The Case for Christ based on Lee Strobel’s award winning, best-selling book of the same name is appealing to both believers and skeptics alike. Strobel is the author of more than 20 books. For the last 25 years, he has shared the evidence that supports the truth and claims of Christianity.
Distributed by Pure Flix Entertainment, The Case for Christ stars Mike Vogel, Erika Christensen, Faye Dunaway and Robert Forster. Box Office Mojo reported last week an A+ CinemaScore and Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 77 percent favorability rating with an audience approval rate of 84 percent.
Plot Summary
As an ambitious journalist, avowed atheist and award-winning investigative reporter at the Chicago Tribune, Lee Strobel was at the top of his game. But things starting changing in his marriage when his wife Leslie, an atheist herself, started going to church and embraced Christianity.
Using his journalistic training, Strobel sets out with tenacity to disprove the claims of Christianity in order to save his marriage. Chasing down the biggest story of his career and the biggest story in history, Strobel comes face-to-face with unexpected results.
The movie intertwines the stories of his career, marriage and investigation into Christianity. It chronicles his travels, interviews with experts and, most importantly, his own personal spiritual journey.
As a result of this spiritual investigation, Strobel surrenders to the reality that the claims of Christianity are true. In an emotional conversation, he tells his wife, “When you became a Christian, I freaked out. I was scared. … I just had to prove the whole thing wrong. But I couldn’t. The evidence for your faith is more overwhelming than I could have imagined.”
Then Lee refers to the witness of his wife’s own spiritual transformation: “But it wasn’t just the evidence, OK? It was you. You never stopped loving me. You never gave up on me.”
“This is one of the most powerful evangelistic movies I have ever seen! It connects on every level—logically and emotionally. This is a film you can take your non-believing friend to and not cringe. In fact, you may see them come to Christ like my friend Lee Strobel!”
Pastor Greg Laurie
Positive Elements
The movie gives a strong Christian witness. The movie focuses more on Strobel’s marriage, personal life and spiritual journey rather than the actual evidence he amassed for supporting Christianity. It’s the testimony and personal experience that adds even more credibly to the historical and scientific evidence amassed in his book. Strobel’s story proves that God draws each person to Himself in unique ways and sometimes over a long period of time. The film is well done and the acting is very good. It is not cheesy like other faith-based films in the past.
Negative Elements
The movie was slow moving at times.
MPAA Rating
PG
Overall
I highly recommend The Case for Christ. It is faith affirming and inspirational. It’s a testimony to God’s gentlemanly-like work in a person’s life as He draws people to Himself. As a believer, I was challenged to know and be able to give the evidence for Christianity without having to look it up. For the skeptic, the challenge will be: what will you do with the evidence?
Rating
3 out of 4 stars
“In light of the evidence supporting the truth of Christianity, it would require more faith for me to remain an atheist than to become a follower of Jesus.” Lee Strobel