We saw PureFlix’s movie “The Case for Christ” the weekend it came out, and highly recommend it. The movie tells the true story of the life of investigative journalist and author Lee Strobel. This movie is not so much a documentary, but a dramatic enactment of the actual events at the point in the life of the Strobel family when God intervened.
I loved this movie because:
- It is technically very well done. The acting and filming were high quality, engaging, and enjoyable.
- The story is wonderful. Maybe because it is based on a true story, the telling of this couple’s journey to faith doesn’t seem cliched or hackneyed like some Christian film stories can.
- The two principle characters came to faith in completely different ways. While Lee Strobel believed only after many hours of research into the rationality of the faith, Leslie came to faith because God both performed a miracle in her life and also led her to be friends with wonderful Christians. Isn’t every story of conversion a unique story of God calling and loving His child in a unique way?
A caveat:
This movie is not a recitation of the evidence that Lee collected in his quest to prove Christ’s resurrection false. Some of the evidence is mentioned, and can be gleaned from the film. But, if you want to really study the facts that convinced him, you need to read Lee Strobel’s book, “The Case for Christ” .
On the other hand, the movie is the story of his personal struggle and marriage difficulties during the time of their conversion to Christianity. It is emotional and compelling to watch this young couple, obviously in love with each other, work their way through the life-changing and potentially marriage-breaking events of this time.
Caution for Families:
Also, if you are taking young children, be aware that there is a brief scary medical scene involving a child, graphic depictions of the crucifixion, as well as some smoking, drinking, anger, and very mild language. Use a good online parent movie review site like Screen-it to determine if it is appropriate for your family.
Finally, we saw the movie in a theater with “all-recliner” seating. Wow! How nice! There was plenty of space in the aisles for people to walk past without you having to adjust your comfy, reclining position one bit. And, though we were in the back row, the theater’s construction provided a perfect, unobstructed view. For people like us who rarely see movies in a theater, this was a real treat!
With Joy,
Kathleen