As a person of faith, I’ve been thrilled to follow the progress of Noah. The older biblical movies always feel, well, old to me. It’s been tough for me to get into even a great Oscar-winning one like Ben-Hur, much less get my kids motivated to spend four hours of their lives on it. So, Noah, which costars Emma Watson and Logan Lerman -- two of the most well-respected and beloved actors in all of kiddom, seemed like a big win in my world.
 
Then came the bad press. Or maybe we should call it a bad attitude. Noah’s self-professed atheist director vocally and profanely declared Noah “the least biblical biblical movie ever made.”

Huh? While I’m not sure how making such a statement benefits his career, it does create a conundrum. Noah’s story exemplifies the power of faith in God  – can a director who declares he has zero faith in God pull off telling that story with authenticity? Will religious moviegoers stay away based on his comments?
 
I see a larger issue. The populace craving faith-based movies has been active in trying to get a big-budget, big-star, high-quality movie just like in the Charlton Heston days. If Noah (with Russell Crowe in the lead role) tanks, will Hollywood give up on making faith-based films? I offer two solutions for families:

1. Treat Noah like a National Treasure movie. My kids love the National Treasure movies and I love sneaking some history into their brains. Not all of the “facts” in those films are true, but it piques our interest. We immediately do an Internet search to sort fact from fiction and in the process learn even more about history. The idea that Noah may be inaccurate will spur kids to read the Bible with an inquisitive mind.

2. Buy tickets this weekend for God’s Not Dead, Son of God or Heaven Is for Real (April 16) instead. If enough people show a desire for faith-based films, it will make an impact. Hollywood is always listening when money talks. 
 
 
Here are three other family choices for the weekend:
 
Divergent. While pretty violent at moments, this must-see teen film shows we can rise above labels to choose who we will become.
 
Muppets Most Wanted. Evil Kermit lookalike Constantine promises he’ll “give you what you want,” and he does, delivering Tina Fey, a Muppet wedding AND the catchiest songs of the year.
 
Mr. Peabody & Sherman. Peabody’s WABAC machine allows Sherman to travel back in time, introducing world history to children in a vibrant, amusing way.
 
See what kids think of these movies at KidsPickFlicks.com, where all kids are movie critics!