Movies Worth Watching

moral moviesThe media plays an important role in influencing our worldview explicitly by endorsing specific ideas and implicitly by portraying certain actions as normal or acceptable.  We should bring a critical eye to everything we see, listen to and read about.  Many movies have redemptive value and are worth watching with a group and discussing to draw out key themes.

Movies with a Christian theme

  • Sophie Scholl: WWII true story of a young girl who stands for her faith in the face of Nazi threats.  She’s a national hero in Germany and unheard of in the US
  • End of the Spear: Missionaries Nate Saint and Jim Elliot in Ecuador
  • Amazing Grace: Story of William Wilberforce’s conversion and work to abolish slavery in Great Britain
  • Luther: Story of Luther’s struggle with the catholic church
  • The Ninth Day: WWII concentration camp where a priest is put in an ethical dilemma
  • A Man for All Seasons: Story of Thomas More who died for his beliefs
  • Shadowlands: CS Lewis’ biographical story of love and loss
  • Chariots of Fire: A Christian and a Jew competing in the 1924 Olympics and how faith impacts their life decisions
  • Ten Commandments: Classic retelling of the story of Moses as played by Charlton Heston
  • The Prince of Egypt: Disney’s version of the story of Moses that uses some license, but is still relatively good
  • Gifted Hands: Ben Carson overcomes poverty to serve God as one of the best brain surgeons in the world

Movies with a moral theme:

  • Amistad: Freedom, murder, law and the definition of humanity through a tale of slavery
  • Hotel Rwanda: Salvation from genocide through courage and wisdom
  • Schindler’s List: What would you do to save a life?
  • Conspiracy: Poses the question, “Is it wrong to assassinate a mad man?”
  • The Counterfeiters: Offers a difficult question of helping the enemy to save yourself set in a German POW camp
  • I Am David: Separation and sacrifice in the face of the Holocaust
  • The Great Debaters: Based on a true story, a black college debate team from the south challenges the top white debate team
  • Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner: Racial prejudice creates family tension in this classic film
  • Twelve Angry Men: Shows the moral prejudice that we bring to events and how good reasoning can overcome those biases
  • Cinderella Man: Paints an amazing picture of a man’s sacrifice for his family
  • Les Miserables: Memorable depiction of forgiveness
  • The Lord of the Rings: It’s hard to have imagine a more vivid depiction of sin than through what is ‘precious’
  • Cars: The arrogant young punk takes a fall and learns to love others more than himself
  • Bella: Shows the struggle of forgiveness and the value of children
  • Run Lola Run: Not so much about a moral theme as an interesting theological point about time and space

Movies worth watching to understand the plight of others:

  • The Color of Paradise: Iranian film about a child struggle for love in the face of a handicap
  • Turtles Can Fly: Set before Iraq is invaded, a group of kids fight to survive through street smarts
  • Katyn: Massacre of Polish soldiers by the Germans during WWII
  • The Kite Runner: Sad tale of two friends who grew up in Afghanistan and traveled different paths in life

Online Resources from a Christian Worldview

Books about Watching Movies from a Christian Perspective

  • Reel Spirituality and Finding God in the Movies by Robert Johnston