Christianity Today Movies has released their “The 10 Most Redeeming Films of 2006” list. I believe this list is voted on by the Christianity Today’s movie review staff, including Peter Chattaway and Jeffrey Overstreet.
It’s important to note that these are not necessarily the best films of 2006, but the most “redeeming.” And by “redeeming” this is what they mean:
They’re all stories of redemption—sometimes blatantly, sometimes less so. Several of them literally have a character that represents a redeemer; one even includes the Redeemer. With others, you might have to look a bit harder for the redemptive thread, but it’s certainly there. Some are “feel-good” movies that leave a smile on your face; some might leave you uncomfortable, even disturbed, and asking, “How should I process that?” But you won’t be able to shake it from your memory, either.
Here is the list:
- 10. Children of Men (directed by Alfonso Cuarón; Buy DVD from Amazon.ca | Amazon.com)
- 9. Akeelah and the Bee (directed by Doug Atchison; Buy DVD from Amazon.ca | Amazon.com)
- 8. The Three Burials of Mequiades Estrada (directed by Tommy Lee Jones; Buy DVD from Amazon.ca | Amazon.com)
- 7. Tsotsi (directed by Gavin Hood; Buy DVD from Amazon.ca | Amazon.com)
- 6. Charlotte’s Web (directed by Gary Winick; Buy DVD from Amazon.ca | Amazon.com)
- 5. The Second Chance (directed by Steve Taylor; Buy DVD from Amazon.ca | Amazon.com)
- 4. Joyeux Noel (directed by Christian Carion; Buy DVD from Amazon.ca | Amazon.com). This one sounds similar the 1992 film A Midnight Clear (directed by Keith Gordon; Buy DVD from Amazon.ca | Amazon.com ), though it is set during WWII.
- 3. Sophie Scholl: The Final Days (directed by Marc Rothemund; Buy DVD from Amazon.ca | Amazon.com)
- 2. The New World (directed by Terrence Malick; Buy DVD from Amazon.ca | Amazon.com)
- 1. The Nativity Story (directed by Catherine Hardwicke; Buy DVD from Amazon.ca | Amazon.com)
I have not seen a number of these films and I have to admit that the ones that I have seen, I’m not sure I would agree with their ranking.
That is indeed a fascinating but somewhat flawed list … I couldn’t make a lick of sense out of The New World, but it’s nice to see Akeelah and the Bee make the cut .. That was my most pleasant surprise of the movie year
I imagine that The New World made the cut because of the influence of Jeffrey Overstreet, who thinks it is a great movie. While I like Terrence Malick and think that The Thin Red Line was facinating, I didn’t think much of The New World either.