This year, with films like Heaven is For Real and God's Not Dead, it has been proven that there is a good market for Christian-oriented films. Granted, this same year gave us a Nicholas Cage remake of Left Behind as well as Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas. The latter has recently been named number 1 on IMDb's bottom 100 films of all time, but there are some other Christian Christmas films that might be worth a look, some of them coming only to DVD but some receiving a major theatrical release.
The Basement
Christian Film Database describes this film as "the world is in turmoil after the mysterious disappearances of people all over the world". This sounds like it is another Rapture similar to the Left Behind franchise, but this film focuses on nine people who find refuge in the basement of a church. It was planned to be released in select theaters on December 4, 2014, so hopefully it is available to be seen now.
The Christmas Secret
This film won't be receiving a major theatrical release, but it was released on the Hallmark channel on December 7, 2014. It is another of the popular and heart-warming Christmas Shoes Franchise, and it is based on the book by Donna VanLiere. This one is about is about a down-on-her-luck woman who discovers a family secret, with a message of hope, faith, and perseverance. It has yet to be announced for DVD release, but since the show has been getting good reviews, Hallmark might rebroadcast it.
Exodus: Gods and Kings
In the tradition of The Ten Commandments and The Prince of Egypt comes another retelling of Moses from the book of Exodus. This one is directed from acclaimed director Ridley Scott, and features Christian Bale as Moses and Joel Edgerton as Ramses. Look for its major theatrical release on December 12, 2014. This movie will probably be given the scrutiny of this year's Noah, so hopefully it will be faithful to at least the spirit of its source material, but it has been getting mixed reviews according to imdb.
Just a Measure of Faith
This film is made by a husband and wife team known as Mechelle and Marlon Wilson, owners of M&M Films. They want to create films that address today's social issues and problems, as well as the spiritual. This particular film is about Joseph and Kayla, a husband and wife facing problems together with a close-knit community that includes family, friends, and the church. The DVD release date is planned for December 23, 2014.
Unbroken
This is probably not to be considered a Christian film, but it sounds like it will be an inspiring story based on a true event. The story follows Louis Zamperini who crashes in a World War II plane with two other men. They survive for 47 days on a raft, only to be caught by the Japanese Navy and taken into an internment camp. While it is not portrayed in the movie, Zamperini accepted Christ at Billy Graham's evangelistic crusade and forgave his Japanese captors. The story is based on a book by Laura Hillenbrand (Seabiscuit: An American Legend) adapted to the screen by the Coen brothers, and directed by Angelina Jolie. The film will have a major theatrical release on Christmas day.
Selma
This is another film that will have a release on Christmas day that might not be Christian, but will easily deal with Christian topics. Selma is about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of terrifying opposition.
