‘Of Gods and Men,” in French and Arabic, is one of the most beautiful movies I know, even though its subject matter and otherwordly pace set it apart from mainstream entertainment. They set it so far apart that the film made me recall, of all things, the most beautiful rendition I know of “I Got... Continue Reading

God makes appearances in a number of Oscar-nominated films, but the Almighty doesn’t play a leading role on screen or preach a theologically orthodox message from the clouds. Rather, spirituality plays a supporting role in those films that either focus on characters’ quest for redemption or provide a fresh take on the eternal battle between... Continue Reading

How much power exactly do the agents of fate hold over someone’s life? Can free will ever win over fate? And is it free will or fate that orchestrates action? Such are the questions that come to mind throughout George Nolfi’s newest film, “The Adjustment Bureau,” based on the short story by Phillip K. Dick.... Continue Reading

In his new film, Walker Percy: A Documentary Film, Win Riley offers a touching, nuanced portrait of Percy, the great Catholic novelist and philosopher. “?…There may be times when the greatest service a novelist can do his fellow man is to follow General Patton’s injunction: Attack, attack, attack. Attack the fake in the name of... Continue Reading

The weekend that an adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ much beloved book “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” was released in theaters, a heavy snowstorm convinced this Christian dad to stay home rather than “tread” the treacherous roads. And considering the lackluster performance of “The Dawn Treader” at the box office, many other moviegoers must have... Continue Reading

The new “True Grit” is that rare thing — a truly religious movie. In the John Wayne version religiosity is just an occasional flourish not to be taken seriously. In this movie it is everything, not despite but because of its refusal to resolve or soften the dilemmas the narrative delivers up. Movie critic Dan... Continue Reading

The novels—and yes the film—are great examples of how moral and philosophical ideas can be conveyed in fantasy literature—including tales of a noble lion, a gallant mouse, and a little boy named Eustace Scrubb, who almost deserved his name. C. S. Lewis never missed a chance to teach a moral lesson. And the Voyage of... Continue Reading

“The whole Narnian story is about Christ,” Lewis once wrote. He said he “pictured him becoming a lion” because it’s the king of beasts and because Christ is called “The Lion of Judah” in the Bible. The studios behind the new “Narnia” movie are walking a tightrope in their quest to promote the third film... Continue Reading

The New Testament warns about trying to serve two masters. But Hollywood moviemakers would prefer to have it both ways. And so multiplexes have been crowded with films that wrestle with spiritual questions even while battling for box-office attention. These aren’t tiny indies, like the evangelical films that sprang up after “The Passion of the... Continue Reading

If you are in a funk over the current state of political and economic affairs, you will come away feeling better after seeing Secretariat. In 1977, things were similarly gloomy. The misery index under President Jimmy Carter reflected the mood of many Americans. The president would come to speak of an America that had seen... Continue Reading