# Christian movies that aren't "Christian movies" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 11, 2009, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-movies-that-arent-christian-movies/520856 "2009-12-11T13:52:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-movies-that-arent-christian-movies/520856/41 "2009-12-12T19:54:50Z")
_Pollyana_ ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-movies-that-arent-christian-movies/520856/42 "2009-12-12T23:32:29Z")
[Joyeux Noël](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joyeux_No%C3%ABl) is a French film about a real event in World War I where some of the soldiers on all sides stopped fighting for a day to celebrate Christmas together. What about The Wicker Man? ---
**Author:** ![Stentor\_2.5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@Stentor\_2.5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stentor_2.5)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-movies-that-arent-christian-movies/520856/43 "2009-12-12T23:48:59Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > [Saved!](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0332375/), The edgiest teen flick ever to feature a Christian Rock Soundtrack, was essentially about the conflict between the letter and spirit of Christianity. It weighed down on the latter. It’s one of my favorite teen movies ever, actually, and features a lot of the same likable qualities as **Mean Girls** and **Juno**. Honestly, to me _Saved_ seemed more like a movie made by liberal non-Christians about how they think Christians should act than a film made by Christians about how they should exercise their faith. For my part, I would include _The Third Miracle_, a 1999 film starring Ed Harris as a priest assigned to investigate the veracity of miracles a woman has performed in preparation for her beatification (I probably said that all wrong). It dealt both with the force of temptation within a religious person’s life and the toll that religious faith can sometimes take on families. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-movies-that-arent-christian-movies/520856/44 "2009-12-12T23:52:14Z")
The film _Blade Runner_ has a number of both overt and subtle Judeo-Christian themes and references. The source material for the film (albeit loosely), Philip K. Dick’s _Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep_, also had some specific Christian themes, although they were curiously not the same as those in the film. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![wedgehed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8edcca/32.png) [@wedgehed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wedgehed)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-movies-that-arent-christian-movies/520856/45 "2009-12-13T00:06:00Z")
What about _Whistle Down the Wind_? ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-movies-that-arent-christian-movies/520856/46 "2009-12-13T01:14:20Z")
_Wings of Desire_(_Der Himmel über Berlin_) and its sequel _Faraway, So Close!_ are the perfect movies for this (the latter more than the former). Jesus isn’t mentioned explictly, but the underlying philosophy is clearly Christian. (I suppose that means _City of Angels_ qualifies in some small way, but it’s inferior in this as well as several other aspects). For upper-scale urban, I’d say _Keeping The Faith_ comes close. It’s not very heavy on the Christianity, but it seems about right for a comedy. It’s not just a string of ‘a priest and a rabbi’ jokes that it could have been. _Gran Torino_ is relatively neutral on the ‘improvement’ side, but you can at least commend it for including the relative importance of religion in people’s lives. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-movies-that-arent-christian-movies/520856/47 "2009-12-13T01:25:36Z")
> [@Stentor\_2.5](#): > > Honestly, to me _Saved_ seemed more like a movie made by liberal non-Christians about how they think Christians should act than a film made by Christians about how they should exercise their faith. I felt the same way right up until the moment when Macauley Culkin’s character forgave his sister. That was the dividing line between **Saved!** and **Heaven Help Us.** ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-movies-that-arent-christian-movies/520856/48 "2009-12-13T01:52:26Z")
My all time favorite line from _Saved!_ is “HillaryFay, you have everything; why are you so afraid?” said by her brother. It is also one of my favorite movies. I’m going to put _Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier_ in here, for the final confrontation scene alone. The Narnia films (or at least the first one). ---
**Author:** ![baronsabato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@baronsabato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/baronsabato)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-movies-that-arent-christian-movies/520856/49 "2009-12-13T02:02:15Z")
> [@Stentor\_2.5](#): > > Honestly, to me _Saved_ seemed more like a movie made by liberal non-Christians about how they think Christians should act than a film made by Christians about how they should exercise their faith. If I remember correctly, the director/writer of “Saved!” based much of the movie on his own experiences growing up in a Christian subculture. I’ve watched it many times with church groups and most people with a Christian (particularly evangelical) background relate well to it. One movie that I don’t think was mentioned- “The Color Purple”, which does take place in the South but I feel contains Christian elements to it. ---
**Author:** ![Jihi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jihi/32/17768_2.png) [@Jihi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jihi)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-movies-that-arent-christian-movies/520856/50 "2009-12-13T02:42:56Z")
I haven’t perused the entire thread, so apologies if this has already been mentioned, but I’d like to contribute pretty much any of the half dozen Superman movies. Clark has long been accepted as an ersatz Christ figure. A Son, sent from the heavens, to protect and save mankind and to show us a better way, even at the expense of his own life. There have always been very strong messianic overtones in the character, which are particularly pronounced in the film adaptations. [Superman Returns](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman_returns) (a much better movie than generally accepted IMHO), is exceptionally true in this manner, complete with a death and resurrection and a burial cave analogue. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-movies-that-arent-christian-movies/520856/51 "2009-12-13T02:54:54Z")
> [@](#): > > **Stentor 2.5** : Honestly, to me Saved seemed more like a movie made by liberal non-Christians about how they think Christians should act than a film made by Christians about how they should exercise their faith. It could just as easily have been made by liberal Christians. **FriarTed** , one movie on your list, a particular favorite of mine, has a slightly different title. It is **Places in the Heart**. I heard a sermon once based on **Field of Dreams.** I don’t know that the themes are particularly _Christian_. but they certainly are spiritual and mystical. That movie had a lot of meaning for me. It was one of those things in life that was perfectly timed on a personal level. Gee. That’s been twenty years. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-movies-that-arent-christian-movies/520856/52 "2009-12-13T03:20:37Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > IIRC Fried Green Tomatoes This entry is either truly hilarious, or honestly heartwarming and hope-inspiring. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-movies-that-arent-christian-movies/520856/53 "2009-12-13T04:26:55Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > This entry is either truly hilarious, or honestly heartwarming and hope-inspiring. Now, I’m talking about the movie, not the book. In the movie, the abused wife does go to church & gets some support there- so much so that the pastor testifies on her & Ettie’s (sp?) behalf during the trial about her husband’s disappearance, even though he swears in on his copy of MOBY DICK. I’m not sure how much religion is actually in the movie. But I know it shows up more than the invisible elephant that didn’t show up in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-movies-that-arent-christian-movies/520856/54 "2009-12-13T04:41:18Z")
Zoe- thanks for the correction, I knew I should have looked it up. Talon- I think I mentioned The Wicker Man as the discussion continued, but AFAIC one can’t bring up TWM enough. Stranger- EXCELLENT! I totally love when the dying Roy Batty shows up with a nail in one hand and a dove in the other. eleanorrigby- ST5 is quite overlooked. A lot of people assume the film is New Agey or atheistic, but it merely denies a false god, while being hazy about the nature of a True One. Still, it’s a far cry from the irreligion promoted in ST:TNG. The novelization of ST5 even has McCoy noting that religions warn of an imprisoned being that pretends to be God. ---
**Author:** ![Jihi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jihi/32/17768_2.png) [@Jihi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jihi)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-movies-that-arent-christian-movies/520856/55 "2009-12-13T05:09:50Z")
Upon further reading reading of the thread I realize that the Superman films don’t meet **FriarTed’s** prerequisite of a deliberate mention of God or religion but I still feel the Christian symbolism is palpable. Besides, anyone who’s heard John Williams theme and not felt the inspiration, or watched the scene in Superman Returns where Lois’s family is drowning and not felt the desperation and hope at the last second; they have no soul. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-movies-that-arent-christian-movies/520856/56 "2009-12-13T05:23:19Z")
[Witness](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090329/) is a very respectful treatment of Christianity as practiced by the Amish. [Junebug](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418773/) might deserve a mention as well. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-movies-that-arent-christian-movies/520856/57 "2009-12-13T06:03:44Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > Talon- I think I mentioned The Wicker Man as the discussion continued, but AFAIC one can’t bring up TWM enough. Ah, I missed that. Do you think the ending kind of negates the Christian aspect? It almost seems like a victory of the pagan gods over the Christian God. For all of Howie’s faith, he dies just the same. ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-movies-that-arent-christian-movies/520856/58 "2009-12-13T06:16:29Z")
The Rapture ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-movies-that-arent-christian-movies/520856/59 "2009-12-13T13:23:31Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > Now, I’m talking about the movie, not the book. In the movie, the abused wife does go to church & gets some support there- so much so that the pastor testifies on her & Ettie’s (sp?) behalf during the trial about her husband’s disappearance, even though he swears in on his copy of MOBY DICK. > > I’m not sure how much religion is actually in the movie. But I know it shows up more than the invisible elephant that didn’t show up in the movie. Indeed, and that’s why I say I heartily endorse any “Christian” movie or moral outlook that supports spoiler homicide, cannibalistic corpse-disposal, and very possibly invisible white elephants in comfortable shoes.[/spoiler] :eek: 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-movies-that-arent-christian-movies/520856/60 "2009-12-13T14:00:29Z")
> [@Talon\_Karrde](#): > > Ah, I missed that. > Do you think the ending kind of negates the Christian aspect? > > It almost seems like a victory of the pagan gods over the Christian God. For all of Howie’s faith, he dies just the same. No more than the ending scenes with Richard Burton in THE ROBE or St. Peter is QUO VADIS negated their Christian aspects. As Lord Summerisle noted, he was conferring a rare honor. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-movies-that-arent-christian-movies/520856.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-movies-that-arent-christian-movies/520856.md?page=4)