There won't be a Christopher Awards in-person ceremony this year, so some of Hollywood's biggest names will have to celebrate in their own backyards (there's a lot of that, this year).
We're most interested in the winners in the TV and film categories, so here's what the Christopher Awards had to say about that:
TV & Cable
On the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion that turned the tide of World War II, American soldiers who took part in the battle travel to France and recall the heroism and horrors they experienced in Return to Normandy from ABC News World News Tonight with David Muir and Nightline.
Young people with physical disabilities take part in a special dance program that demonstrates their can-do spirit, as well as the powers of inclusion and a loving community, in America ReFramed: Perfectly Normal For Me (World Channel and American Documentary, Inc.).
The four-part documentary College Behind Bars (PBS) profiles a small group of incarcerated men and women transforming their lives as they pursue college degrees in one of the most rigorous and effective prison education programs in the United States.
In Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings: These Old Bones (Netflix), family, faith, and forgiveness come into play when a young lawyer struggles to maintain her principles while suing a clairvoyant old woman with whom she feels a mysterious connection.
I Am Somebody’s Child: The Regina Louise Story (Lifetime) dramatizes the true story of an African American foster child who is separated from the loving white case worker who wants to adopt her because of the state’s racial policies.
In the romantic drama Two Turtle Doves (Hallmark Movies and Mysteries), three people grieving the loss of loved ones during the Christmas season find healing and joy through talking about their grief with each other instead of keeping it bottled up.
Feature Films
In A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (TriStar Pictures), an assignment to interview children’s television host Mister Rogers inspires a cynical journalist to face his demons and transform his family relationships for the better.
Just Mercy (Warner Bros. Pictures) chronicles crusading lawyer Bryan Stevenson’s real-life battle to exonerate an innocent African American man condemned to death row in Alabama, following a trial marked by racism and lies.
Tired of living in a nursing home for senior citizens, a young man with Down syndrome escapes and embarks on an exciting and dangerous road trip with two lost souls who become like family in The Peanut Butter Falcon (Roadside Attractions).
And who are The Christophers?
The Christophers, a nonprofit founded in 1945 by Maryknoll Father James Keller, is rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition of service to God and humanity. The ancient Chinese proverb—“It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness”— guides its publishing, radio, and awards programs. More information about The Christophers is available at www.christophers.org.
For a full list of the winners, which include books for youngsters and adults, click here. And, to see what our own Father Vince Kuna, C.S.C., had to say about Just Mercy, click here.
The Christophers marked its 70th anniversary last year, and here's a video Dolly Parton did to mark the occasion:
Image: Kathleen Turner in 'Dolly Parton's Heartstrings: These Old Bones,' from Netflix
Kate O’Hare, a longtime entertainment journalist, is Social Media Manager and blog editor at Family Theater Productions.
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