Home Media Magazine - November 11-17, 2007 - (Page CER18) EPHESIANS 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. minister and mentor, Sir John Newton (Finney), the former slave ship captain, converted Christian and author of the song “Amazing Grace.” Newton tells Wilberforce that he is haunted by the ghosts of 20,000 slaves, and urges his young protégé to free them and to free him. Accepting his calling from God, and the challenge from his mentor, the power of Wilberforce fills the rest of the movie, as does grace. Often we think of grace as a power only for salvation, but in Wilberforce’s life, grace is the power to resiliently live out a courageous mission despite years of defeat and discouragement. A contemporary said of Wilberforce, “He touched life at so many points.” Amazing Grace highlights one major point — the abolition of slavery. And it demonstrates that Wilberforce was empowered to end the sin of slavery because he had already experienced victory over the slavery of sin due to the amazing grace of Christ. – Robert W. Kellemen, Ph.D. Christian rating: Entertainment rating: ##### AMAZING GRACE >> Street 11/13, Fox, Drama, B.O. $21.3 million, $29.98 DVD. ‘PG’. Stars Ioan Gruffudd, Albert Finney, Michael Gambon, Rufus Sewell, Romola Garai. A mazing Grace tells the true story of the heroism of William Wilberforce (Gruffudd), the British anti-slavery pioneer. The movie chronicles Wilberforce as he tirelessly navigates the world of 18th century politics to end the slave trade in the British Empire and reform the world. The gripping tension in the movie surrounds the question of whether or not Wilberforce will break. Fifteen years into a failed battle against Parliament, Wilberforce has spent his youth and given his health. Will he quit? Sensing a calling from God, he seeks to discern whether to use his gifts as a preacher or a politician. In a particularly riveting scene he is told, “We understand that you are struggling to decide whether to do the work of God or of a political activist. We humbly suggest that you can do both.” Still unsure, Wilberforce visits his childhood SAVING SARAH CAIN >> Prebook 12/19, Street 1/15/08, Fox, Drama, $22.98, ‘PG’. Stars Lisa Pepper, Elliott Gould, Tess Harper, David Clennon, Abigail Mason. W hen Sarah Cain (Pepper), a struggling Portland newspaper columnist, travels to Pennsylvania for the funeral of her Amish sister, she discovers that she is the legal guardian of her five Amish nieces and nephews. This twist in her life becomes the focus of her news column, which puts her back on top of her career. As a result of her success, Sarah decides to whisk her family off to Portland, where she believes she can make a home for them. She secretly uses this strange new life for the children as the topic of her column, and it is exploited by her editor (Gould). Now Sarah must make a choice between her own ambition and the well-being of the children. Let’s see, move your dead sister’s Amish children to the city to further your career? Ouch. This is not one of those overused plot lines by any stretch. MATTHEW 16:25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. Props to director Michael Landon Jr. for the attention paid to the details of the Amish culture. The real highlight, though, is the acting of the children, in particular the oldest daughter, Lyddie (newbie Mason), who sparkles with brilliance and heartfelt passion. Feel-good movie watchers be warned that the movie is a bit of a downer for long stretches of time. This is not a blatantly Christian movie, but it has well-portrayed principles throughout, and gets you thinking about your relationship to prayer and God. I did have to remind myself several times that this was not a theatrical release, as it plays more like a made-for-TV movie. Some elements were excellent, but the movie was never quite firing on every piston, straying from the novel written by Beverly Lewis. Rats, I really liked the book. – Pastor Jason Anderson Christian rating: Entertainment rating: ## 18 CHRISTIAN ENTERTAINMENT REVIEW / NOVEMBER 2007
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