Faith in Film 2, "The Ultimate Gift"

If nothing else, "The Ultimate Gift" is a rare treasure because it's a watchable, and re-watchable, Christian film. Based on the book by Jim Stovall, the film presents Christian principles for life in a relatable, engrossing way. Sadly, that's too often not the case.

I think we all get a certain impression in our minds when we hear the words "Christian Film." Too often, it looks a little something like "Left Behind" (poor acting, poor story execution, and poor special effects) or, worse yet, "The Omega Code." I remember when I was in college my grandma sang the praises of "The Omega Code," a film produced by the Trinity Broadcast Network. I decided to give it a try... it wasn't pretty.

A few years ago, I was encouraged when FOX films developed a new subsidiary, FOX Faith. I made it a point to cruise down to see the first release, a "Christian thriller" called "Three." What I saw was more of the same — a poorly produced disappointment. So it was with more hesitation that I made a point to see "The Ultimate Gift" when it was released three months later by the same distributor. What I saw was something much different.

When I was in college, a film critic who is also a Christian spoke to a group of us in the media program at Biola. She decried the fact that Christians claim to want family friendly entertainment then shun films with a good message because of a few swear words. Her example film was "A Walk to Remember." The story, based on a Nicholas Sparks' novel, is all about the importance of faith. It's a teen drama, but it's also a powerful story that uplifts ideas of faith and our Christian walk. They also use a few minor swear words. But, it was a mainstream film that reached a wider mainstream audience.

That's just one example. One of my favorite films of the past few years was "Amazing Grace," which was a historical, political docudrama infused with the essence of the Christian faith. It's a beautiful portrait of a man living out his faith, despite persecution, to accomplish something greater for God.

There are good films out there, unfortunately you just have to wade through a sea of inadequate films to find it. It would be nice if makers of Christian films concentrated on the film part as much as the Christian part.