movie Churches because of two things: 1) Is Left Behind: The Movie a science fiction film? 2) Does Left Behind: The Movie have a church?

Left Behind: The Movie is based on Left Behind: The Novel by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LeHaye (though the writers are not credited in the film). The book was a huge New York Times bestseller that spawned a great number of sequels and spinoffs, so many people must have enjoyed it; I could only make it through one chapter. This isn’t the first time Movie Churches has looked at a Left Behind film. (It’s kind of like Hamlet -- there’s been more than one adaptation.) Previously reviewed was the far more entertaining adaptation of the story, starring Nic Cage.

The Left Behind series is based upon a particular interpretation (known as dispensationalism) of prophetic and apocalyptic passages of Scripture. Without getting too deep in the theological weeds, most people who hold to this system (which certainly does not include all Christians) believe that before Christ returns He will gather all believers out of the earth (in an event called the Rapture), and then the people remaining on the earth will face seven years of difficulty called the Tribulation.

So, getting back to that first question, would the film best be described as belonging to the genres of “prophecy” or “apocalyptic vision” rather than science fiction? Even if you hold to the theological tenets supported by the story, the film has elements that no one would argue come from Scripture. These elements belong firmly in the realm of sci-fi.

For instance, there is something in the film called “The Eden Project” that makes barren land fruitful. An Israeli scientist in the film perfects a formula for growing plants in the desert, and he desires to use his discovery for the good of his nation (“Eden is not for sale, not for money. All I want is peace for Israel”).

So that concept alone would place the film in science fiction territory. If you throw in Kirk Cameron playing Buck Williams, a widely respected investigative reporter for a leading television news network, that just adds to the film’s science fiction cred. (If this movie still doesn’t work for you as a science fiction film, you may go back and read the post for Contact.)

As for that second question, here’s the problem. Is there actually a church to consider, since the premise of the film is that the church is taken away? Thankfully for our purposes, a bit of the film takes place before the Rapture occurs, so while you could perhaps rule out sequels for examination in Movie Churches (and I am thankful for these little favors), this film does have a bit of church. And the church building isn’t raptured, so there’s that.

Before the Rapture, we see Pastor Bruce (played by Clarence Gilyard of Walker: Texas Ranger) visiting the home of airline pilot Rayford Steele (Brad Johnson). I’m sure we’d all feel safe if we knew our pilot’s name was “Rayford Steele,” but “Brad Johnson” is a pretty manly name as well.

Rayford’s wife and son attend church regularly*, but Rayford does not. Pastor Bruce brings up the issue saying, “Haven’t seen you for a while, Ray.”

The pilot replies, “People still have to fly, even on Sundays, Bruce.”

The Rapture takes place while Ray is flying to England. Many of his passengers vanish, leaving their clothes behind. All children are taken in the Rapture (I didn’t get the exact age cut-off), along with all true Christian believers.

Ray returns home to find his college-aged daughter Chloe, but not his wife or son. He suggests, “Maybe we should try the church. If your mom is right, there won’t be anyone there anyway.”

Chloe reminds her father that he used to say the church was just a crutch that his wife used after her mother’s death, and Ray responds that church is where his wife spent most of her time and was happiest. Which speaks well of the church in the film.

But the church is not completely empty when Ray goes there. He finds Pastor Bruce. It seems that even though Pastor Bruce taught about Christ, even taught a dispensational view of the Rapture, he didn’t really believe it himself and was Left Behind (title drop). Ray finds Pastor Bruce praying, “I knew your message, I knew your words, I stood right here and preached them. And they’re gone. Knowing and believing are two different things. I’ve been living a lie. Oh God, I am kneeling before you, asking, use me, just use me.” Ray assures him that his presence for him is an answer to the prayer.

This poses a real problem when it comes to rating the church with the appropriate number of steeples. Pastor Bruce didn’t believe what he was preaching, but he was so effective that everyone who regularly attended the church went with the Rapture.

Fortunately, the church seems to have a stock of video tapes that were apparently marked, “Play this in case of Rapture.” On them, Pastor Vern Billings of New Hope Billings Church warns viewers, “If you’re watching this, the church has been raptured,” going on to warn about the upcoming years of tribulation. Reporter Buck Williams watches one of these tapes, and he’s immediately convinced.

The film ends with many open questions, and was obviously made with sequels in mind. But they’re Churchless sequels. and therefore will not be covered here. We’re giving the Church in this film 3 Steeples for getting so many of its congregants off-planet in the Rapture.

*We know Ray’s son goes to church because when the kid talks about swords and putting people’s heads on pikes, Ray asks, “Where do you come up with this stuff?”

“Sunday School,” the boy replies.