Top Ten Movies to Honor Memorial Day

HACKSAW RIDGE is a great, emotive, powerful, touching Christian war movie about Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), a courageous conscientious objector who serves as an unarmed medic during the brutal battle of Okinawa in World War II. Brilliantly directed by Mel Gibson, HACKSAW RIDGE is a captivating, emotional movie about uncompromising faith and miraculous courage. It will make you laugh and cry, but strong caution is advised because of bloody violence and some foul language.

WE WERE SOLDIERS is a true story starring Mel Gibson as Col. Hal Moore, who led the first American helicopter troops into battle against the Communist North Vietnamese in 1965. Despite some minor flaws and very strong, bloody combat scenes laced with some strong profanities, WE WERE SOLDIERS delivers a riveting drama with strong appeals to God in the Name of the Holy Christian Trinity.

AMERICAN SNIPER is an extremely well made, powerful, tragic movie about the most successful sniper in U.S. military history, who comes back from the Middle East a changed man. AMERICAN SNIPER has a lot of Christian faith and values, but there are a couple characters without faith and values, and the movie contains very strong violence and much gratuitous foul language, plus brief lewd content ad a couple bar scenes.

SANDS OF IWO JIMA stars John Wayne in one of his most iconic roles:  Sergeant John Stryker, a tough drill sergeant during World War II who whips the young men into shape. Sgt. Stryker has to deal with a rebellious recruit with a chip on his shoulder, Private Peter Conway played by John Agar. What Conway doesn’t realize is that Stryker’s methods may seem harsh but they are absolutely necessary for the infantry soldiers under his command if they are going to have the best chance to survive. The ending to this movie is a brilliant example of sacrifice and duty, with Private Conway picking up the mantle that Stryker has bequeathed to him and the other men. As Stryker is wont to order the men during the movie, “Saddle up!”

THEY WERE EXPENDABLE is John Ford’s stirring and patriotic, but thoughtful, tribute to the men who proved the need for PT boats in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Robert Montgomery plays their leader, Brick, and John Wayne plays Brick’s right-hand man, Rusty. THEY WERE EXPENDABLE is brilliantly made. It features an early role by Donna Reed as a nurse who falls in love with John Wayne’s lieutenant, only to be parted from him when the Japanese invade the Philippines. A funeral scene where Wayne gives a moving eulogy to two fallen comrades in arms is very poignant and patriotic. The ending delivers another sober, poignant message about the different kinds of sacrifice that occur in wartime.

Led by Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough and James Garner, THE GREAT ESCAPE follows Allied inmates during World War II trying to escape from a new POW camp run by evil German National Socialist soldiers. Released in 1963, THE GREAT ESCAPE is classic, masterful entertainment filled with a wonderful cast, patriotism, playful comical moments, high stakes, and tremendous jeopardy and suspense. MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for young children due to instances of violence and brief foul language, smoking, and drinking.

Ron Maxwell's epic film GETTYSBURG, based on Michael Shaara's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel THE KILLER ANGELS, dramatically depicts the three most courageous days in American history when North and South were arrayed against each other in the decisive battle fought on the Gettysburg, Pennsylvania plains. GETTYSBURG is a magnificent movie that should be viewed by every American.

GODS AND GENERALS paints a brilliant portrait of the Christian lives of the great military leaders during the tumultuous years leading up to the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War. GODS AND GENERALS recognizes the deep spiritual values of those involved in the Civil War; it is a monument of filmmaking which will be remembered as long as there are devices to watch such a magnificent historical epic.

SERGEANT YORK stars Gary Cooper in a movie based on the true story of a conscientious objector who became the greatest American hero in World War I. SERGEANT YORK is a profoundly Christian movie, with a brilliant performance by Gary Cooper. It powerfully explores the role Christians should play in times of war.

THE PATRIOT stars Mel Gibson as a family man who wrestles with his desire for revenge and the just cause of the American War for Independence in the late 1700s. The violent battle scenes may concern older moviegoers, while younger moviegoers might chafe at the soul-searching, but at the heart of this movie is faith.