As I’ve mentioned before, I like to promote good movies that are also good movies.  I want a movie to be both enjoyable and to present a worthy theme.  I don’t necesarily expect a movie to be blatantly Christian, but I don’t want it to undermine Christian morality or to attack the Christian faith, either.  I especially like it when a movie causes me to think deeply about real issues.  I want to see more of these movies, and I applaud Hollywood (or anyone else) that turns out a good that is a good movie.

So I was pleasantly surprised to see a very good movie this weekend with my family.  I hadn’t heard much about Seven Days In Utopia, but a mention by my wife (it’s always good to listen carefully to hints from your wife) and a movie review caught my attention.  Seven Days in Utopia is the story of a young and rising golfer whose blowup on the golf course and with his father leads him away in anger.  After a car accident (it’s in Texas, so it involves a cow), he finds himself in a small Texas town named Utopia.  There he meets a retired golfer and some new friends who teach him things about golf, family, character, and faith.  After seven days in this small town, his outlook on both life and golf are changed.

Surprisingly, for a movie that stars well-known actors including Robert Duvall and Melissa Leo, the movie is rated ‘G.’  I can’t remember another movie this year with this rating, unless it was done in animation, was done expressly for children, or was done by a Christian studio.  This movie manages to entertain and to hold interest without any of the rude and crude language or situations that flaw many other movies and that are such a common theater experience.

If you read the reviews in the newpaper or online, you will find that most critics find the movie a little too predictable–until the ending.  Without spoiling the plot, let me just say that the ending to the movie is highly unusual.  It surprised me and shocked some of my kids, and led to a highly entertaining family discussion on the role of sports (and of winning) in American life.

It’s good to go to a theater with my family and watch a movie that supports and encourages faith, character, and family relationships.  Seven Days in Utopia provided us with that kind of experience!