The Best to Come in 2018

The Bible is full of wonderful promises for the future and with the best to come in 2018, we have much to look forward to! The Scriptures assure us of the best being ahead of us. In movies and media there has been an ongoing reformation of content and renaissance of artistry in response to prayers and much hard work on the part of those involved in producing worthwhile media and movies for eternal good.

This year promises many more outstanding redemptive movies: Unbroken, Path to Redemption; Paul, Apostle of Christ; God’s Not Dead 3; I Can Only Imagine; 25 IN 24; Heavenquest: A Pilgrim’s Progress; Indivisible; Mary Magdalene; Samson; Run the Race, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair and many more.    Watch for interviews and insightful stories for these movies on Sonoma Christian Home.

Many promising family movies are also slated for this year in theaters: The Nutcracker and The Four Realms, Paddington 2, Peter Pan; Peter Rabbit; Jack and the Beanstalk, Gigantic; A Wrinkle in Time; Lego Movie, Sequel; The Jungle Book, Origins; Mulan; The Little Mermaid; Mary Poppins Returns and more.

Other promising family and redemptive movies are in development for theaters beyond 2018: Frozen 2; Toy Story 4; Lion King; Do You Believe 2; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew; The Ten Commandments; King David; Pontius Pilate; Butterfly Circus; The Adventures of TinTin 2; The Passion of the Christ, Resurrection and more.

Many Disney projects are in development:  Jungle Cruise; Dumbo 1; Dumbo 2; Tink; Snow White (musical); Oliver Twist (musical), and A Jesse Owens Project. Some live-action Disney remakes of classic animated family movies continue in development: Aladdin; Pinocchio 1; Fantasia; Chip ‘n’ Dale; Genies; James and the Giant Peach; Nottingham & Hood; “The Sword and the Stone;  XD Big Hero 6 animated series and more.

It is wonderfully uplifting and inspiring today on TV, local theater screens, and computer screens to see redemptive movies. Rich, redemptive gifts to uplift human spirits around the world are available more widely on various types of screens around the globe.

The modern Renaissance and Reformation continues with the production and distribution of good redemptive movies. Today we are seeing on big and small screens, a continuing Renaissance with its heightened, multi-dimensional appeal of excellence in artistry and the growing Reformation of content with its appeal to universal absolute moral values.

During the lifetime of Shakespeare, there was both a Renaissance of artistic expression in England and a Reformation of content in England due to the influence and patronage of Queen Elizabeth the First. We have been seeing this happen in our time.

Today we are increasingly seeing better and better redemptive movies produced. A film is “redemptive” when it makes something or someone positive and worthy, despite their former negative states. Redemptive movies present realistic, naturalistic, and honest stories in which the characters go on ultimately edifying journeys that lead them towards positive results from that which was originally negative, toward reconciliation, and toward Truth.

Redemptive films have edifying stories that reveal universal ideas and lift viewers from negativism, cynicism, and/or pessimism to what is positive, renewing, and hopeful. Although, they present honest, difficult struggles, they turn what is paralyzing, degrading, and debilitating into what is freeing, beautiful, and eternal.

Redemptive movies are authentic, honest, and believable. They entertain with stories that are also uplifting, enlightening, and/or educational that reinforce universal ideas of unconditional love and absolute moral values.  Best practice redemptive movies also include the best of artistry cinematography, directing, acting and more.

The ultimate Redemption is that which our Lord Jesus Christ has provided for us and redemptive movies are those that line up with this Truth.

An increasing number of movies are part of the continuing Renaissance of artistry and Reformation of content in the increasing trend of production of best practice, family-friendly, redemptive movies with top box office draw. Consumer ticket sales, purchases, and feedback continue to have a significant influence on what is being produced. Feedback, which are votes for movies in the forms of visits to IMDb movie pages and online reviews, continue to make a difference.

Support for movie sites such as Sonoma Christian Home also continues to make a positive difference in the redemptive movies produced. Patronage is significant and has from the earliest productions made a difference in what is produced. Today, when a consumer goes to a theater and pays to see a movie, she or he is a patron.

To date, box office statistics and ongoing research make it clear that recent decades have been marked by an increasing number of best practice redemptive movies with top box office draw and staying power for all ages produced by mainstream studios, directors, and actors. IMDb records indicate a growing popular interest in redemptive movies, as well as the box office draw and staying power of such movies.

Wonderfully, in recent decades, there has been a growing acceleration in production of excellent redemptive movies by independent and Hollywood studios and companies that have brought encouragement and hope in present evil, darkness, and danger.

The year 2014, for example, was especially marked by many successful redemptive movies by independent and mainstream studios and companies which included: Heaven is for Real, God’s Not Dead, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Unbroken, The Giver, Selma, The Son of God, When the Game Stands Tall, Where Hope Grows, and many more.

As well, 2015 provided many more popular, successful redemptive movies produced by independent studios and mainstream studios, often with notable actors, such as McFarland USA, Woodlawn, Captive, 90 Minutes in Heaven, The Letters, Noble, Little Boy, The 33, and War Room.  Further, 2015, provided good family movies such as the following: The Peanuts Movie; Cinderella; The Good Dinosaur; Max; and Pan.

Then, 2016 continued this trend with the following redemptive movies for a range of ages: Ben-Hur, Risen, The Young Messiah, Miracles from Heaven, Hacksaw Ridge, God’s Not Dead 2, I’m Not Ashamed, Queen of Katwe, Deepwater Horizon, Sully, Priceless, Hidden Figures, A United Kingdom, and The Finest Hours. 2016 also provided positive, entertaining family movies such as the following:  Finding Dory; Moana; The Jungle Book; Pete’s Dragon; Alice Through the Looking Glass; Zootopia; and Sing.

This past year of 2017 brought to theaters many more redemptive movies; family movies; fascinating, encouraging documentaries;  insightful, enlightening bio-pics based on true events; as well as good TV Shows.

Inspiring redemptive movies in 2017 included: On Wings of Eagles; Same Kind of Different as Me; The Star; Let There Be Light, The Case for Christ; Mully; A Question of Faith; All Saints; 6 Below, Miracle on the Mountain; and Because of Grácia. Family movies in 2017 that encouraged kindness and more included Wonder; The Greatest Showman; The Stray; Ferdinand; Cars 3; The Man Who Invented Christmas; Goodbye Christopher Robin; Despicable Me 3; and Disney’s Newsies the Broadway Musical. Amazing, inspiring bio-pics based on true events included the following: Dunkirk; Steve McQueen: American Icon; and The Man Who Invented Christmas. Uplifting and insightful documentaries included: Genesis: Paradise Lost; Is Genesis History; I’ll Push You; Facing Darkness; In Our Hands, The Battle for Jerusalem; Revive Us 2; and The Heart of Man.

Many of these movies are now available and popular on DVDs and through streaming.

The modern Renaissance and Reformation continues with the production and distribution of good redemptive movies with the patronage and support of investors and consumers. The future is as bright as the promises of God and our faithful response. Happy New Year!

To learn more about this author, visit Dr. Diane Howard