Occasionally my husband and I enjoy going to Rave Motion Pictures in Little Rock to watch a movie.  When he picks the movie, I know it will be a “man” movie – an adventure Indiana Jones/Armageddon/Star Trek type movie.  I enjoy some of those types of movies, but they are not my first choices.  Like most women, my favorites are the “chick flick” romantic comedies with happy endings.

What to do about movies?

Unfortunately, finding a clean movie to watch is a challenge.  I am thankful for movies like Fireproof, made by Sherwood Pictures in Georgia.  Additionally – since Dr. Philpotts introduced me to Jane Austen novels in college British literature classes – I’ve been a fan of movies based on her books including: Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma.  Whether you are a fan of adventure-type man movies, tear-jerking romantic comedies,  or other movie genres, squeaky-clean films tend to be few and far between.  So what is a Christian movie fan to do?

Varying Opinions

Christians’ opinions on this issue range from one extreme to the other and anywhere in between.  Some Christians believe it is wrong to own TVs or go to movies. Period.  (This does simplify the issue, and there is a lot to be said for simplicity in our complicated, modern world!)  Others set standards based on ratings: only G-rated films with the kids, nothing past a PG rating, no R-rated movies, a few R-rated movies depending on what the R rating is for…etc…

Not Always An Easy Decision

Personally, I like and watch movies – mostly DVDs at home but sometimes new releases in the theater.  As a general rule, I do not usually watch R-rated movies, and there are a lot of PG-13s that I won’t watch.  Hubby and I have walked out of a couple of movies because of bad language in those movies.  Deciding which movies to watch is not always easy when it seems almost every movie has something in it that is not appropriate.

I have talked with friends who feel that if a movie has one crude joke or word in it then they should not watch it.  They ask, “Would Jesus watch it/listen to it?”  There are other Christians I love and respect who have no qualms with watching movies with some objectionable content.  They feel that we are in the world, not of the world, and they look for the positive in the overall plot of the movie.

A Helpful Tool

There are tools to help Christians make decisions regarding movies.  One that I have used for years is the movie reviews section on Crosswalk.com.  These reviews give detailed and specific information about the “good” and “bad” of each movie from a Christian perspective.  Crosswalk’s reviews help me more than secular reviews when I am trying to decide if I want to take the kids to a certain movie or whether it is a movie I should skip altogether.

What does God want us to do?

In our hearts, we should want to please God in everything we do.   “Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through him” (Colossians 3:17).  The bottom line about movies and every decision we make is that we need to honor our heavenly Father and talk to Him if we are not sure what is the right thing to do.  He promised to guide us and give us wisdom if we ask for it.  “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).

Movies can be a fun way to spend quality time with our families.  Movies can also prompt teaching moments with our kids through the life situations and incidents portrayed in the movies.  We do need to choose carefully and wisely, honoring God in whatever we do.

In the comments, would you tell how you handle decisions about movies?  Do you watch them at all?  How do you decide which ones to watch?