Because of Grácia

Every movie communicates a worldview; each one indicates something about what the writers, director, producers, and actors believe about the world in which we live. Captain Marvel. Interstellar. Toy Story 4.

Saving Private Ryan. Captain Marvel. I Can Only Imagine. Interstellar. Toy Story 4. I Still Believe. Rain Man. Just Mercy. Each of these communicates a view of what we should and shouldn't do, what human relationships should look like, how we got to where we are, and our purpose.

The storyline: Chase, OB, and Gracia grow in understanding and communicating the love of God while still holding on to His truth. They encounter difficult issues like dating, sanctity of human life, and creation in a pretty realistic setting for high schoolers.

Because of Gracia is a top movie in communicating the truth about our world in our current cultural climate--the truth about how we got here, why we're here, and how we should live. It does this while swimming upstream against the dominant cultural worldview. Even though this film goes against what we might be tempted to believe, everyone should consider this movie's claims.

Many movies communicate a distorted view of reality. Secular movies tend to advance an ungodly and even godless view of our world. Some Christian movies seem to present a view of the world that is "too perfect" and they come across as imbalanced. Because of Gracia balances the two extremes, arguing that God is real and at work in an imperfect world full of broken sinners. This movie is an admirable effort to communicate the truth of God's Word; His communication with us; the Bible.

As a youth pastor, I found this movie helpful for myself, I hope it's helpful for our teens, and I recommend it for your consideration.

Nothing in this that I enjoyed. Perhaps if it provided some better debate or some factual elements to arguments. But, ultimately, it provides nothing of the sort. It amounts to 'flat-earth' propoganda parading as a film.

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed this. The writing was realistic and the acting phenomenal. There was one character that was a little over the top- but that may have been an artistic choice. Proper relationships with this material is hard to pull off but they did it beautifully. I want my two boys to watch this to see how real dating should be, and how to debate respectfully.

PROS

+ After the movie is relatively flat in the beginning, appearing to be just one more of the many teenage stories out there, it quickly gains momentum and quality.

+ Good defense of the creation account of the Bible.

+ Beautiful example what it means to stand up for the Christian faith and to be firm in it, no matter the opposition.

+ Great example of emotional and spiritual support of Gracia for Amy.

+ Faithful example of the couple to wait until marriage - very beautiful images at the end of the movie.

+ Very good actors.

CONS

• The movie does not show any effort of Amy to get together again with the father of the child. It is beautiful to celebrate a newborn, but it is tragic that this movie simply shows a break-up of two sentences over the phone and simply treats it as sidenote that the child will grow up fatherless.

• Ben Davies was a better fit in his role in 'I'm Not Ashamed'. It was not the best fit for him to play a teacher.

• It was probably not wise to endorse Socrates in a Christian movie.

So to make it short. I'm a Neuroscience PhD student and a movie like this that teaches and supports creationism on the basis of putting the evolutionary theory down is so so scary and just utterly wrong!!

Don't get me wrong if it was just the Christian thing of the both protagonists being believers, I wouldn't have cared. And even the abortion scenes weren't too bad - at least it was an option. And it is and should be one btw. Whatever you say - my opinion is, if you don't wanna use it then don't but don't deny the option to others just because you wouldn't use it. And even the bad acting, shallow characters, bad writing etc. wouldn't have made it too bad.

But supporting creationism is not a way. It's not only that they present Darwin's theory completely wrong here. And that her arguments debunking it, have no to little actual scientific basis to make them count besides pure belief. It is scary that the creators of this movie thought to costume the thoughts of creationism in a movie with romance and Christianity primarily centered to young adult viewers, would be a ethically right thing to to. These kinds are impressionable and hell they probably don't get a good education on evolution as it is. And then to go and show them things like this that are completely wrong and has been debunked by all the other theories, is unbelievable.

And just btw, just because her Father is supposed to be a microbiologist doesn't make her right or makes this whole thing any better. It's just a sign how manipulative the writing of this movie is and how it's supposed to give you the benefit of the doubt to her views and warp your mind.