What many viewers may miss is the chance the movie provides for a glimpse into our own not-too-distant cultural past. In cultures that place far less value on leisure that ours does today, children have always represented a blessing styled as “a quiver full of arrows” by the Old Testament—but not because they are merely so many little bundles of joy. For most of human history, that blessing has been very utilitarian in nature: a means to a family’s livelihood, hands to work the fields. And history is rife with examples of parents who have simply run away because they find themselves unable to cope with the pressures of feeding them.

This is a much better-looking film than the original. The skating sequences—particularly the heroine’s finals-qualifying routine to Stravinksy’s “Firebird Suite”—are exquisitely moving and beautifully choreographed, and the loving photography of the winter Iowa countryside is stunning. Unfortunately, the story invests so much energy in this authenticity that Lexi’s character never really comes alive as a person—and the central conflict is established so late in the proceedings that the film’s rising action becomes rushed and perfunctory. I’m afraid that the skating ultimately trumps the characters and the story.

As much as the project wants to be hip and edgy, I just found it annoying—mostly due to the visual style, which melds a low-def video source with rough-hewn quasi-animation to produce compact video that imitates, after a fashion, comic-book art. I found myself making choices that would just conclude things quickly—and succeeded wonderfully, my own ending coming after a scant 35 minutes. Whew! I was really fearing I’d end up in the four-hour version. Those who are searching out something new for newness sake might be interested in this release; but claims that the film will change the way we think of interactive video are overstated.

As Jesus said, what is harder to believe: that a crippled man may rise and walk, or that his sins may be forgiven? Yes, writer/director Krusen invents a narrative that takes liberties with the “true story”; but as this Special Edition DVD release demonstrates, the story also packages a greater truth in a fashion which, in some respects, downplays the horror of the actual facts. And Wolfaardt’s real-life story—which is more global and less local in scope—is no less powerful for playing out in a less cinematically-digestible fashion. Sadly, the legacy of Final Solution is not entirely well-served by this 2-disc Special Edition—but you can always take your original disc and swap it out for Disc 1!

“How do you ruin a funeral?” asks the morosely quizzical Troy. The funeral is that of his wife of two years, Corinne, and the incipient squabble is between his theatrically-minded mother and his stereotypically free-spirited aunt, Hilda. Yes—it’s a comedy, in the classic sense. Yes—it’s a tragic romance, in the tradition of star-crossed lovers everywhere. Yes—it’s a feel-good love story offering quietly heartfelt performances from sometime A-listers (like Barbara Hershey and Ron Perlman as local grump Bobby). But it has a mind of its own, too, though it’s not earth-shattering filmmaking. At the very least, it takes its own advice seriously and manages to be a job well done.

If theatrical comfort food is to your taste, then you’ve come to right place with The Book of Ruth, in which distributor Pure Flix presents CCM legend Carman as Boaz, the distant kinsman of Moabite widow Ruth. In addition to the usual stuff, this retelling is about green- and blue-eyed Mary Kay reps who stalk the Holy Land in spotless garb and manicured nails while decrying “a people who slay the innocents”—that is, the multi-deitied but godless Moabites. Just don’t expect too much out of this biblical biopic—just as you don’t expect too much out of a box of Little Debbies, enjoy it as you might.

This is an ingenious, affectionate comedy of two-bit losers and four-letter words—and I enjoyed the heck out of it, even though I generally loathe heist comedies. Berger and co-writer Gabriel Tigerman were right to shelve the project as long as potential backers insisted on name actors like Topher Grace. This is fresh material which demands fresh faces. Never mind the apparent eleventh-hour thrust for “every day is a gift” sentimentality. That’s an idea that’s valid enough; but the real value of the film is in turning expectations on their heads and, like a Pegg/Frost collaboration, reminding you that comedy can just be fun.

As a rule, I do not like romance novels, Christian or otherwise—they foster unrealistic expectations and, in my experience with couples counseling, can be as dangerous to intimacy as pornography. But Janette Oke’s novel-turned-movie left me feeling more positive about the world, about the power of God to turn hard situations into amazing blessings. What struck me most was the innumerable times that people asked for—and were offered—forgiveness. Whether addressing word, deed, or personal prejudice, the ministry of reconciliation was beautifully portrayed throughout the entire film, and my heart was lighter for having watched it.

I find myself introducing a great many of my reviews of late with disclaimers, explaining why I am predisposed to dislike films that I nonetheless enjoy. This is either good news for over-achieving niche films or bad news for my critical faculties. Given that reviewers tend to get more jaded than standard-compromised over time, I’m hopeful that it’s the former. In any event, Sarah’s Choice does not at all play like a generic flick churned out by a CCM-clone cinema industry. In fact, when the film concluded, I told my wife, “I think this is a movie I could look forward to seeing every holiday season.” A Christmas classic about abortion? Well, yes.

When David falls asleep on a remote beach, he awakens to find that Lori has oddly disappeared. And so have Larry and Suzette. Nobody can be raised on the shipboard radio—except a few scattered cries for help and general chaos—and it’s soon apparent that we are in a narrative tipped by the film’s tag line: “One man’s Revelation reveals he’s been Left Behind.” Note the caps. Also note my cynicism in this plot description. Note further that, in spite of my general cynicism about made-for-Christians cinema and about Rapture End Times theology in particular, I really enjoyed this apocalyptic thriller.