The Chronicles of Narnia: on DVD April 4th

As someone who can count the number of times I actually went to see a movie in the theater in the last year on two fingers, I realize that movie recommendations from me might not carry a lot of weight. However one of the two movies I did pay full-ticket price (matinee anyway) to see was "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", the 2005 Walt Disney/Walden Media movie based on the works of C.S. Lewis.

For the first time in a long time, Disney hit the ball out of the park. As a little girl, I used to love to watch Disney movies and the Sunday evening Disney feature film on tv. I still love going to Disney with my family (who are perhaps certifiably crazy when it comes to visiting the theme park). However, it seems that Disney has all too often of late fallen into a rut, with no original ideas, a bit too much of an agenda and endless sequals to movies that were, at best, only mediocre the first time around.

This is not true of The Chronicles of Narnia. The movie, released around Christmas of 2005, was nominated for 3 Academy Awards, and as of March 26, 2006, had grossed more than $718 million worldwide. The production budget was $180 million and the principle actors were mostly unknown.

Contrast these figures with those of Hollywood's big Christmas release, King Kong. With a production budget of $207 million and plenty of big-name actors, the film only grossed more than $546 million as of the same date.

Why the difference in success? It's simple. The Chronicles of Narnia was a film with a message. In fact, it's a film with a message that is not only family-friendly, but religious as well. Although there is nothing overtly religious in the movie, anyone who has studied C.S. Lewis or knows anything about the Christian faith cannot miss the Christian symbolism that is beautifully depicted. In fact, the symbolism is so clear and poignant that it brought me to tears...and I'm not the cry-at-movies (or much of anything ) type.

And so it is for this reason that I feel confident in recommending this movie (which will be available on DVD April 4th) to anyone who wants a good, family-friendly film that is not only entertaining, but packed full of wholesome values and beautifully acted and crafted symbols of the Christian faith.

I highly encourage you to support this movie, either in theaters or by buying the DVD/video. Hopefully the enormous success of this movie will lead Hollywood and movie producers to start making more films that are truly family friendly. In this business, money speaks volumes.