Movies acceptable to Christians

[MrsYoungie]

The thread about "Courageous" got me thinking and led to an interesting discussion with my husband. Is there a market for movies of this type but possibly without the heavily Christian theme?

What I mean is a movie that is without swearing, nudity or extreme violence - but not a children's movie. I was saying that there is such a market and he maintained that you can't make a realistic movie without some swearing or negative themes. Not being too fast in my thoughts the only example of a movie that he would be willing to see in this category was "March of the Penguins."

What "G" rated movies would be suitable for a conservative valued family to see, but not be just a kids' show? Anyone?

[kpmom]

The thread about "Courageous" got me thinking and led to an interesting discussion with my husband. Is there a market for movies of this type but possibly without the heavily Christian theme?

What I mean is a movie that is without swearing, nudity or extreme violence - but not a children's movie. I was saying that there is such a market and he maintained that you can't make a realistic movie without some swearing or negative themes. Not being too fast in my thoughts the only example of a movie that he would be willing to see in this category was "March of the Penguins."

What "G" rated movies would be suitable for a conservative valued family to see, but not be just a kids' show? Anyone?

That's a tough one. I'd say Sound Of Music, but that involved Catholics so maybe not.

Soul Surfer had a Christian theme, but also lots of bikinis, so maybe that one.

[emeraldskull]

Well, I have seen quite a few non-christian movies that were very good and contained no swearing or negative themes. (though we might have to define what "negative themes" means) Most of them are love stories, now that I think about it... But a few off the top of my head:

The Christmas Card (ok, it's kind of a B movie, but it's cute!)

The Note

I Am David (WWII era drama... utterly amazing)

Though I don't know if those are G or PG (and I Am David might be PG-13)...

[emeraldskull]

Soul Surfer had a Christian theme, but also lots of bikinis, so maybe that one.

Haha, Kelly at GC wrote a scathing review of Soul Surfer, so probably not that one. LOL

[teddybear]

Passion of Christ? Even though it was made by evil Catholics and they only used Latin. After all, we all know that Jesus spoke English like that used in the King Jame's Bible.

[MrsYoungie]

So far most of these fall into the Wholesome and Heart Warming categories. Any actually dramatic movies?

I must admit that "The Note" sounds interesting, but my husband wouldn't be willing to see it I'm sure.

[emeraldskull]

So far most of these fall into the Wholesome and Heart Warming categories. Any actually dramatic movies?

I must admit that "The Note" sounds interesting, but my husband wouldn't be willing to see it I'm sure.

Well, I Am David is a very moving drama.. I don't know if it would be fundie-approved though. But you're right, most of them are the "fuzzy feeling inside" kind of movies, not really movies that take a hard look at life, at relationships, or at people.

[Markie]

https://picasaweb.google.com/1015321704 ... 4261735826

The Duggars are photographed with Bethany Hamilton. I wonder if they have seen Soul Surfer, or had any idea who she was? Perhaps the females were allowed to see that movie since woman are not visually stimulated, according to fundies...

[Kitten]

Perhaps the females were allowed to see that movie

I seriously doubt it, since there is so much "immodesty" throughout (including Bethany herself), plus the music is neither classical or slow hymns (without any "beat" to excite da ebil passions). Wouldn't want to expose the virginal ladies to any of that...

[Black Aliss]

When I was a fundie there was no such thing as a movie acceptable for [true] Christians because (as it was explained to me) Satan ran the movie industry and used the so-called wholesome movies to trick Christians into giving the movie industry money which they would then use to do Satan's work. Also it was generally believed that the wholesome movies had subliminal messages embedded in them. I was 17 before I ever saw the inside of a movie theater, in a city 100 miles from home, because I was afraid someone in our small town would see me going in and rat me out to my family and church.

[bananacat]

I think for any movie to be interesting to adults, it has to have something though-provoking, even if it's not deep philosophy. Fundie Christians really don't like anything like that. They like movies and stories that show on character as definitely bad, and one character as definitely good. They're not good with even a tiny touch of gray. Personally I think that even children's movies should have some gray areas, but that's not what fundies want. I think the adults would be happy watching whatever they think is appropriate for their kids.

This is why explicitly Christian fiction tends to be so flat and boring, IMO. In the Left Behind series, the characters were never really developed as people. They were caricatures of good and evil, and had no personality outside of that.

[MrsYoungie]

When I was a fundie there was no such thing as a movie acceptable for [true] Christians because (as it was explained to me) Satan ran the movie industry and used the so-called wholesome movies to trick Christians into giving the movie industry money which they would then use to do Satan's work. Also it was generally believed that the wholesome movies had subliminal messages embedded in them. I was 17 before I ever saw the inside of a movie theater, in a city 100 miles from home, because I was afraid someone in our small town would see me going in and rat me out to my family and church.

When I went to Baptist Sunday school this was more or less the line we were fed. But they could watch any movie they wanted to on tv. And this was the with my friend, the minister's daughter!!

My reasoning at the time (I was around 12 when I left that church) was that if we disapproved of "bad" movies, wouldn't it make sense to patronize "good" movies so that they would make more of them??? I was given up on as a lost cause shortly after. LOL

But now - 45 years later - the fundies seem to have finally caught up with my radical idea. Quick on the uptake, eh?

ps - we went to see Moneyball last night. Excellent movie! Brad Pitt, Philip Seymour Hoffman & Jonas Hill - how could it go wrong? And not too foul languaged for a baseball movie. No nudity, no violence, no religion! tada!

[Childless]

I'm not sure if I can come up with any. My husband is partial to large explosions and massive gunfire, so we don't see many movies without swearing or violence.

We did just watch "The Conspirator" which I found very interesting. It's a part of history not often taught in schools. It might be considered negative though since it dealt with murder.

[masagoroll]

My evangelical (but not totally fundie) Christian school took the football team to see Remember the Titans. I love that movie, but I don't think it was very fundie-approved! There was a bit of cussing...lots of rocking music...and even a boy-boy kiss (although done in a joking way and it was really awkward rather than romantic).

[Stickers]

Is there a market for movies of this type but possibly without the heavily Christian theme?

Not in theatrical release. There are many movies that have Courageous like story lines without the religious themes, they're just all tv movies or they go straight to DVD.

[ThisOlGirl]

I sometimes go here for laughs a Christian view of various mainstream movies:

http://www.christiananswers.net/spotlight/

I have to wonder what some of these people were expecting when they went to watch a particular movie. I also wonder if maybe some of these people aren't going to see certain movies strictly for, ahem, reviewing purposes.

[pomology]

Passion of Christ? Even though it was made by evil Catholics and they only used Latin. After all, we all know that Jesus spoke English like that used in the King Jame's Bible.

I thought Passion of Christ was in Aramaic? Not that I've seen it or have any desire to see it, but I seem remember hearing that it was in Aramaic.

[teddybear]

Actually, we are both right. According to Wikipedia they used both.

[jenny_islander]

Which Christians?

Fundamentalist Christians may only accept movies that don't get a mark on the checklist of This Is Automatically Bad, Evil, and Wrong, or they may call all movies Satanic, or only movies seen in theaters, or . . .

Mainstream Christians may not think about it that much, or they may shy away from movies that glorify breaking the two greatest commandments (loving God and our neighbor). There is also the issue of movies that are okay for a certain age range while giving younger kids nightmares, but that's not a specifically Christian thing.

[Effie]

I know that Bria Crawford has mentioned some movie. The Grace Card.

[dawbs]

a 'good' kid's movie also appeals to adults...so that makes them hard to classify.

And a great deal of 'classic' movies were 'clean' by some standards--Breakfast At Tiffany's isn't going to bother me to watch in front of a young kid.

Reading the OP, the first movie that popped into my head was _the princess bride_. (I don't really consider it a kid's movie. opinions may vary)

All of the original Muppet movies were 'kids movies' but had a lot of VERY adult jokes. _Arsenic and Old Lace _is a murder-comedy, _Harvey_ tackles deep issues, and I'll always have a soft spot for _You can't take it with you_--but none of those is 'realistic' per se. (maybe _Harvey_)

[alaeangelorum]

You are more likely to find that kind of film in period drama type things - eg the most recent screen incarnation of Pride and Prejudice was rated U in the UK (U for universal, ie everyone can watch it), but it's not really a kid's film. Though I admit it doesn't tackle particularly challenging subject matter.

[finleeport]

The Chronicles of Narnia seems Christian based, but I don't think Fundies would approve of it; Dougie called the film pagan and pantheistic.

CS Lewis may have put in many Christian allegories in Narnia, but at least he let room in for the imagination; he mentioned in the chronicles the gods Bacchus, Silenus, Pomona (Roman Goddess of Orchards) and the River God. And from what I read, Lewis supported theistic evolution and opposed theocracy.

And it is said that he and Tolkien were good friends and colleagues with W.H Auden, who was a poet and openly gay.

[Mommy22alyns]

When I went to Baptist Sunday school this was more or less the line we were fed. But they could watch any movie they wanted to on tv. And this was the with my friend, the minister's daughter!!

My reasoning at the time (I was around 12 when I left that church) was that if we disapproved of "bad" movies, wouldn't it make sense to patronize "good" movies so that they would make more of them??? I was given up on as a lost cause shortly after. LOL

But now - 45 years later - the fundies seem to have finally caught up with my radical idea. Quick on the uptake, eh?

ps - we went to see Moneyball last night. Excellent movie! Brad Pitt, Philip Seymour Hoffman & Jonas Hill - how could it go wrong? And not too foul languaged for a baseball movie. No nudity, no violence, no religion! tada!

Lucky you! I really want to see it too! Glad to hear it's so good.

[Rosa]

a 'good' kid's movie also appeals to adults...so that makes them hard to classify.

And a great deal of 'classic' movies were 'clean' by some standards--Breakfast At Tiffany's isn't going to bother me to watch in front of a young kid.

I wouldn't watch Breakfast At Tiffany's because of the yellowface scenes. They're really awful.

That's the problem with classic movies: they kept down the nudity and violence but didn't have a problem with racism or sexism.