On my movie shelf...

In the afternoons Samuel and I often watch a movie together.  I like television and I like movies and I know, I know, there's a lot of bad stuff out there.  But there's a fair amount of good, too.  We've started a little collection of our own, actually, just family and faith friendly films that we can pop into the DVD player for quiet afternoons, date nights or when company comes over.  Here are a few of our favourites:
First we have the three films that Sherwood Pictures has put out since their birth in 2002.  Flywheel (2003), Facing The Giants (2006) and Fireproof (2008).  All three have strong messages and good acting, although you can definately see improvement over the years to the quality of production.  Flywheel deals with honesty and integrity, Facing the Giants with prayer and Fireproof with marriage.  I have every intention of buying their fourth film, Courageous, when it comes out in 2012.

There are quite literally dozens of versions of the nativity story set to film, but our favourite is a recent one by New Line Cinema.  The Nativity Story (2006) is modern and vibrant in production quality while staying pretty close to accurate in terms of scripture.  We saw it in the theatres and then we just had to buy it.  It has far outdone the other versions in my opinion.

The End Of The Spear (2005) chronicles the events surrounding the ministry and death of the 5 missionaries in Ecaudor by the Waodani tribe in a motion picture format.  Beyond The Gates Of Splendor (2002) is the same story, but this time told in a series of interviews with the Waodani tribespeople and the wives and children of the five men.  Both are great in their own way but first is, in my mind, a much better sit-down sort of movie night film.

Amazing Grace (2006) gave a wonderful account of the life work of William Wilberforce, a British pioneer in the anti-slavery movement who helped pass the laws through British parliament which eventually made the slave trade illegal.  Powerful stuff, and a little horrifying, which I think it should be.

The Blind Side (2009) was a film I really didn't think I'd like (David had recently made me watch Rudy and I was like, enough with the football movies!) but I was wrong.  It wasn't violent, which I was sure it would be, but it dealt realistically with the issues surrounding parental neglect and it's effects on a child.  There was a positive, but not sugar-coated ending, and I adored it.

The Hiding Place (1975) is an oldy but a goody.  I was a little nervous to watch it because I thought there was a scene in it that it turns out there wasn't.  Although once Samuel gets a little older and can understand what's happening on screen I might not watch it again until he's ready for some of the scenes.  Not that it's anywhere near as bad on violence as your average Hollywood action sequence, but the cold hatred of the Nazis is a little harsh for a young child.

Of course we have a lot of documentaries.  In the nature category Winged Migration (2001) is one we've watched again and again.  It's beautifully filmed, just amazing.  March of the Penguins (2005) is another, which I feel like everyone has seen!  If that sort of stellar film making is something you treasure I would also suggest Microcosmos (1996), which chronicles the insects living in a French field, set to classical music.  Every child loves bugs.  Oh, and both Winged Migration and Microcosmos were produced by Jacques Perrin.  I really want to check out some of his other nature documentaries, especially Oceans (2009).

In the non-nature documentaries category we've added Into Great Silence (2005) to our collection.  The stop motion photography alone is enough to make this film a keeper.  It follows the 'one-year' format of anthropological documentary films and peers inside the Grande Chartreuse, one of the most cloistered and strict monastaries in the world.  I always explain this film in the three stages of documentaries.  Hour One:  Very interesting.  Hour Two:  A struggle to stay focused or even awake.  Hour Three:  A sort of stillness.  Like contemplative prayer, I would imagine.

David, who is a lot more 'edgy' than me in his film preferences, brought Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (2008) home a while ago.  Not my sort of date night movie, to be honest, but a very interesting examination of the evolution/creation debate going on in modern academic circles.

Over the past several Christmases I've recieved almost the full set (I have eight out of the nine) of the Love Comes Softly series by Janette Oke.  The movies are based on the book series by the same name and are pretty well known so I won't bother with a plot synopsis.  Katherine Heigl is a great actress in them, I have to say.  And although I'm not usually a fan of romances and ultra-girly feel-good movies, Love Comes Softly is an exception.

For children you really can't beat Veggietales, of which we have MANY.  A whole stack of 'em. 
3-2-1 Penguins and the Larryboy cartoons are by the same production company.  If you only buy one Veggietales movie it has to be A Snoodle's Tale for sure.  In fact, even if you aren't Christian, or even religious, you have to see it.  Very Dr. Seuss-ish with a wonderful, wonderful storyline.

When I was a child I adored Fantasia (1940) ; it was my all-time, hands-down favourite.  Strangely enough, the only scene I didn't like in the movie as a child was the 'dawn of life' bit and the subsequent death of the dinosaurs.  I couldn't stand that part.  It was the perfect time to go get a drink, in my opinion.  I say strangely enough because I STILL don't like that part, although for slightly different reasons now!  You'll have to imagine my joy when David bought me Fantasia 2000 (1999) for Christmas this year and I discovered that this version had skipped the whole slime-evolving-into-dinosaurs bit and added a cartoon about Noah's ark.  There is even a part when some slight of hand artists stand up and explain that stage magic is all make believe, which I like.  I miss the Night On Bald Mountain from the first one, though, and all of the fairy music from the beginning.  It's a shame we can't just cut and paste the two together.  Still, when I can explain parts of it to Samuel we will probably watch Fantasia 2000 together.

So there you have it, that's what's sitting on our recently viewed shelf.  I can think of quite a few more titles off the top of my head of things we've watched recently but they weren't quite up to standard so we didn't end up buying them.  It isn't easy to find movies we like but I will share two sites that we have had a bit of luck with.  VisionForum has lots of videos to browse through (including the Davey and Goliath cartoons that David remembers from his childhood!) and Christian Cinema is another great site we've ordered from.  I see films there that I'd just love to buy all of the time.  This is one collection we'll enjoy expanding for a long time yet.