The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (Bible) This is true even in the world of movies. Box Office Mojo continues to report that redemptive movies, often about real-life heroes and heroines, remain doing well at the movie theater box office as they continue to shine eternal Light in the darkness in theaters the last week of October.
These include the following: I’m Not Ashamed, Queen of Katwe, Greater, Deepwater Horizon, and Sully. Other good family and redemptive movies continue doing well at the box office. These include Secret Lives of Pets, Finding Dory, Pete’s Dragon, and Voiceless. According to Fandango, New Life opens this week and Priceless continues in theaters.
See Sonoma Christian Home’s stories and interviews for I’m Not Ashamed. It is another powerful movie about real-life role models in the true and honest story of Rachel Joy Scott and the Columbine High School shooting. It is a tragic but inspirational story. The ensemble acting in this movie is believable and captivating. When Rachel Joy Scott refused to deny her Lord and Savior in her final moments at Columbine High School, her life was taken.
She recorded her prayers and faith journey in her journal that became the basis for her parents’ books about her life. They also were the foundation for the movie, I’m Not Ashamed (PG-13). Glimpses of hope and changed lives for students, parents, and schools have come from stories from the Columbine tragedy. See the Sonoma Christian Home interview with Rachel Scott’s mother, Beth Nimmo, who tells how our Lord prepared not only her daughter, but herself and has enabled her to work with high school students to avoid tragedies in their lives.
Disney has produced Queen of Katwe. It has received many good reviews. It follows a Ugandan slum girl’s rise from a hopeless future to that of an international chess player. David Oyelowo (Selma) plays Robert Katende, a missionary and refugee of Uganda’s civil war who as a chess teacher sees potential in 9-year-old Phiona Mutesi. Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave) plays her mother.
Greater is based on an underdog, true football story. It is about Brandon Burlsworth, who is considered one the greatest walk-on, non-scholarship players in college football history. In his small hometown, Burlsworth is mostly known for his horn-rimmed glasses and genuine character. With the support of his older brother, Marty, and their struggling single mom Barbara, Brandon walks on to the Arkansas Razorback team in 1994. He succeeds in the face of seemingly impossible odds.
Sonoma Christian Home showcased an interview with a real Christian survivor of Deepwater Horizon who is depicted as a key character in the movie. This gripping film is about the offshore drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, which exploded during April 2010 and created the worst oil spill in U.S. history. This redemptive film focuses on the real- life heroes and heroines in this disaster and includes prayer and divine provisions in the midst of danger, as does Sully.
Sonoma Christian Home presents another exclusive interview with the screenwriter for Sully in which he tells about relying on prayer to write the winning screenplay. Sully is about the “Miracle on the Hudson” in which Captain Sullenberger saved the lives of all his flight by landing in the Hudson River. Tom Hanks performs skillfully the everyman heroic captain, Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger.
Priceless is another movie based on true events. It is about a down-on-his luck man who drives a truck all night, not knowing it contains human cargo for sale. When he discovers that his “cargo” is two sisters headed for human trafficking, James must decide whether to walk away or stay and fight for these girls. This movie exposes the evils of the sex trade. Sonoma Christian Home provides a powerful interview for this movie with Luke Smallbone who, with his brother Joel, are a Grammy Award and Dove Award-winning Christian pop music duo, For King and Country.
Voiceless is about a recently discharged soldier, Jesse Dean. Jesse had a rough upbringing; but because of his wife, he has found God and is totally devoted to his faith. He and his wife move to Philadelphia for a job as an outreach leader at an old church whose membership has been declining. Everything goes well and he starts to connect to the community. However, he discovers an abortion clinic directly across the street from the church. He goes to his church’s pastor and others in the church to get their help, but to no avail. He comes to a decisive point and gets involved with the abortion problem. However, the more involved he gets, the more resistance he gets from those in the church, community, and his wife. Finally, he makes a choice.
The Secret Lives of Pets is an animated comedy about what pets do alone at home and in their adventures when they are lost. It is an entertaining, redemptive family movie with moral themes. Finding Dory is about Dory finding her biological family. It is delightfully entertaining for all ages. It has no perverse elements and has moral themes.
In New Life, Erin Bethea who recently gave Sonoma Christian Home a lovely exclusive interview, plays a wife whose love story with her husband takes on the worst life can throw. “New Life follows Ben and Ava, who meet as children, marry as young adults, and together face what life brings,” Bethea says. “Audiences respond to seeing young love become something lasting and strong. We wanted to inspire audiences with love’s power, in any circumstance, to give strength and hope.” Director, Drew Waters also gives Sonoma Christian Home an exclusive interview in which he reveals the touching story behind the writing and producing of this movie.
Pete’s Dragon is a Disney live-action with great heart. Robert Redford, as wood carver Mr. Meacham, brings warm, captivating acting to the movie. His daughter, Grace works as a forest ranger. The mysterious 10-year-old Pete has no family or home but comes into Meacham’s and Grace’s lives. This fantasy, family movie with no foul elements has many redemptive themes: value of the traditional and extended family; angels in disguise (Elliot the dragon is Pete’s guardian angel); needing eyes to see wonders; need to protect the innocent; value of loyalty and more.
Many good and redemptive movies for various ages are in movie theaters for the fourth week of October. The top redemptive movie picks in theaters for the fourth week of October are the following: I’m Not Ashamed (PG-13), Queen of Katwe (PG), Greater (PG), Priceless (PG-13), Deepwater Horizon (PG-13), Sully (PG-13), and Voiceless (PG-13).
Top pick family movies in theaters for the fourth week of October include Finding Dory (PG), Pete’s Dragon (PG), and The Secret Lives of Pets (PG). Continue to check reviews on redemptive family sites to make good choices for movies in theaters. Don’t forget that what may seem innocent, may not be, especially during the Halloween season. Buyer beware. See further stories, reviews, and interviews about these movies here on Sonoma Christian Home.
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