Film Comment: Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace: Hymns That Changed the World (2007) is documentary film produced by Questar Entertainment.  There is a "Praise and Worship Extra" on the DVD which, to me, was overly syrupy and saccharin with lush strings, beautiful nature scenes, and a rich baritone narration.  There was nothing wrong with it, but I felt that I had to wipe off a little sugar from my face.  Watch the DVD extra material if you like that sort of thing.

The "meat" of the disc is the documentary itself.  This makes the DVD totally worthwhile.  The totally unexpected stories behind five beloved hymns are recounted by pastors, musicians, and hymnologists.  The often tragic lives of the writers of the hymns are discussed.  Out of their pain and because of their faith, these men produced five of the most powerful hymns ever written: "It Is Well With My Soul," "Silent Night," "How Great Thou Art," "What a Friend We Have In Jesus," and the most remarkable story, "Amazing Grace."

I strongly recommend that you watch this excellent DVD.  I obtained my rental copy from Netflix.

The Christian Film Database

If you're, like me, a film enthusiast, you're probably already aware of the International Film Database (www.imdb.com). You can find at least some information on virtually any movie ever made (except for porn; there are separate databases for that, but we won't go there.) If you're interested in a 1925 Japanese film, or one of comedian Eddie Deezen's films, it's probably listed in the IMDB.

Now, there is a database being created for Christian films named, appropriately enough, The Christian Film Database. (http://www.christianfilmdatabase.com/) "We don't sell films, we help you find them." The site makes the listed films available through a film rental program (similar to Netflix) for $7.99 per month.

The non-denominational site features Search functions and categories such as Coming Soon, Films in Theaters, Film Trailers, Browse, etc. The film categories may not be as conservative as would please the most traditional viewers but they all address issues which are currently being discussed in the Church. As the Church, we should be able to address and discuss any issue; we don't do the cause of Christ any favor by pretending the issues don't exist.

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This was originally posted in 2010. When I tested this website on 18 June 2025 it was unresponsive.