The Christian Science Monitor

Holy grail: how Hollywood can get religious movies right

As a Christian, Vox film critic Alissa Wilkinson was initially intrigued by “Breakthrough,” a new movie timed to coincide with Easter and based on the true story of a mother who saves her hospitalized son’s life through prayer. 

Despite the likable cast, led by Chrissy Metz of TV’s “This is Us,” Mrs. Wilkinson ultimately found “Breakthrough” generic. “It’s very much one of those films that’s like ‘Do you believe in miracles?’” She points out that rather than diving deeper into theological questions, as when one character asks why her ill husband wasn’t similarly saved, the movie simply leaves them hanging.

Today more Christian movies are being produced than in Cecil B.

Swap sermons for ideasThe Gibson effect

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Christian Science Monitor

The Christian Science Monitor3 min read
Which Country Trusts Institutions The Most? You’d Be Surprised.
Trust has always made the world go round. Perceptions of honesty and reliability underpin how countries interact, how we choose our leaders, and where we get information about the world. And all these factors deeply influence how we feel about the fu
The Christian Science Monitor4 min read
In Senegal, Domestic Violence Survivors Craft Hope In Silver
Growing up in Senegal, it never crossed Ndeymour’s mind that she could become a silversmith. From what she had seen, soldering and shaping silver was hard, dirty work, and it was done exclusively by men.  Then, two years ago, she felt obliged to do s
The Christian Science Monitor4 min read
Can Electric Vehicles Keep Africa Moving?
On a recent morning, a group of delivery drivers slouched against their motorbikes near a petrol station here and launched into an animated discussion.  “Petrol prices keep increasing; it’s unbearable,” one man complained. “I’m barely breaking even,”

Related Books & Audiobooks