Christian favorites worth viewing

Mickey Starling
ECB Publishing, Inc.

The Christian film industry saw a spike in 2019 with a large number of diverse movies addressing a wide variety of themes. If you and your family find extra time on your hands and want to invest it in some wholesome and thought-provoking films, grab the popcorn and check out these recommendations from contributor Michael Foust.
True stories often make the best films and Foust agrees, recommending "Breakthrough" as one of his top picks. It's the story of 14-year-old Josh Smith, who falls through an icy pond and is presumed dead after going without a pulse for 45 minutes. After his mother and others pray for him, his heart begins beating again. The movie is rated PG and stars Chrissy Metz ("This is Us"), Topher Grace ("Spider-Man 3") and Dennis Haysbert ("24").
"A Hidden Life" didn't get as much publicity as some of the other films but it is definitely worth viewing. An Austrian farmer refuses to fight for the Nazis during World War II and is consequently executed. This is the true story of Franz Jägerstätter, who was drafted into the war and refused allegiance to Hitler. This is a great movie that offers inspiration and conviction, though the violent images are hard to watch at times. The violence is what gives it a PG-13 rating.
Alex and Stephen Kendrick had another successful offering in 2019, with the release of "Overcomer" This PG-rated feature tells the tale of a high school basketball coach named Josh Harrison, who sees his dreams of a championship diminish as much of the town moves away because a major employer closes. His negative outlook changes after meeting a blind man who is full of joy and who helps the coach to find his true identity in Christ.
"Unplanned" is a true story about Abby Johnson, a Planned Parenthood clinic director, who switches from pro-choice to pro-life after assisting in an abortion. This thought-provoking film is rated R because of bloody and disturbing images.
A mainstream film selected by Foust is "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood," which stars Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers, of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," a famous show for children that aired from 1968 to 2001. The movie depicts the relationship between Rogers and Lloyd Vogel, a hard-nosed magazine reporter, who changes his outlook on life after interviewing Rogers. Hanks' portrayal of Rogers is outstanding and, although the film is not dubbed as "Christian," Rogers' faith and devotion to scripture are demonstrated in numerous scenes. This highly-acclaimed film is rated PG for strong thematic material, a brief fight and some mild language.
The film, "Harriet" gives no indication that it is a Christian film, but it certainly comes across as one. This is the true story of a slave named Minty, who runs away from her owners in the slave state of Maryland. She later changes her name to "Harriet Tubman" and spends many years risking her life repeatedly to help others escape slavery by way of the Underground Railroad. The film depicts the trances or visions that Tubman had that often guided her away from those who were constantly tracking her while she was freeing slaves. So successful were Tubman's efforts, that she was nicknamed "Moses." Violent material and racial slurs give this worthy film a PG-13 rating.