Movies For Teens

The Bible doesn't shy away from controversial subject matter, but uses it to instruct us. Likewise, discerning parents can use films to help set a teenager's moral compass. These movies will provide rich material for heart-to-heart discussions.

1. Places in the Heart (1984, Tristar, PG) A young widow is threatened with the loss of her farm and children. Instead, God brings into their lives two unlikely champions: a drifter who steals but is forgiven, and a blind man who has been hurt but learns to love. Evil, including racism and adultery, is shown to be reconciled in Christ.



2. Princess Caraboo (1994, Columbia/Tristar, PG) When an exotic beauty suddenly appears in an English village in 1817, most believe her to be an Asian princess, but an Oxford linguist is intent on proving her a fraud. This subtle, funny film will keep you guessing to the end.



3. The Mighty (1998, Miramax, PG-13) Two young outcasts—one with a brilliant mind and crippled body, the other a slow-but-steady giant—form a unique friendship. Their mutual pledge to redeem their fatherless legacy by becoming heroes leads them on a series of life-changing adventures.



4. To Kill A Mockingbird (1962, Universal, NR) A widowed trial lawyer in a small southern town defends a black man accused of raping a white woman. Seen through the eyes of the lawyer's two children—who also learn a lesson in misjudgment—this story is a powerful portrayal of the evils of racism.

—Barbara Curtis

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