I don't know about you all but we are forever searching for really good movies with a really great message. This can often be a daunting task as we try to wade through a plethora of absolute garbage in the entertainment industry. Well, I am glad to report that we have come across some really fantastic movies lately dealing with courageous individuals fighting or trying to escape communism. Will make for some really great discussion in your homes! (warning - some of the content might be a bit too scary for little ones around preK-2 or older depending on your child)
(I am not sure why this image refuses to center! Rrrr)
Product Description
In the fall of 1979, one of history's most ingenious and courageous flights to freedom took place when two families fled from Communist East Germany to the West in their own handcrafted hot air balloon. Starring John Hurt (HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE), Jane Alexander (THE CIDER HOUSE RULES), and Beau Bridges, Walt Disney Pictures brings to the screen this remarkable true story of the Strelzyk and Wetzel families and their daring, death-defying escape.
Amazon Review
Gregory Peck and Christopher Plummer give outstanding performances as Monsr. Hugh O'Flaherty(Peck) and SS Col. Herbert Kapler(Plummer). The action and suspense of the movie keeps it going at a brisk pace. The story follows Peck as a Vatican official trying to save Italian Jews and Allied escaped POW's from the hands of the German SS. Plummers portrayal as Col. Kapler is both chilling and frightening, especially when he personally executes a Catholic priest who was caught helping the Resistance. Peck's portrayal of Father O'Flaherty is very moving to watch. The intelligence and compassion of this man truly shows through and shows how much Father O'Flaherty deserved the awards and decorations he received from the Allies after the war. And the ending is very surprising as well!
 Product Description
Here's the uplifting, true-life story of how one Danish family risked their lives in the remarkable effort to save thousands of their Jewish countrymen. To protect Denmark's Jews from the horror of Nazi concentration camps, the Christian Koster family attempts to save their neighbors. Hendrik (Justin Whalin -- SERIAL MOM, TV's LOIS & CLARK: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN) and his doctor father (Sam Waterston -- TV's LAW & ORDER, THE KILLING FIELDS) begin the dangerous task of deceiving the Nazis and hiding Jewish families. When the Koster men must themselves go into hiding, Justin's sister and his mother (Mia Farrow -- MIAMI RHAPSODY, HUSBANDS AND WIVES) are left to face capture by the suspicious Gestapo. This gripping historical drama combines with a triumphant celebration of the human spirit for a family adventure you'll never forget.
 Product Description
David's entire twelve-year life has been spent in a grisly prison camp in Eastern Europe. He knows nothing of the outside world. But when he is given the chance to escape, he seizes it. With his vengeful enemies hot on his heels, David struggles to cope in this strange new world, where his only resources are a compass, a few crusts of bread, his two aching feet, and some vague advice to seek refuge in Denmark. Is that enough to survive?
David's extraordinary odyssey is dramatically chronicled in Anne Holm's classic about the meaning of freedom and the power of hope.
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• Mar. 7, 2009 - Thanks for the recommends Mandi
Lisa @ Me and My House
http://frommeandmyhouse.com