Welcome our latest blog contributor, Father Randy Mattox!
Father Mattox serves up Bible commentary for the Great American Community app, and co-hosts Zoom chats for the Great American Book Club. Both are part of the Great American Media group of channels, which also includes Great American Family, Great American Faith & Living, and Great American Pure Flix. He is also the pastor at St. Anna's Catholic Church in Monroe, Georgia. ... Ed.
I cannot imagine a book that has given rise to more film and television content than the Bible.
Countless movies and shows have been made or inspired by it, as writers seek to express the truth and beauty of the work in film. Among the many works available in the Bible genre, here are five of my favorites.
The Ten Commandments
I remember seeing this 1956 movie as a kid and thinking how larger-than-life everything seemed. Filled with all the theatrics of the golden age of Hollywood, the film tells the entire story of Moses from his birth to the end of his life.
Its all-star cast captures the importance of the story, and the film garnered seven Academy Award nominations. It is the second movie with the same name directed by Cecil B. DeMille, and was the last movie of his career.
Moved as a kid though I was, epic movies like this make big impressions, no matter what age we are when we see them.
The Ten Commandments can be rented/bought on Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Fandango at Home, and the Microsoft Store.
The Greatest Story Ever Told
This star-filled, epic story of the life of Jesus from 1965 is a classic film production of the life of Christ, and presents it with great respect and grandeur.
The faith that went into this film is evident, and its style seeks to reflect the importance of the Biblical narrative itself. No adaptation of the story of Jesus can be everything, but this one goes a long way!
The Greatest Story Ever Told can be streamed free on Tubi, Pluto TV and The Roku Channel; is included for subscribers on Amazon Prime Video, MGM+, SlingTV, YouTubeTV and Philo; and rented/bought from the Fandango app, Google Play and Apple TV.
The Prince of Egypt
This 1998 animated motion picture is a fun animated account of the story of Moses and his mission of leading the Israelites out of Egypt.
From a child raised in the Pharaoh's household, to the adult man who must seek the release of his people from slavery, Moses makes the difficult transition from power to principle.
His faith in God gives him the strength to confront the truth of who he is, and to seek the release of the Israelites, who have been slaves to the men he has called father and brother.
The delightful animation and the impressive musical score, which included the popular “When You Believe,” make this a family treat that both entertains and enlightens.
The Prince of Egypt can be rented/bought on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, the Fandango app, Google Play and Apple TV.
Joseph: King of Dreams
Another film by DreamWorks, Joseph: King of Dreams is a 2000 direct-to-video animation of the story of Joseph from the book of Genesis. As such, the production quality seems a bit less than its predecessor The Prince of Egypt, but still provides an entertaining narrative of the life of Joseph.
True to the company’s style, this film’s engaging animation and musical score make it an enjoyable film for young children especially.
Joseph: King of Dreams can be rented/bought on Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango at home, and the Microsoft Store.
The Chosen
I have to say, no list of favorite biblical stories set to film would be complete without mentioning this independently produced series, which streams from its app and has been released in theaters. It has received a lot of hype since its conception and rightly so.
While by no means perfect, for no story from Scripture can be captured completely in a film or series, it offers a unique perspective that allows for a particular and meaningful engagement. While it is the story of Jesus, of course, it is mostly a story about those who are affected by Jesus and choose to follow Him.
The stories of how people are affected by the person of Jesus offer us a different point of engagement. We see our own story in theirs. As they are healed or enlightened, we have hope for our own experience of his love. I think this aspect is what gives the show its power.
We can debate all we want whether this detail or that creative choice was correct or not, but we can’t deny that relating to characters most affected by their relationship with Jesus allows us to open up more in our own relationship with Him. For this, I love the series.
Currently in season 4, The Chosen can be viewed first on The Chosen app, then on cable on BYUtv (and its app and website). All or part of earlier seasons stream on Netflix, Hulu, Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and The Roku Channel; or rented/bought on FubuTV, YouTube, SlingTV, Google Play, and AppleTV.
Broadcast network The CW has aired the first three seasons. Season 4 will premiere Sunday, Sept. 1. Click here to learn more about how this partnership happened.
Those are five of my favorites these days. What are yours? Hopefully, engaging in films like these motivate us to grow closer and closer to God in our lives, and thus ultimately closer to one another. What better purpose can movies have?
Image: Family Theater Productions (generated via Midjourney)
Father Randy Mattox is the pastor at St. Anna's Catholic Church in Monroe, Georgia. He also does Bible commentary for the Great American Community app, and co-hosts Zoom chats for the Great American Book Club. Both are part of the Great American Media group of channels, which also includes Great American Family, Great American Faith & Living, and Great American Pure Flix.
You can learn more about Father Randy here.
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