Chariots of Fire

I finally saw Chariots of Fire for the first time since I was a kid (sometime around when it first came out in 1981 - I was 11 then!).

This highly-acclaimed and Academy Award winning film tells the story of athletes from Great Britain who ran in the 1924 Olympics in Paris.

Eric Liddell is a Scottish missionary who has a great talent for running and wants to give God glory in his competitions.

Harold Abrahams is a sophisticated and sometimes tempermental student at Cambridge with a drive to win.

The story is a great historical slice of life as well as a triumph of faith as Liddell refuses to go against his conscience by running an Olympic preliminary race on a Sunday - despite huge pressure from the Prince of Wales.

The musical undertones make the story particularly memorable.

The story is generally appropriate for all ages, but will probably be more appreciated by the 10 or 12 and up crowd.

Maggie’s Quick Picks

The movie Facing the Giants is as wholesome, exciting and inspiring as a family movie could be. The acting is great, the southern accents are darling, and the comic relief between the two assistant coaches is most enjoyable. Yes, this David vs. Goliath tale is a little bit predictable, though in an unpredictable way. Your kids won’t care and I’m fairly certain that you won’t, either. You will, however, find yourself wanting to pray more & more by the time the credits roll, and for that reason alone this movie’s worth it.

This film is rated PG for some thematic elements.

Cinderella Man

This is a movie I had no intention of seeing. Two reasons were because the time period is the Depression and it was a movie about boxing! It wasn't until one of my sisters highly recommended the movie that we finally decided to watch it.

It was such a beautiful story of family...a Catholic family.

This is a story inspired by the true life of boxer James J. Braddock. He was an up and coming boxer during the depression, making a name for himself when he fell on hard times. However, his love of his wife and children always came first. He would do what was necessary to take care of them. Some scenes were hard to watch, especially the way he had to humble himself when he needed to get money.

"That common-man hero was James J. Braddock-a.k.a. the "Cinderella Man"-who was to become one of the most surprising and inspirational sports legends in history. By the early 1930s, the impoverished ex-prizefighter was seemingly as broken-down, beaten-up and out-of-luck as much of the rest of the American populace. Like so many others, Braddock had hit rock bottom. His career appeared to be finished, he was unable to pay the bills, the only thing that really mattered to him-his family-was in danger, and he was even forced to go on Public Relief. But deep inside, Jim Braddock never relinquished his determination. Driven by love, honor and an incredible dose of grit, he willed an impossible dream to come true".

From the James J. Braddock Official Website.

This is one of those movies that makes you feel good after you watched it. It is a family-oriented film but because of the violent nature of boxing, I would not recommend it for children under 14 or even 16.

Personally, I liked that the "Cinderella Man" was a Jersey boy. In fact, my sister the one who recommended the movie, went to see it with her spiritual advisor, Fr. Raymond Beach. Fr. Raymond really looked forward to seeing the movie because in real life, he was the altar boy who served at the wedding of Jim Braddock. Throughout the movie, Fr. Raymond was hoping they would show a little altar boy at the wedding. But unfortunately, that was not a scene in the movie. He really liked it nevertheless.

Click HERE for trailer.