Host a movie night to celebrate the culture of life
March for Life has put together this great list of pro-life flicks as part of their “Give Life” challenge. Hosting a movie night is an easy, fun non-confrontational way to facilitate conversations about the culture of life.
*Please note that the ratings on this movie list vary, so please choose an age-appropriate movie!
The Giver (2014)
Rating: PG-13
In a seemingly perfect community, without war, pain, suffering, differences or choice, a young boy is chosen to learn from an elderly man about the true pain and pleasure of the “real” world.
Horton Hears a Who (2008)
Rating: G
Horton the Elephant struggles to protect a microscopic community from his neighbors who refuse to believe it exists.
August Rush (2007)
Rating: PG
A drama with fairy tale elements, where an orphaned musical prodigy uses his gift as a clue to finding his birth parents.
The 40 Film
No Rating
40 is an inspirational movie that examines the effects of abortion on our nation over the last 40 years since Roe v. Wade. The film presents abortion as the most important human and civil rights issue of our time. 40 also reports on the youth at the annual March for Life as the generation that will end abortion.
Amazing Grace (2006)
Rating: PG
The idealist William Wilberforce maneuvers his way through Parliament in 19th century England, endeavoring to end the British transatlantic slave trade.
Bella (2006)
Rating: PG-13
Bella is a true love story about how one day in New York City changed three people forever. This movie looks at adoption in a whole new light. Winner of the 2006 Toronto Film Festival’s People Choice Award.
Children of Men (2006)
Rating: R
In 2027, in a chaotic world in which humans can no longer procreate, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea, where her child’s birth may help scientists save the future of humankind.
The Drop Box (2014)
No Rating
The Drop Box tells the story of South Korean pastor Lee Jong-rak and his heroic efforts to embrace and protect the most vulnerable members of society. It is a heart-wrenching exploration of the physical, emotional and financial toll associated with providing refuge to orphans that would otherwise be abandoned on the streets. But The Drop Box movie is also a story of hope—a reminder that every human life is sacred and worthy of love.
Hotel Rwanda (2004)
Rating: PG-13
The true-life story of Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager who housed over a thousand Tutsi refugees during their struggle against the Hutu militia in Rwanda.
The Forgotten (2004)
Rating: PG-13
Told that their children never existed, a man and woman soon discover that there’s a much bigger enemy at work.
Gattaca (1997)
Rating: PG-13
Gattaca is the fictional story of a genetically inferior man who assumes the identity of a superior one in order to pursue his lifelong dream of space travel. This movie explores what could happen in a society with “designer” babies and gene selection.
Juno (2006)*
Rating: PG-13
When Juno, a teenage girl pregnant by her best friend, finds out that her unborn baby has fingernails, she decides to forgo her plan to have an abortion, and instead embarks on a quest to find a family responsible enough to adopt her child. Winner of the 2008 Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, and Nominee for the 2008 Academy Awards for Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Picture. Warning: crude language.
Father of the Bride: Part 2
Rating: PG
In this sequel to “Father of the Bride”, George Banks must accept the reality of what his daughter’s ascension from daughter to wife, and now, to mother means when placed into perspective against his own stage of life. As the comfortable family unit starts to unravel in his mind, a rapid progression into mid-life crisis is in his future. His journey to regain his youth acts as a catalyst for a kind of “rebirth” of his attitude on life when he and his wife, Nina, find how their lives are about to change as well.
Gimme Shelter (2014)
Rating: PG-13
After running away from her abusive mother, a streetwise teen (Vanessa Hudgens of High School Musical fame) seeks refuge with her father — but he rejects her when he learns that she’s pregnant. Also starring James Earl Jones (Star Wars).
It’s a Girl (2012)
Not Rated
Summary: This grave documentary spotlights the cultural traditions that surround widespread female gendercide and violence toward women in India and China, featuring Reggie Littlejohn of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers and other pro-life leaders.
Doonby (2013)
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Stranger Sam Doonby’s arrival affects everyone in a little Texas town, especially as he seems to have a knack for preventing disasters. This brilliant parable has moments of levity, overwhelmed by an intense finale. Norma McCorvey (“Roe” of Roe v. Wade) has an important cameo role, trying to talk a young girl out of an abortion.
Life is Beautiful (1997)
Rating: PG-13
Summary: A Jewish waiter (Oscar winner Robert Benigni), his wife and their son are sent to a concentration camp, where the waiter tries to protect his son’s innocence by playing a game.
Amistad (1997)
Rating: R
Steven Spielberg directs this story about the 1839 revolt aboard Spanish slave ship La Amistad and the uprising’s tragic aftermath.
October Baby (2011)
Rating: PG-13
Stunned by the truth of her birth, Hannah sets out on a road trip with a band of misfits to discover her past and find hope for her future. Directed by the Erwin Brothers (Mom’s Day Out, Woodlawn), based partly on the true story of Gianna Jessen… and there was more than one miracle story on-set.
Sources: March for Life, Bound for Life, Students for Life, LiveAction, IMDB
