40 Movies with Christian Themes

MOVIES WITH CHRISTIAN THEMES TO MOVE YOUR HEART

The Movies can be purchased at www.Ignatious.com     www.amazon.com  www.christianbooks.com. Some of them can be viewed FREE at www.FORMED.ORG (Enter our Parish Code RGDV27 and register). ENJOY!

1. "The King of Kings" (1927- silent), The famous H.B. Warner played Jesus in Cecil B. DeMille’s "King of Kings," still the classic of all movies about Jesus Christ.

2. "Quo Vadis" (1951), This very Christian classic places Marcus Vinicius, played by Robert Taylor, between the tyrannical Nero, played by Peter Ustinov, and the beautiful redeemed Christian Lygia, played by Deborah Kerr. The movie includes a great explanation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ by St. Peter
.
3. "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" (2005), "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," based on C. S. Lewis’ popular Christian fable, tells the story of four English children who enter the land of Narnia, where they meet Aslan, the son of the Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea, who rescues the land from the evil White Witch. Despite some minor changes from the book, "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe," retains most of its Christian focus and is tremendously exciting, thrilling, and redemptive.

4. "The Robe" (1953), Starring Richard Burton, Jean Simmons, and Victor Mature, this Hollywood Cinemascope spectacle is the story of an Ancient Roman soldier, who turns to Christianity when embracing the robe of Jesus Christ.

5. The Shoes of the Fisherman starring Anthony Quinn, Laurence Olivier and directed by Michael Anderson. Academy Award winner Anthony Quinn (Alexis Zorbas) stars as Russian bishop and political prisoner Kiril Lakota, who is released to Rome in a Soviet bid to control the Vatican. Elected Pope Kiril, this man surprises the Vatican, the Kremlin and the entire world by holding to his spiritual principles tempered by winters in a Siberian gulag--despite the massive pressure on him from both global powers and the Church that he heads, principles that lead him to make changes that will rock the world.

6. Keys Of The Kingdom starring Gregory Peck, Thomas Mitchell and directed by John M. Stahl. After losing his parents and his childhood sweetheart to tragedy, Francis Chisholm (Peck) joins the priesthood and devotes himself to a life of service and compassion. But Chisholm?s unorthodox beliefs raise eyebrows among his superiors, especially Bishop Angus Mealy (Vincent Price). And when he is sent to the farthest reaches of China to rebuild an abandoned mission, Chisholm faces his greatest challenge of all: to tame a hostile land, win over a superstitious people and save his parish from an invading army. Nominated* for four Academy Awards®, including Best Actor (Peck), The Keys of the Kingdom is a towering film stamped with greatness.


7. "Lilies of the Field" (1963), Featuring a brilliant, Oscar-winning performance by Sidney Poitier, this wonderful family movie teaches the Gospel in a winsome, entertaining way that’s unsurpassed by most other movies. In the story, a group of German nuns transplanted to Southwest America convince a young black man to help them build a local church. In the meantime, the young man teaches the nuns the joys of Pentecostal Protestant worship focused on Jesus and His Gospel. Both Jesus and the local church are lifted up.

8. "Sergeant York" (1941), Based on the diary of Alvin York, the most decorated soldier in World War I, this moving story tells about a willful man, played by Oscar winner Gary Cooper, who comes to Jesus Christ and comes to terms with war.

9. "The Passion of the Christ" (2004), Though the violent R-rated version is too strong for younger teenagers and other susceptible viewers, there is a PG-13 version of this powerful movie by Mel Gibson, with a striking performance by Jim Caviezel and a heartbreaking, but ultimately uplifting ending that stirs the imagination and pierces the heart. (Caution: Not suitable for young children due to the violence depicted)

10. "Ben-Hur" (1959), Subtitled "A Tale of the Christ," this is an epic story of a young Jewish man, Judah Ben-Hur, played by an Oscar-winning Charlton Heston, who lives at the time of Christ. When his sisters are put in a Roman dungeon and contract leprosy, Ben-Hur can either choose to hate the Romans or find healing and forgiveness through the blood of Christ. There is a new 2016 version.

11.  "Repentance" (1987 – subtitled, Soviet Union), "Repentance" is the one movie credited with helping to overthrow Communism. This magnificent movie exposes the evils of communism, statism, and totalitarianism while lifting up the suffering and the triumphant, eternal Church of Christ Jesus.

12. "Chariots of Fire" (1981), In this Academy Award-winning Best Picture, Eric Liddell is a Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of Jesus in the 1924 Olympic games and who believes that Christ is his trainer.

13. "The Hiding Place" (1975), This true story is a powerful examination of a family's faith as Corrie Ten Boom and her family hide Jews in Amsterdam during WWII.

14. "Sophie Scholl – The Final Days" (2005), In the German movie "Sophie Scholl – The Final Days," Sophie and her brother, Hans, are part of a small group of Christians who are trying to instigate a student uprising to overthrow Adolf Hitler's National Socialist government in 1943. They are caught by the Gestapo, but Sophie challenges the investigator with a very strong evangelistic, Christian, Trinitarian refutation of the Nazi position. This movie is overtly Christian, but, more than that, it contains tremendous Christian theology as Sophie confronts National Socialism.

15. "The Ten Commandments" (1956), A remake of a movie he did many years previously, this Cecil B. DeMille biblical epic remains a favorite today. Christians like it because it is a Bible story. Jews like it because Moses is one of their heroes. Everybody likes it because it is masterful, engrossing filmmaking. Though not entirely biblically correct, it gives a powerful examination of one of mankind's greatest leaders, superbly portrayed by Charlton Heston.

16. "Places in the Heart" (1984), This movie, which stars Oscar-winning actress Sally Field, clearly shows that faith in Jesus Christ overcomes all obstacles — even death.

17. "Tender Mercies" (1983), Starring Robert Duvall in an Oscar-winning performance as a down-on-his-luck country music singer, this movie was penned by Horton Foote, one of America’s best writers.

18. "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946), Jimmy Stewart plays the beleaguered but good-hearted George Bailey, who finds out what life would be like if he’d never been born. A very slight caution is urged because of the false angelology, although the movie is high on our list because of its emotive revelation of man’s relationship to God, who answers our prayers.

19. "Lady Jane" (1986), This is the powerful story of Lady Jane Grey who was crowned by the Reform Christians in England and ruled for nine days before being martyred for her strong faith in God and His Bible.

20. "Eleni" (1985), "Eleni" is the greatest movie about a mother’s love in the face of adversity. It is the true story of a mother who was murdered by the communists during the Greek Civil War. Eleni proclaims, “Christ is risen” on Easter, prays to God, and concludes before her execution with a touching statement: “It is such a joy to be a mother that I thank God for letting me know it.”

21. The best of the Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" adaptations: There are at least 15 movie and 25 television adaptations of Charles Dickens’ "A Christmas Carol," according to the International Movie Database.
"A Christmas Carol" (1999), This very Christian version, which stars Patrick Stewart, has a great church scene that recaptures the essence of the Charles Dickens novel.

22. "A Man Called Peter" (1955), This fine movie demonstrates a contemporary champion of the faith, Scotsman Peter Marshall, who became clergyman and U.S. Senate chaplain.

23. Letters to God (2010), Starring: Lisa Curtis, Christopher Schmidt. A young boy fighting cancer writes letters to God, touching lives in his neighborhood and community and inspiring hope among everyone he comes in contact. An unsuspecting substitute postman, with a troubled life of his own, becomes entangled in the boy's journey and his family by reading the letters. They inspire him to seek a better life for himself and his own son he's lost through his alcohol addiction.

24. God's Not Dead (2014) - Starring: Kevin Sorbo, Shane Harper Director - Harold Cronk. College philosophy professor Mr. Radisson's curriculum is challenged by his new student, Josh, who believes God exists.

25. God’s Not Dead 2 (2016) - Starring: Melissa Joan Hart, Jesse Metcalfe, David A.R. White. Director: Harold Cronk.  When a high school teacher is asked a question in class about Jesus, her response lands her in deep trouble.

26. Do You Believe (2015) - Stars: Mira Sorvino, Sean Astin, Alexa PenaVega. Director: Jon Gunn (as Jonathan M. Gunn). When a pastor is shaken by the visible faith of a street-corner preacher, he is reminded that true belief always requires action. His response ignites a journey that impacts everyone it touches in ways that only God could orchestrate.

27. War Room (2015) - Stars: Priscilla C. Shirer, T.C. Stallings, Karen Abercrombie. Director: Alex Kendrick. A seemingly perfect family looks to fix their problems with the help of Miss Clara, an older, wiser woman.

28. Courageous (2011) - Stars: Alex Kendrick, Ken Bevel, Kevin Downes. Director: Alex Kendrick. Four men, one calling: To serve and protect. As law enforcement officers, they face danger every day. Yet when tragedy strikes close to home, these fathers are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, and their faith. From this struggle will come a decision that changes all of their lives.

29. Faith Like Potatoes (2006) - Stars: Frank Rautenbach, Jeanne Neilson, Hamilton Dlamin, Director: Regardt van den Bergh. Based on the inspiring true story by Angus Buchan the book was adapted for the big screen by Regardt van den Bergh and weaves together the moving life journey of a man who, like his potatoes, grows his faith, unseen until the harvest.

30. Flywheel (2003) - Stars: Rosetta Harris Armstrong, Lisa Arnold, Blake Bailey Jay Austin. Director: Alex Kendrick.  A dishonest car salesman in lots of debt, comes to a turning point in his life where he becomes a born-again Christian, turns from his dishonest way of business and begins trusting in God to take care of him. Even when things get hard he trusts God, and God provides him with a way to pay off his debt honestly.

31. October Baby (2011) - Stars: Rachel Hendrix, Jason Burkey, John Schneider, Directors: Andrew Erwin, Jon Erwin. After countless medical tests, all signs point to one underlying factor: Hannah's difficult birth. This revelation is nothing compared to what she then learns from her parents: she was actually adopted ... after a failed abortion attempt. Bewildered, angered, and confused, Hannah turns for support to Jason, her long-time friend. Encouraged by his adventurous spirit, Hannah joins his group of friends on a Spring Break road trip, embarking on a journey to discover her hidden past ... and find hope for her unknown future. In the midst of her incredible journey, Hannah learns that every life is beautiful.

32. A Man for All Season (1966) - Stars: Paul Scofield, Wendy Hiller, Robert Shaw. Director: Fred Zinnemann. The story takes place in 16th century England. But men like Sir Thomas More, who love life yet have the moral fiber to lay down their lives for their principles, are found in every century.

33. Jesus of Nazareth (1977) - Stars: Robert Powell, Olivia Hussey, Laurence Olivier. Director: Franco Zefferelli. Beginning before the Nativity and extending through the Crucifixion and Resurrection, JESUS OF NAZARETH brings to life all the sweeping drama in the life of Jesus, as told by the Gospels.

34. The Visual Bible: The Gospel of John – (2003) Stars: Henry Ian Cusick, Daniel Kash, Christopher Plummer. Director: Philip Saville. The story of Jesus' life as told by the apostle John, narrated by Christopher Plummer.

35. Mother Teresa (2003): Stars: Olivia Hussey, Sebastiano Somma, Ingrid Rubio. Director: Fabrizio Costa. The inspirational portrayal of Mother Teresa, a simple nun who became one of the most significant personalities of the 20th Century.

36. The Nativity Story (2006): Stars: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Oscar Isaac. Director: Catherine Hardwicke. The drama that focuses on the period in Mary and Joseph's life where they journeyed to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus.

37. The Young Messiah (2016) - Stars: Adam Greaves-Neal, Vincent Walsh, Sara Lazzaro. Director: Cyrus Nowrasteh. The story of Jesus Christ at age seven as he and his family depart Egypt to return home to Nazareth. Told from his childhood perspective, it follows young Jesus as he grows into his religious identity.

38. I Prefer Heaven – St. Philip Neri - An epic feature film on the famous "Apostle of Rome" and great friend of youth in the 16th century. One of the most popular saints of all time, St. Philip Neri was widely known for his great charity, deep prayer life, and tremendous humor. This captivating film highlights Neri's great love for youth, his warm sense of humor, contagious joy, deep mystical spirituality, and his amazing gift for miracles. Actor Gigi Proietti gives a moving performance as St. Philip in this beautifully produced film that is directed by Giacomo Campiotti, director of the acclaimed films Bakhita: From Slave to Saint and St. Giuseppe Moscatti.

39. Claire and Francis - A major epic feature film on the lives of St. Clare and St. Francis of Assisi shot on location in Italy by the Italian film company Lux Vide, the producers of Saint Rita, Pope John Paul II and St. John Bosco. This outstanding movie is unique among films on St. Francis because of the historical accuracy of the story and its authentic spirit of joy and piety Francis was known for, as well as the major role played by Clare who is given equal stature with Francis. The two leads are played by very appealing performers, Mary Petruolo and Ettore Bassi, who give genuinely inspiring and beautifully moving performances of the daughter of a patrician family and the son of a rich merchant who leave all to follow Christ.

40. Mary of Nazareth - An epic motion picture on the life of Mary, mother of Christ, from her childhood through the Resurrection of Jesus. Shot in High Definition, it was filmed in Europe with outstanding cinematography, a strong cast, and a majestic music score. Actress Alissa Jung gives a beautiful, compelling and inspired portrayal of Mary. It was directed by acclaimed European film director Giacomo Campiotti (Bakhita, Doctor Zhivago, St. Giuseppe Moscati), and written by Francesco Arlanch (Restless Heart, Pius XII, Pope John Paul II). In addition to the luminous performance by Jung, the film also has inspiring portrayals by Andreas Pietschmann as Jesus, Luca Marinelli as Joseph, Paz Vega as Mary Magdalene and Antonia Liskova as Herodias. The original music score by Guy Farley is enthralling and majestic.