by Sally Matheny
An intriguing movie released in 2015. While fictional in story, Fragile World may shatter a few misconceptions about those who suffer with the realities of mental illness. It certainly refreshed my perspective.
The award winning, inspirational film has earned the highest rating of five Doves. This nonrated family feature is free of foul language, sexual content, and violence but the storyline is best suited for ages twelve and up.
The main character, Rosalie, an interior designer, suffered a mental breakdown after the death of her father and occasionally suffers from delusions.
One day, she meets the man of her dreams,,,but does he really exist?
That question, as well as the excellent cinematography and outstanding acting, held my attention the entire movie. I constantly guessed at what was real, and what was not.
Those uncertainties opened a gate to better understanding those who suffer with mental illness. Writer/director, Sandy Boikian deserves kudos for that.
Bruised Reed Productions describes the film as one that “ponders the depths of human loss, the fragile framework of the human mind, and the road to emotional and spiritual healing.”
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by Sally Matheny
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| Providence movie releases February 2016 |
Imagine watching a movie but instead of hearing the dialogue, we must cultivate it ourselves. Although we all view the same scenes, each of us insert something unique to the story. We create conversations based on our own past experiences and knowledge. A kind grandmother in one scene expresses familiar words of love and wisdom because we’ve heard those words from someone significant in our own lives. Or we have hoped and dreamed of hearing them.
Such is the case in the the Faith Flix Film, Providence, set to release February 12, 2016. Screenplay writer, Sharon Wilharm, and her producer-husband, Fred Wilharm, are known for their award-winning, independent films, such as The Good Book, which I reviewed in March 2015. Both The Good Book and Providence stand out from the crowd as they speak volumes about the Christian faith—and without saying any actual words. Both are modern-day, silent movies, except for the music soundtracks.
Providenceis a family-friendly movie encompassing a rich story of God’s divine power to bring people together, despite our own shortcomings.
Have you ever had a time of miscommunication, misunderstanding, or mistiming? Disappointments and missed opportunities have a way of pulling us into a melancholic party for one.
However, the story in Providence shows God is able to pull something wonderful together out of our seemingly fragmented lives.
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A failure to communicate can stall your love story.
(Actors Stacey Bradshaw and Josh Allen) |
Providenceis described as a redemptive romance. After the opening scene of a bride with second thoughts before her wedding, we view a flashback of her past. We see how the relationships she had with her parents, her grandmother, and her friends have affected her life.
When she is a teen, she becomes friends with a boy who secretly holds a key object from her past--a key that, at one time, was dear to her heart.
An entertaining story unfolds sharing the wonders and awkwardness of their high school years. Their friendship grows. But due to communication failures, the relationship they both longed for doesn’t happen. They go their separate ways. For forty years, they each wait for God to send them a soul-mate.
Later, a tragedy and challenging life events produce second chances for several relationships. Does everyone grab their second chance?
You’ll have to watch the movie, Providence to find out!
I recommend you watch this movie. The acting is excellent and the film is well-crafted. I love the soundtrack. My favorite songs were “Paperdoll” by Jaclyn Brown, “I Will Fight,” by Caleb Allen, and “Walking Stories,” by Jilian Linklater.
This movie reminds me God is a God of love, forgiveness, and thankfully, second chances. But we can’t take those second chances lightly. Every choice we make affects our love stories and our life stories. Our actions and the words we choose to say--or not to say. As in Linklater’s song, “Walking Stories,” she sings, “We’re all walking stories—what’s yours going to say?”
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Rachel (Juli Tapken) and Mitchell (Rich Swingle) have their
first date forty years after first meeting. |
Check out more information, view movie clips, and hear songs from the soundtrack at:
by Sally Matheny
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Christian Film:
The Good Book |
Usually, I only write book reviews. But when I was contacted about reviewing a silent, one-hour long, evangelistic movie, I was intrigued enough to say yes.
How does one write a review of The Good Book, which contains no dialogue?
First, allow me to tell you what it’s not. It’s not, thank goodness, based on the abominations written by Peter Gomes or Anthony Grayling, both who wrote material contrary to God’s Holy Word and slapped the words, the good book in their titles.
Produced and written by Fred and Sharon Wilharm, this award-winning movie, The Good Book, “received the Dove Foundation’s highest award of five doves.” I’m one of those people who greatly considers the dove seals when selecting movies.
The Good Book begins with a young boy’s tragic experience of a house fire. He eventually ends up at a homeless camp and that’s where the “main character,” a small, New Testament Bible, is introduced.
The boy’s story ends but the journey of the little, red Bible continues. Fourteen people come in contact with the Bible. Some reject it; others allow God to speak to them through it. As their lives transform, some write their names inside the cover of the Bible, before passing it along to others.
Believers and non-believers will find someone to identify with in the movie. But like the real world, everything isn’t all neat and tidy. There are plenty of surprises in the film. The characters you think will cling to God’s Word don’t always do so. When you’re thinking here comes trouble, they’re actually blessings.
The story moves at an attention-grabbing pace and just as you’re wondering whose life will be changed next, BAM, you’re hit with a powerful, gut-wrenching ending. But just as God always does, he takes what we view as an ending, and begins anew. The movie ends with a vision of hope.
This is a film that leaves a lasting impression…something you’re pondering over for days. Hopefully, it points you to the only truly good book, God’s Holy Word,
and changes your life forever.
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| The Good Book |
It amazes me how the Wilharms, actors, and cast produced such a huge message without saying a word. And did it with excellence.
I highly recommend this movie for ages 12 and up. You can find it at Lifeway, Family Christian, ChristianBookDistributors.com and other locations. Check out the GoodBookMoviewebsite to watch movie trailers and read more about it.
Here's your chance to win a free copy of the DVD! For each person who leaves a comment on the blog, we will write their names down and put them in the honest hat. (Trust me, it’s an honest hat.) We’ll shake them up and randomly draw a name and announce the winner Saturday, March 21.
Inside the cover of the DVD, I've placed a note card. I'm hoping people will write their first name on it before passing the movie along to others. Just like the little Bible in the film, let's see where God takes this movie.
Leave a comment below to enter the drawing.
