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.

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 no one 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 video games. 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.”

by Philip Pfanstiel

The last movie in the “Love Comes Softly” series did not disappoint. Remaining true to the positive, heart warming and tender presentation of frontier life from the feminine perspective, “Love Finds a Home” found its mark.

I can’t say that it’s the best in the series, but it does deliver a nice summation of the series. From the pattern that Janette Oke established of moving from female to female in the family one could foresee a continuation of the series for an eternity. Eight is enough to get the idea.

Come to think of it, this may have been one of the themes Janette Oke intended; the passing on of a Godly faith from generation to generation. I often think about my own ancestors and am sorry that I know little more than their names if that much. This series does a superb job of following one family and its growth, expansion and influence on those around it. This pattern was undoubtedly carried out in thousands of families including my own, though I don’t know the details and characters as well as I now know the Love Comes Softly heroines.

The plot of “Love Finds a Home Movie” follows Belinda Simpson’s family and medical practice. Dr. Simpson is now happily married and their adopted daughter, Lillian, is of courting age. Frankly I was surprised to see this development as well. I jest. The series is “Love…” so romance is one recurring theme that even I could foresee. But in addition to the blossoming young love between Lillian and the father’s apprentice there is the care for Belinda’s very pregnant friend, Annie Nelson. The pregnancy goes without a hitch and everyone lives trouble free lives. Okay, not so much. While predictable the film deals with these complications with detailed brush strokes that are thoughtful and engaging.

Overall Oke does a fine job of creating drama with events that normal people struggle with and, with God’s grace, overcome. The film makers have been faithful to her vision by crafting films that are intimate, timeless and relatable. Love comes softly films are well worth the viewing and possible addition to your library. The girls in your family will love them, while the boys will pretend like they don’t, even after they watch every film. In a world full of cheap lust, and shallow love, this series of movies meets a desperate need for a serious portrayal of actual love played out through the tragedies and triumphs of real life. A love that comes softly, but brings you home.

Love Finds A Home will be released to DVD on November 17th 2009. It is currently available for pre order at FamilyChristianMovies.com.

by Philip Pfanstiel

I came clean today in class. I admitted to my 6^th grade students that I watched a chick flick called “Love Comes Softly” last night.

And now the confessional continues as I admit in cyberspace my man-crime.

I watched a movie for girls… and I liked it.

After researching for my previous article the series of books by Janette Oke that have been turned into made for TV movies for the Hallmark Channel, I thought I should watch a couple of these movies.

I started by watching the most recent production, “Love Takes Wing“ (the 7^th movie made) and then watched “Love Comes Softly” (the 1^st movie in the series).

The only problem is that I now want to watch more of the movies with my daughters and don’t have any available. I’m sure my sons will watch and enjoy them to, but they’ll probably be as reticent as I was to admit it.

As providence would have it (yes, we all saw this coming - very bad foreshadowing), there is going to be a movie marathon on the Hallmark Channel this Saturday (September 5^th) showing all seven of the movies followed by the worldwide premiere of the 8^th and final movie, “Love Finds a Home.”

After the premiere on the Hallmark Channel “Love Finds a Home” will hit stores shelves on November 17th.  But you can pre-order it from www.FamilyChristianMovies.com and it will be delivered November 17^th.

If you don’t have access to the Hallmark Channel, or just want to own the collection of movies for your library, we do have these DVDs available on FamilyChristianMovies.com

I’ll be reviewing “Love Finds a Home” this coming weekend after its premiere and will have the tissues ready … in case my daughters need them.

Have you watched any of the Love Comes Softly series?  Let us know what you thought of them in the comments.  Do you think this series is fit for men as well as women?

“Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story”
review by Philip Pfanstiel
reviewed: July 21, 2009

Synopsis / Major Character & Actors: Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story is a biographical made for TV movie about the world renowned pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carson.  Dr. Carson is played by Cuba Gooding Jr. Gooding, who won an Oscar for playing an over the top athlete, performs a complete transformation to play the studious and deliberate Ben Carson.  Gooding pulls it off and proves his acting chops.

Strengths: Probably one of the most accurate true story films I’ve seen.  No doubt this is because Ben Carson is still alive and could help keep it honest.  There are no over the top theatrics meant to spice it up.  And while Carson’s faith is obvious it doesn’t get preachy.

Weaknesses: Ironically the truthfulness of the story did hurt the overall pacing.  Drama is so much easier when you can throw in stuff that never happened to speed it up.  There just wasn’t enough conflict to keep it moving.  It was never boring, but it never got very exciting either.
The film, while missing major conflict, also seems to move too quickly from plot point to plot point and doesn’t allow the lessons and truths to sink in.  I can’t help but wonder if there were additional scenes that were cut to get it down to a brisk 90 minutes.  A rarity for films where most films tend to go on too long, is that this film could use an additional 10 minutes.

Recommendation: Gifted Hands is definitely a great movie to own, show to your older children (surgery scenes may scare younger viewers) and discuss with them.  As a teacher I’m already thinking of ways I could work this into my curriculum so I could show it to my 6th graders.  The message of overcoming obstacles and persevering is one of my favorite to teach.  But this movie doesn’t preach about perseverance, it shows us Carson’s perseverance and we’re inspired to think differently about our own destination.

Plot/Writing: 4 of 5 stars.  Excellent biographical movie.  Straightforward story wasn’t very confusing and hit on all of the major themes in Dr. Carson’s life.
Acting: 5 of 5 stars.  These are quality actors who make us forget they’re acting.
Production Quality: 4 of 5 stars.  High production quality.  It was a made for TV movie so don’t expect car chases or explosions.  Otherwise very solidly built.
Redemptive Qualities: 5 of 5 starts. Great messages illustrated by the life of Ben Carson and his mother, Sonya.  More stories like these need to be presented to every American student.  Minorities and economically disadvantaged would be especially well served to witness the life of someone who came from the same circumstances and succeeds because of his mothers encouragement and his choices.
Objectionable Material / Warning: Surgery scenes where blood, brain matter and skull plates are cut and moved about.  It wasn’t overdone but this is a film about a brain surgeon so avoiding this would have been dishonest.

Final Thoughts: Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story is not a theatrical film.  It wasn’t released in the theaters.  It was first shown on the cable television station TNT.  Someone, somewhere was asleep at the wheel and missed a great opportunity to develop it just a bit more and release it to theaters nationally.  The story is great, the actors saw the potential and TNT hit a grand slam.  The shame is that such a gem missed the showing it deserved while polished clay is given front stage at the nation’s theaters.  As far as for viewers this is a great film, don’t miss it.

You Can buy Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story at FamilyChristianMovies.com

by Philip Pfanstiel

Janette Oke went west with her novels about women settlers and struck gold. The eight novels she wrote comprised her first series and have also debuted as the first to the big screen.

Since the Love Comes Softly series was published Janette Oke has gone on to write over 75 books with sell of over 23 million copies. Her success highlights her ability to connect with her audience and provide women the strong characters, situations and struggles that everyone experiences sooner or later.

Oke has met with similar success as her novels were adapted and made into movies by Hallmark Channel and Michael Landon Jr. The first two movies starred Katherine Heigl (an A-list actress on TV’s Grey’s Anatomy and movies) as the matriarch of the series. Installments 3 thru 8 follow the continuing history of the family as seen through three generations of women.

While not skirting the tragedy, violence and harshness of the Wild West, the series takes a very soft brush to this often bleak landscape and has produced a realistic but kind portrait of the West. Oke even turns to her own family’s history as settlers in Eastern Canada for inspiration for the “Love Comes Softly” series. She also used her husband and sons as models for the strong but caring men that populate the series.

The Dove Foundation has given all of the first seven DVDs its approval for family viewing of 12+. While four of the seven even received approval for all ages (Volumes 1, 2, 6, & 7).

The Hallmark Channel will be broadcasting the first seven volumes of the series on September 5. You can also purchase the series in box sets or individually.

The Complete Released Series Volumes 1-8
Box Set #1 (Volumes 1-3)
Box Set #2 (Volumes 4-6)
Love Comes Softly (Volume One)
Love’s Enduring Promise (Vol. 2)
Love’s Long Journey (Vol. 3)
Love’s Abiding Joy (Vol. 4)
Love’s Unending Legacy (Vol. 5)
Love’s Unfolding Dream (Vol. 6)
Love Takes Wing (Vol. 7)
and Love Finds a Home (Volume Eight) -Available November 17, 2009

I can’t help but laugh as I start to write this review. All I want to say is “Buy this Movie!”

But that would be self-serving. Of course, this whole entry is self-serving. And how objective can I be about my own production that I wrote, produced, edited, hosted and cleaned up after production (hint: chocolate pudding is a pain to clean once it hardens).

The documentary is anything but a talking head. The video engages students from the opening food fight, takes them quickly into the basics of science, elements of logic and sound reasoning with graphics, illustrations, re-enactments and quirky humor and charisma. In the second part the video shifts gears again into an intense debate between a devout Evolutionist and Creationist.

Suffice it to say there is a lot of stuff covered in this video. Most of the people that I asked to review it for me had to watch it twice or more just to get everything. Accompanying the DVD is a CD-Rom with viewing, discussion and teacher guides that can be viewed and printed. If you home school these are great for your kids to fill out and analyze the video. If you are a teacher this is a ready made lesson for you to start a unit with.

Strengths:

Engaging, humorous, moves quickly and refreshingly balanced… or so I’ve been told. Actually the Dove Foundation, who approved this film for audience 12 or older, wrote “I don’t think that Phil Pfanstiel, journalist and teacher, will become popular after viewers see this DVD. He presents both sides to the evolution/creationism argument and basically leaves it up to the viewer to decide. Both sides will possibly decide he wasn’t strong enough on one side of the coin.” Read complete review from the Dove Foundation here.

It is a one of a kind production. The other DVDs sold on this site are great explorations of Intelligent Design and worth watching (I watched most of them while I developed this production). However, there has not been an effort made by either side to present both sides on a level playing field and let the viewer decide for themselves. Man, that would be a great name for a DVD.

Sometimes the host speaks too quickly and the humor is very juvenile. Of course in my defense, the video was made for juveniles. The target audience is 7^th thru 10^th grade. As a teacher and youth worker in this age range for eight years, I appreciate what it takes to make them laugh and stay engaged. The other weakness is that this is volume one but there aren’t any other volumes available yet. I watched the first one and I wanted to watch the next seven volumes but was told I would have to wait until I made the videos before I could watch them. If this last sentence was confusing then you will also miss some of the humor in the video.

Recommendation:

This is the strongest point of the production. I think I make some great arguments and present the information in a logical and balanced way. If you saw all the stuff I had to synthesize and still make it digestible to the average teenager I think you would award it 10 stars.

Final thoughts:

This video turned out a lot better than I thought it would and I had high hopes for it to begin with. I think you’ll feel the same way after viewing it. Just be sure to pass the DVD along to your child’s teacher to see if they could use it in their class, so that even more students are presented both sides to this eternally important question.

Buy the film Here.

Hi, my name is Philip Pfanstiel.

I’m the new writer for FamilyChristianMovies.com and I’m going to be reviewing movies. My qualifications for reviewing films are simple.

I love my family.

I love my savior (ie. I’m a Christian).

And I love movies.

When I saw this website it was nearly a perfect match. The only things missing were chocolate, pizza and Pepsi. The three other things I love, but not mixed together like the first trio.

Movies are a powerful medium. They can inspire, motivate, encourage and challenge us in our faith and in our family. But like chocolate, pizza and soda, too much can make one sick. The problem that I see in my own family and with my students is that all too often movies (TV, music and the internet as well) can supplant the family and decrease ones faith.

The films on this site were chosen because they are good for both your faith and your family.

My “phil”osophy when reviewing movies is to be brief but give you enough to make an informed decision when buying from our site.

I’ll also try to suggest the audience that would probably benefit the most by watching the movie. A favorite film of mine on this site is the classis 1953 film, Martin Luther. This film has one of my favorite scenes where Luther makes his impassioned plea at the Diet of Worms. This film is ideal for youth and older Christians. It wouldn’t work for younger children who would only start to question why Martin ate worms. My children would then get lost in some fantasy world where Martians are eating worms because “here they stand, they can do no other, so help them God.”

Needless to say, having a good idea of who might like the film and who it is appropriate for are both necessary. Another example, The Passion of the Christ, is a great film but not one I’ll be showing to my children until they are old enough (maybe 12 or 13). And even then, only with me present so we can process and discuss it together.

This site has a tremendous treasure trove of classic films that you’ll love, and newer films that may one day become classics. We also have a variety of films by smaller production companies that have wowed our socks off (Pendragon), challenged us emotionally and spiritually (Malatya, The Heart of Texas) and mentally (On a Level Playing Field). I can’t wait to review them and I hope that you enjoy the films you purchase, watch and share with your family and friends.

Pendragon: Sword of his father
Review by Philip Pfanstiel

How do I review Pendragon? Do I review it as a Christian movie or as a mainstream Hollywood theatrical film?  It is far more than the first (it easily outdoes most of the Christian films that I’ve seen) and so therefore deserves to be measured by the standards I’d apply to mainstream movies.  In that sense this review may seem harsher then it needs to be.  But any criticism needs to be understood in light of the fact that I’m reviewing it by professional and not Christian standards.

Synopsis: Pendragon: Sword of his father follows the journey of Artos, Aaron Burns, as he learns to lead the Britons in their defense against the Saxons.  As the title suggests, this is a retelling of the Author legend but with a very decidedly Christian point of view.

Strengths: The film does many things well. From the authentic sets, realistic period costumes, and night time lighting to the fine acting and beautiful cinematography.  Another bonus is that for a Christian film it delivers a solid Christian message but doesn’t come across to preachy and keeps the Christian cheese to a minimum (there is some but it only comes in the end and is expected).

Weaknesses: It seems that the Burns production team tries to do too much.  While the main characters are solid actors, some of the supporting characters are not the best and their acting is obviously pained. A number of battle scenes come and go too quickly and they seem like exactly that - haphazard. About half the action scenes are very well choreographed, while some of the others are obviously faked.  My only suggestion would be to cut the number of action scenes in half and do the remainder with the same choreography and planning that they use in the opening siege sequence.

Recommendation: I strongly recommend Pendragon: Sword of his father.  It was fun to watch and entertaining.  Once you watch it, check out the making of featurette.  Then as you re-watch it you’ll be amazed at how they were able to pull off this whole production and at such a minimal cost.  It reminds me of an independent film made in the early 90’s called El Mariachi (not a family film).  This film was shot for $7,000 and launched the career of Robert Rodriguez (The Spy Kids movies) and many other future filmmakers were inspired by it.  Pendragon looks even better and I can’t wait to see what the Burns production team can put together with more resources and exposure.
Plot/Writing: Three stars.  Solid story but doesn’t deliver anything unexpected and does give into some tired cliches near the end.  Also there are some connections, choices and characters that stretch credibility.  Again no more than the typical Hollywood movie.
Acting: Three stars. The main actors are solid, but the supporting actors could use some more rehearsals or recasting (ouch! how would you fire someone in your family?).
Production Quality: Four stars. The lighting, audio, soundtrack, visuals, camera, costume and production design were great.  Some of the computer graphics were obvious and there were a few scenes where audio and coloring were inconsistent.
Redemptive Qualities: Five stars. A strong Christian message that comes across just right.  Not too big, not too little.  I heard Jake describe Pendragon as a Christian “Braveheart.”  The comparison is apt.  While Braveheart has a strong Christian subtext, it was not a family film.  This film has a similar feel but is very family friendly.
Objectionable Material / Warning. A lot of fight scenes.  There is no blood or extended deaths, but people do get hurt and die.  Spoiler alert: Someone that you think is dead early in the film comes back at the end of the film (yes, this is one of the cliches mentioned).  Until then some children may wonder what happened to her and why she died.

Final thoughts: Fireproof was the Kendrick brother’s third film and one can see the improvement and refinement through each film.  This is a tremendous freshmen effort for the Burns production team (I say team because I counted over a dozen different Burns family members involved).  I can’t wait to see what the Burns families can do with more resources and the chance for Aaron, Marilyn and Chad to focus on one or two jobs.  In this film they did three or four jobs each.  I wonder how much better they’ll be when they get a chance to concentrate on one or two jobs.  If they continue improving and refining their talents, these future films are going to be smokin’ the competition at theaters worldwide.

Watch the Trailer or BUY the film here

Countdown to Fireproof: Two Days

Have you ever been cheated? I have! I feel that living abroad, it happens to me more often than normal. I have to remind myself that it’s not mainly because people in the culture where I live are lying cheats, it’s because foreigners are easy targets.

This week, I’ve lived through the experience of being cheated and lied to by proxy. I’ve had three good friends who worked at the same language school go through the 3-month-long experience of being deceived, lied to, and finally having to quit their jobs because they’ve realized they’ll never be paid in full for the work they’ve done.

In this whole experience, it’s been natural to be focused on justice and fact that my friends have been wronged. It’s right for them to want to collect the money they’ve earned and to be angry after being lied to and used for so long. It’s been easy to talk about their former employers as though they’re unredeemable scum of the earth. It’s also been easy to elevate ourselves as morally superior to them.

As we prayed about our friends’ situation tonight in our home group, the Lord spoke to some of our hearts that we were not seeing these employers as people who need the Lord. We were only seeing them as men who’d cheated our friends and who owed them money. We were even seeing ourselves as better than them. I think the Lord prepared my heart for this revelation last night as I watched Flywheel.

In Flywheel, Jay Austin is a car dealer with very little conviction to stop him from cheating anyone who walks on the lot. He takes advantage of uninformed customers, and trains his workers to do the same. Circumstances however lead him to a crisis of faith where he has to choose between continuing to do what is profitable in the short run and turning to God. His turning to God leads to a chain of events that brings his life to rock bottom in every area except his relationship with God, but as God is busy changing the man, he’s also doing a work in reordering his circumstances.

Watching Flywheel must have hit me on a heart level, because as we prayed tonight, God reminded me that he not only loves these guys, but he also has the power to change them!

As I think this week about these men who’ve cheated some of my closest friends, I want to remember the story of Jay Austin. I want to remember that God has a plan for these guys that involves good things and not evil. I want to remember that if not for His grace, I’d be just like those guys. I want to remember my desire to treat people in a way that’s right doesn’t come from my goodness but from the Spirit’s work in my heart.

In a world where it’s easy to see certain people as beyond repair, Flywheel is a good reminder that anyone can change if God gives them a new heart.