Clean Movies

By Jessica Lippe

LDS MoviesSherwood Pictures (the moviemaking ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia) has made three wonderful, Christ-based films: Flywheel, Facing the Giants, and Fireproof. These movies were made with low budgets and no paid actors, but they still didn’t fail to touch the lives of many. Their newest movie, Courageous, may just be their best movie yet! It comes to theaters on September 30th, but here’s a little sneak peek for you!

Watch the Trailer:

Crime is evident on the streets of Albany, and it’s up to the law enforcement to keep everyone safe. Adam Mitchell and his three friends give their all to serve and protect while in uniform, but at home with their families, they’re not exactly giving 100%. After hearing the sheriff give statistics about how so many of today’s thieves and drug dealers grew up in a home where the father was absent, the men want to be there for their kids, but at the same time have no idea where to start. It isn’t until a family tragedy that Adam resolves to use Biblical truths to become a better husband and father.  His three coworkers, as well as his friend Javier, decide to take this pledge with him. This resolution does not make their jobs as fathers or as officers any easier. In fact, things seem to become more difficult. But having faith and following God’s will gives these men courage to step out and say “I WILL”, no matter what it takes.

During the course of this film, you will double over at laugh-worthy jokes, cry through sentimental moments, and cling to the edge of your seat with intense action scenes. It’s a movie that stirs all kinds of emotions, but best of all, Courageous is a movie that will hopefully stir something inside of you to be courageous and live for God.
The focus of this movie is fatherhood, so it’s great to take your dad, grandpa, or husband too. But even if you see the movie with just a group of girlfriends, it will still impact you and encourage you. Taylor Hutcherson plays Jade, the teenage daughter of Nathan Hays in Courageous. She says, “This movie has really been a large influence in my relationship with my own father. Courageous is a great movie that speaks to fathers across the board, there is a message in there that speaks to all.”

Because Courageous is a movie about law enforcement officers who deal with criminals involved in gangs, violence and drug dealing, this movie is rated PG-13. However, you can really see how this movie was made to honor God, even among the dangers that real-life police face. Taylor Hutcherson also told me about life on the set: ’People would just come up to me and ask, “Hey can I pray with you?” I loved the atmosphere! Every morning we would have devotions and we were just able to see how God was working among the set. Also a highlight on the set was working hard on a scene and seeing how the whole thing came together so beautifully!”

Check your local theater to see if Courageous is coming soon, or learn more at http://www.courageousthemovie.com/!

Jessica Lippe is a writer for several publications, including Girlz4Christ. She is from Southern Oregon, but is currently interning at a camp in Nebraska.

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-Directed by: Tyler Ford

Starring:
-Jaelan Petrie, Sophie Shaw, Katie Foster-Barnes

Guess what you get when LDS filmmakers go overseas? Go on, guess. I dare you. The answer is a really engaging and sweet romantic comedy called ‘Anxiously Engaged: A Piccadilly Romance’. When I was sent a copy of this film, I’ll admit I was a little less than anxiously engaged about the whole thing. I’m a big fan of romantic comedies, so I held some admittedly high standards. What surprised me about this film though was that it did deliver in all the ways that counted.

In the style of Julia Roberts’ Notting Hill, this is a film where England’s gorgeous scenery is a character along with the actual people in the film. Those people who, by the way, have credentials from some of the finest acting schools in the world are clever, charming and altogether likable as they tell the story of a young man looking for love while arranging it for the older sister of the girl of his dreams. Whoever said love was simple?

Jaelan Petrie, who plays returned missionary Carson Wells, is a engaging leading man. You feel a certain connection to him that helps carry the story. His partner in the fun is Katie Foster-Barnes who reminded me a lot of Julia Roberts and Meg Ryan. She’s the girl you want to get the happy ending, and there was a believable chemistry between Foster-Barnes’ Lucy and Petrie’s Carson. It made for a couple that sparkled in a story that had a life of its own.

Overall, I’d recommend this movie highly as a fun way to enjoy a romantic comedy that brings you the smile and the heart tugging romance you want. Get anxiously engaged, and fall in love at the same time.

-Jenn Untch
Liberty, Missouri
indigojenn at earthlink dot net
Is there a movie you’d like me to review? Let me know!

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-Directed by: Andy and Larry Wachowski

Starring:
-Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne

To celebrate movies that are edited for content and the like, I thought I’d review one of my favorites in the action/sci-fi genre because it helped lay the groundwork for movies that are being put out right now. In terms of special effects, the Wachowski brothers have this habit of making technology to fit their ideas and the viewer benefits 110 percent. But let’s get to the actual movie, shall we?

The movie offers an alternate spin on reality. It asks you to wonder what if the world was merely an illusion and all you know had been programmed by machines. A scary thought to be sure. But now, imagine waking up in the illusion. That is what faces a hacker named Neo when he goes looking for an urban legend, and finds far more than he bargained for. He’s thrown out of the illusion and into a dark world where machines control everything and mankind is either living in fear or living in cocoons. Let’s just say that when Alice fell down the rabbit hole, at least she got tea.

The movie itself is unique for an action film because there is an actual plot to it. While it does rely on special effects, there is an actual movement of the characters through the story that you can keep up with. That being said though, this is not a tame movie. There are many gun battles and martial arts duels but they are choreographed so well that you know people are getting hurt without the gore of seeing it. Past that though, thanks to the editing, you’re able to enter the Matrix and enjoy it without wincing at the language.

Overall, this is a groundbreaking movie for sci-fi fans and it’s one everyone can enjoy thanks to the presence of strong male and female leads. Reeves isn’t ever going to earn any awards for his acting, but he leads a film like this admirably. Fishburne is darkly enigmatic as Morpheus and Moss as Trinity is one of my favorite female characters of the genre as a whole. It’s nice to see a girl helping save the day instead of needing saving. However, in the immortal words of Morpheus…no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.

Picture of Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne Moss courtesy Warner Bros.
What is the Matrix-Official Website

-Jenn Untch
Liberty, Missouri
jennuntch@yahoo.com
Is there a movie you’d like me to review? Let me know!

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-Directed by: Steven Spielberg

Starring:
-Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf, Karen Allen, Cate Blanchett

While the title has yet to be determined, the bets are already certain that this movie will be one of next summer’s best and most welcomed sequels as Harrison Ford picks up one of the most famous hats in show business for the final installment of the Indiana Jones story. The hat and bull whip worn by Jones through three movies are so famous in fact that they’ve earned a spot in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington as Jones has as one of the most unique characters in movie history.

Now, Some Indiana Jones Trivia:

Having Sean Connery play Jones’ father was an inside joke to James Bond being the father of Indiana Jones. Spielberg had always wanted to do a Bond film but did Indiana Jones as a James Bond type character.

When making Star Wars (1977), George Lucas owned a dog named “Indiana”. This means that Sallah’s laughing “you were named after a dog?” is true.

Only one curse word is uttered once in each Indiana Jones movie. In this film, Indy says it when he is surrounded my Mola Ram’s men on the rope bridge. (Temple of Doom)

The vest that Indiana Jones wears in the room in the palace is a Han Solo vest made for the Star Wars trilogy. (Temple of Doom)

-Jenn Untch
Liberty, Missouri
indigojenn at earthlink dot net
Is there a movie you’d like me to review? Let me know!

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-Directed by: Brad Bird

Starring:
-Brad Garrett, Patton Oswalt, Lou Romano

Ok, so before we get too far along into this, I have a confession to make. I hate rats. Mice, rats, even some forms of gerbils make me want to climb the walls. So, it took a lot to make your intrepid reviewer pony up to go see this film. Thankfully, it was worth the trip in another Disney/Pixar animated extravaganza. They’ve mastered the fine art of making movies that both kids and their parents will enjoy, and this one is no exception. (They’ve also mastered the fine art of marketing their films into the ground, but that’s another story.)

The story takes place in Paris and focuses on Remy, a rat who wants more than the garbage thrown out by humans. He wants fine cuisine! He wants truffles and good cheese and…well, you get the idea. However, among his family and friends, Remy is a bit weird. They can’t grasp the idea of a rat with taste buds, but that doesn’t stop our intrepid hero from going after what he wants. Of course, there’s also the small problem that rats and kitchens don’t exactly go together all that well.

Saying much more about the plot will pretty much kill it for you, but overall I think it was a good movie. My only real problem with it is that it tried to be something it’s not. This isn’t one of their more touching films, and in spots you almost wonder if it wants to be. That’s not to detract from the pure entertainment value this film brings to the table. (Pun intended.) It’s funny, a little snarky, and reminds us all that a dream really is worth going after. It’s just that sometimes you need to be a little creative to get it.

Rating: G (For gourmet of course)

Picture from Ratatouille courtesy of Yahoo! Movies

-Jenn Untch
Liberty, Missouri
jennuntch@yahoo.com

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