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Have you heard anything about the upcoming film “Letters To God“?  I’ve been following them on Facebook and Twitter for a while, and it looks like the opening to the film is getting close (April 9, 2010).  I haven’t seen the film yet, but from the looks of their site, these are God-centered people who were involved with the making of Fireproof and Facing the Giants hoping to glorify God and spread the gospel with really powerful story.

I’ve got the synopsis here and the trailer below.  I’m sure you’ll be hearing much more about this film from me and others over the next months.  Personally, I can’t wait to see it.

Synopsis: A heartfelt tale of inspiration, hope and redemption, Letters to God is the story of what happens when one boy’s walk of faith crosses paths with one man’s search for meaning—the resulting transformational journey touches the lives of everyone around them.

Tyler Doherty (TANNER MAGUIRE) is an extraordinary eight-year-old boy. Surrounded by a loving family and community, and armed with the courage of his faith, he faces his daily battle against cancer with bravery and grace. To Tyler, God is a friend, a teacher and the ultimate pen pal—Tyler’s prayers take the form of letters, which he composes and mails on a daily basis.

The letters find their way into the hands of Brady McDaniels (JEFFREY S.S. JOHNSON), a beleaguered postman standing at a crossroads in his life. At first, he is confused and conflicted over what to do with the letters. Overtime he begins to form a friendship with the Doherty family – getting to know not just Tyler but his tough, tender yet overwhelmed mom (ROBYN LIVELY), stalwart grandmother (MAREE CHATHAM) and teen brother Ben (MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER BOLTEN) — who are each trying to stand strong against the doubts that come with the chaotic turn their lives have taken.

Moved by Tyler’s courage, Brady realizes what he must do with the letters, a surprise decision that will transform his heart and uplift his newfound friends and community –in an exhilarating act of testament to the contagious effect of one boy’s unwavering faith against the odds.

Inspired by a true story, Letters to God is an intimate, moving and often funny story about the galvanizing effect one child’s belief can have on his family, friends and community.

Review by Guest Writer Dana Chafin

On January 22, 2010 To Save a Life opens in theaters nationwide. This exciting Christian film confronts many teen issues. New Song Pictures gives viewers a touching story that will certainly change the way they see people. The story is inspiring and the way it deals with the issues the characters face is remarkable.

To Save a Life is the story of a teenage boy, Jake (Randy Wayne), who must make the choice to do what is popular or what is right. In the past he made the choice to be popular and it cost him a friend, literally. Now he will not let that happen again. Jake must also decide what he believes as far as God. A youth pastor, Chris (Joshua Weigel), comes into Jake’s path and he has a very unique, but effective way of dealing with the teens. Jake’s faith is tested by many difficulties, but the final outcome is inspirational.

To Save a Life discusses difficult topics such as suicide, cutting, divorce, teen pregnancy, dating, partying, drinking/drugs, depression, abortion, adultery and more. Although it is very tastefully handled, parents and leaders should know. This is a very moving film that will help adults to understand what our teens are facing and teens to see what their actions towards others could be saying.

To Save a Life is a powerful movie. It is a great film for any teen, parent, youth group, etc. I do want to warn there are some topics that might be too mature for younger kids; however most teens are aware of these issues. Please check out the official website www.tosavealifemovie.com to find a theater near you and for resources. Today many teens are faced with issues and situations similar to those discussed in the movie and this film may be just what is needed, to save a life.

Cloud Ten Pictures, producers of the Left Behind Series, Saving God and many Christian favorites, now presents Treasure Blind, an award winning family film available on DVD. This film was written and directed by Brian Shoop who also stars as Cliff. The story is about Cliff, a cab driver and amateur treasure hunter from Tulsa, Oklahoma who finds the meaning of “real” treasure. This is an exciting adventure to find treasure and repair past relationships.

Cliff Edwards (Brian Shoop) is struggling with past due bills and the threat of being evicted from his home. When he finds a treasure map hidden in an old chest in a resale shop, he is desperate to find the treasure. The film gives viewers a glimpse back to 1863, during Civil War times to show how this map finds its way to the resale shop. Unexpectedly a woman shows up at Cliff’s door explaining that his son, Jack (Dr. Joseph Shoop), is missing after hurricane Katrina. Cliff is confused because he has never seen his son and did not even know his name. The woman also tells him that she must leave his grandson, Henry (Daniel Brookshire), who is blind. Jack shows up in Tulsa, followed by casino loan shark goons that he owes $17,000. The three set off to decode the treasure map, find the treasure to pay off Jack’s debt, and protect Henry.

The cast, which is mainly church volunteers, are very convincing. Brian Shoop is an experienced actor, acting in movies like The Rookie and Infamous. Making his acting debut, Dr. Joseph Shoop plays Jack Edwards. Daniel Brookshire, which plays Henry, gives an outstanding performance and viewers will fall in love with his sweet personality.

Treasure Blind is a great family night movie. It has received the Dove Family Approved seal and audiences of all ages will enjoy this film. For more about the movie, go to www.treasureblind.com. The DVD includes special features like interviews with the cast and deleted scenes. The movie can be purchased at www.familychristianmovies.com.

by Philip Pfanstiel

The Dilemma referred to in this compelling movie’s title is that of the Cambrian Explosion. This movie does an excellent job of presenting this momentous geological event in the earth’s history that seriously undermines current Evolutionary thinking. And unlike that last sentence, it does it in a way that is easily understandable.

Darwin’s Dilemma is by Illustra Media, the same company that created Privileged Planet and Unlocking the Mystery of Life, and is just as well done with cutting edge graphics, interesting yet understandable content and great ammunition for the friendly discussions with the evolutionists next door.

The film does present the average Christian with a dilemma: how far down the rabbit hole of the creation / evolution debate does one want to delve?

For a quick guide to the theories one might want to check the video On a Level Playing Field (full disclosure: this is the DVD I produced) since this DVD is designed for 7-10 grade students it is a great introduction to the debate on a level most people can appreciate.

Darwin’s Dilemma is a DVD that supports and promotes the Theory of Intelligent Design (ID). While Intelligent Design can be used to support Young Earth Creationism (the theory that most Christians are most comfortable with since it takes the Genesis account literally), it is actually more supportive of an Old Earth Creation viewpoint. This is the dilemma: do you want to remain comfortable in what you “know” is right, or would you feel comfortable questioning and possibly changing your current view?

This is no small question, but not one you have to answer now. Watch the DVD. It is very engaging and informative and does provide great ammunition to use against die hard evolutionists. But as with any firefight while its exciting and dynamic, no one leaves it unchanged.

Recently I was able to attend part of the Desiring God Conference in Minneapolis Minnesota.  The conference, hosted by John Piper and Desiring God Ministries, is what led to my first hearing about the documentary Collision which I wrote about last week.  The film was screened there, and following the film, Doug Wilson sat down with John Piper and had a short discussion about the film, the debate, the purpose of apologetics, and about becoming friends with a world-renown atheist Author.   The film, (read synopsis here,) was amazing and the discussion following was very engaging.  Watch their discussion below.

I found Wilson’s answers to Piper’s questions about apologetics to be especially interesting.  In his mind, the first purpose of apologetics is the building up of the church; he debates atheists first of all to encourage believers.  He made the point that often Christians often feel that they have no response to intellectual atheists like Dawkins or Hitchens, who are more than willing to mock Christianity and back it up with a lifetime of study, books and very intellectual arguments.  Wilson is willing to face off with Hitchens to show Christians who are shaky and susceptible to his arguments that there really are responses to the arguments that young people are confronted with in university philosophy, biology and ethics classrooms.  He actually sees the evangelistic, persuasive part of it as secondary.

The overall theme of the Desiring God Conference was the life and teaching of John Calvin, in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of his birth; most specifically the speakers focused on Calvin’s vision of God and the fact that he saw the whole world as a “Theatre of God” where all aspects of the drama that unfold on earth exist as a theatre to demonstrate the glory of God.  All of life on earth is for the display of His glory.   

Although I was only able to attend the first night of the Conference, I’ve since listened to some of the talks online.  Much of the emphasis of the talks I’ve listened to has been the impact that Calvin had on public life of his time and the continual impact of his writings on the culture, democracy, values and religious life of Americans today.  Calvin recovered the Christian belief that all of life is sacred, and has potential to be an act of worship; the displaying of and enjoyment of God’s awesomeness.  In Calvin’s worldview, that translated to an active public life, not just a life penned up in a church office somewhere.

Calvin is a controversial figure, no doubt, and I’ve learned since the conference that Doug Wilson is also quite controversial in his own right.  Many may debate Calvin’s teachings on election, and disagree with Wilson on some of his views, but we can all agree however that by following Calvin’s example of engaging with the culture, Wilson is setting a great example for the Church.  Wilson’s courageous, loving, relevant, intellectual engagement with one of world’s most intimidating figures glorifies God in the public sphere, and we need more believers who follow that difficult road. The DVD Collision shows him doing that and it’s totally fascinating.

If you’d like to see Collision, you can buy the DVD here, but we’re also giving away a copy along with the book Is Christianity Good For the World tomorrow.  You can enter the drawing in four different ways, learn how to enter the contest here.

Have you heard about the debate between best-selling author and Antitheist** Christopher Hitchens and reformed author and thinker Douglas Wilson?  If you’re unfamiliar with the story, here is the synopsis.  Douglas Wilson and Christopher Hitchens engaged in an impassioned debate on the question “Is Christianity Good for the World?” which was hosted by ChristianityToday.com.  This online debate was converted to a book, and for the book tour, the two authors traveled the country over the course of 3 days debating the question in various bastions of liberal thought and Christian thought including The Columbia Atheists and Agnostics group and Westminster Theological Seminary.

Christopher Hitchens and Douglas Wilson

The debates were filmed and made into a documentary called Collision that we are pleased offer here at FamilyChristianMovies.com.  I must say that Collision is much less “one sided” than most of the films typically sold at a site for Christian films.  This documentary, which was masterfully created by Darren Doane follows these men around the country as they debate, discuss and develop a cordial relationship that may even be called friendship over the course of these days.   Over the course of the film, both sides are presented in an even-handed way such that proponents of both authors’ views could watch the film and say “Yea” with raised fist. 

Collision is in very truth a Collision of two lives, as demonstrated by personal interviews; intimate glimpses into the subjects’ personal lives, and video footage of the two interacting before and after the public debates.  These two men not only disagree with one another, but truly believe that the others’ view is harmful and must be countered.  It makes for an engaging documentary that is both faith-challenging and faith-building for believers.

“Basically a debate like this is more a collision of lives, than it is an exchange of mere views”

-Douglas Wilson.

Register to win the DVD Collision and the book Is Christianity Good For the World? 

Look for more posts about Collision over the next few weeks.   You can pre-order (Available Oct 27,2009) Collision along with Is Christianity Good for the World (book) here.

**”I’m not even an atheist so much as I am an antitheist; I not only maintain that all religions are versions of the same untruth, but I hold that the influence of churches, and the effect of religious belief, is positively harmful.” –Christopher Hitchens quote at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antitheism

by Philip Pfanstiel

I didn’t want to watch this movie. Knowing that “The Heart of Texas” is about tragedy and forgiveness and that it involves the death of a young child; these were all things that kept me from watching the movie. It hits too close to home. With five young children, thoughts of losing any of them to tragedy is a thought I want to avoid.

Surprisingly, when I did watch the DVD it was one of the most heartwarming, redemptive and thoughtful films I’ve seen in years. I would highly recommend it.

The premise of “The Heart of Texas” is simple; a young child is killed in a tragic accident and the film follows how the family and community responds. What is not so simple is how the family, especially the father responds.

The recommendation of Jesus to go the extra mile does not even begin to describe how the father reacts to this tragedy. I would go into more detail but the video does an extremely powerful and poignant job, so I won’t mar it.

However; I do think the practical examination of forgiveness and how forgiveness looks in real life was very powerful. I’ve shared with my students the basic premise of the movie and they are amazed that the father didn’t just “get even.”

I explained that noone ever gets even. You hurt me, I hurt you, you hurt me back … and the gift goes on and on. The teeter totter of hurt will only stop when one person decides to stop pushing back. As Gandhi wrote “an eye for an eye and the world will go blind.”

No one wins in the cycle of hurt and retribution that is glamorized by movies, TV and videogames. While revenge satisfies a primal need, it in the end leaves everyone worse off. There is a power in forgiveness that the mainstream media doesn’t understand, but this film reveals beautifully.

As a recent immigrant to the Empire of Texas, I’ve often heard that things are always bigger in Texas, this film definitely proves that there is an immensity to “The Heart of Texas.”

"Proff" Played by Kerry Livgren of Kansas

Kerry Livgren in his Kansas glory

If you read my recent articles about The Imposter, you may have wondered how Kerry Livgren of Kansas(?!) came to be a supporting actor in the Christian film The Imposter.  The director of the film Daniel Millican explained the process by which they aquired this rock legend for their film on his blog.   Read the story here.  It just goes to show you: sometimes all you’ve gotta do is ask. 

If you don’t know the name Kerry Livgren or even the name of the band Kansas, you’ll probablly recognize their two most popular songs; both of which have stood the test of time as standards of classic rock radio.  Open Kansas’ official website this link to hear the opening lines of “Carry on My Wayward Son.”   While there, you can also hear their well known “Dust in The Wind” (track 8 on music player.). 

The Soundtrack for the Imposter features a remake of the Kansas classic; Carry On My Wayward Son with Kerry Livgren playing on guitar and Kevin Max of DC Talk doing vocals.  Some have said that the music in the film alone makes it worth watching, but I’ll let you be the judge of that.  You can watch the music video at The Imposter Facebook Page . I love the video, and I think it’s a great promo for the film.   While you’re there, you may want to consider bringing The Imposter to your church. 

The Imposter is currently only available for church showings, but will be available on DVD within the next year.  Visit the official website to set up a church showing or join theirFacebook page.

I recently wrote about The Imposter on the blog here.  The film got some good press in the Assembly of God’s website.  They have posted a wonderful article that gets inside the personal and spiritual life of director Dan Millican.  The article speaks of Dan’s involvement in his church’s men’s ministry, which puts the film’s emphasis on male figures in Johnny C’s life in perspective with the director’s passions.  My prior article about The Imposter focused on this aspect of the film.

The article features some great quotes about Daniel Millican decided to make a film for the Church.

Imposter Director Dan Millican

“Until The Imposter, I didn’t feel a release to do a movie for the church,” Millican explains. “At that point, the mission changed. This is a story that I hope really ministers to those who are in the church.” 

The Imposter is a modern-day story of the Prodigal Son. In the movie, a Christian rock star is claiming Christ, but the movie reveals the star is living a lie - his Christian persona is not being lived out in real life. Ultimately, his self-absorption, me-first attitude and faux-Christianity betray him, costing him everything but his life. Yet, this story is not a quick-fix, all-is-well telling of the biblical event. On the contrary, the movie deals head on with the fact that sin — living in the “flesh” — has a steep and often painful price, even for those who do turn their lives over to Christ.”

There are also some good quotes from Jeff Deyo, the former Sonicflood singer about the heart behind the movie.  He says that the film “is directed at anyone in ministry, on the platform.”  As I said in my prior post, The Imposter is a great reminder that those on the pedistal are human like the rest of us.

Finally, the article gives some details of how the film has been used within churches to minister to the viewers and also to raise funds for worthy causes like Teen Challenge.

Read the entire article here. 

The Imposter is currently only available for church showings, but will be available on DVD within the next year.  Visit the official website to set up a church showing or join theirFacebook page.

Dana Chaffin has recently written an article on FaithWriters.net about the documentary DVD Malatya. 

Below are a few quotes from her article that highlight the event that occured.

This is a true story of persecution and perseverance. Three Christian men were brutally tortured and murdered, in Malatya Turkey, for their faith in Jesus Christ…Their families and fellow Christians have also suffered due to the loss of these wonderful men. The strength and faith they show is inspirational.

The life and death of these men is a real life story that can teach us all about the current needs that still exist for the work of the Lord.

To learn from their story, you can read Dana’s Entire article at FaithWriters.net.

You can also buy the DVD documentary Malatya at familychristianmovies.com.