I am co-teaching a “Faith and Film” class at Biola University this semester, and a few weeks ago in class we talked about how the theological notion of grace shows up in films. Most movies are “salvation stories” to some extent, but the way salvation is accomplished varies. Sometimes salvation comes about by a character’s own merits (e.g. survival movies like Castaway) or with a combination of self-deliverance and help from outside (e.g. The Revenant, if you consider a fortuitously warm horse carcass to be “help from outside”). But other times movies portray pure grace: salvation that is wholly unmerited; rescue that comes entirely from outside and in spite of a character’s best efforts to save themselves.

As we discussed this comparison—even making a list of films whose salvation stories felt Protestant (grace alone) or Catholic (grace + works)—I showed the students a few clips from my recent article, “9 Movie Moments of Unmerited Grace.” As we watched stirring scenes from Captain Phillips, Dunkirk, and Saving Private Ryan, we talked about why and how these scenes work to provide such visceral visions of grace (and also why Tom Hanks seems to show up in so many of these scenes). I hope you take time to read the article and watch the clips, reflecting on how the common grace of cinema can powerfully remind us of the special, saving grace of Christ.