In this issue...

• New DVD Release: Saving Sarah Cain
• "Pirates" Hits #9 at the Box Office
• Reaching a Bigger Audience
• Director Michael Landon Jr. Pens 1st Novel
• "Me & You, Us, Forever" - Marriage, Divorce, & Healing
• Preach Less, Reach More?
• Review: Saving Sarah Cain
• Christians In Cinema: We chat with Michael Landon Jr.
• Upcoming DVD Releases

At Home in a Foreign Land

Hi Raquelle,

When was the last time you felt out of place? Maybe it was a party and everyone knew each other except you. Or perhaps the first time you went to a Sunday School class – by yourself.

I spent three months traveling in Southeast Asia. Part of the time our group stayed with host families. We were in countries like Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam and China, where the food, language and customs were all foreign.

After a couple of weeks of crushed expectations (It is hard to find Diet Pepsi in India. And you can’t drink the water, so having crushed ice is out of the question!), I had to make a choice. I could dive into the cultural experience or be miserable and feel out of place. Once I decided to dive in, I had a great time and loved every minute of it.

In this week's feature Saving Sarah Cain, five Amish children are thrust into modern American society. Their attempts to fit in are both funny and poignant. I was disappointed the movie didn't get a theatrical release, but over 2 million people saw it on Lifetime Television last fall.

If you’re familiar with the Love Comes Softly series or The Last Sin Eater, you’ll recognize the handiwork of writer/producer Brian Bird and director Michael Landon, Jr. (Read our exclusive interview below)

From the screening room,

Angela Walker
ChristianCinema.com

Based on the beloved best-selling novel The Redemption of Sarah Cain by award-winning novelist Beverly Lewis, Saving Sarah Cain takes business woman Sarah Cain on a journey from her single life as an accomplished, big-city professional to a new life as the caretaker of five Amish orphans. Now she must determine whether to make a new life for them in Portland or to sacrifice her successful career and raise her newfound family in the heartland of Amish Country.

Directed by Michael Landon, Jr. (The Last Sin Eater, Love's Abiding Joy) and featuring triumphant performances from Academy Award and Golden Globe nominees Elliott Gould (M*A*S*H, Ocean's Eleven) and Tess Harper (Tender Mercies, Crimes of the Heart), Saving Sarah Cain is a touching and uplifting story of love, sorrow and redemption that unites a family together.

Read our exclusive interviews with Michael Landon Jr. and Brian Bird.

Special Features:

• Making-Of Featurette
• Deleted Scenes
• Trailers

Big Idea’s The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie hit 1,337 theaters nationwide Friday. It earned $4.42 million opening weekend, placing it in the top 10 movies at the box office.

Reaching a Bigger Audience
Saving Sarah Cain comes out on DVD this week. This adaptation of Beverly Lewis’ novel “The Redemption of Sarah Cain” was originally scheduled to release in theaters nationwide. However, last fall, Fox Home Entertainment struck a deal with Lifetime Television to show the film twice during the fall. Was that a good move on Fox’s part?

Best known for directing the Love Comes Softly movie series, as well as The Last Sin Eater and Saving Sarah Cain, Michael Landon Jr. has written his first novel. It releases this month from Bethany House Publishers (Baker). Co-written with bestselling author Tracie Peterson, "One More Sunrise"
explores the nature of faith and the wonder of miracles in the life of a man who is given a second chance at life.

An upcoming Christian movie will look at the damaging reality of divorce on spouses, children, families and friends as it aims to put forth a message for the hurting that healing is possible.

“Why does God allow divorce?” “How can you overcome the pain and bitterness that follows?” and “Is there ever healing?” are some of the questions the movie attempts to answer.

St. Augustine is reported to have said, “Preach the Gospel and if necessary, use words.” In a recent interview with Christianity Today, Veggie Tales creator Phil Vischer expressed a similar thought about film: “The more you preach, the less you reach.”

Lifetime Television and Christian films. That’s a little like peanut butter and pickles. You don’t really think of the two as going together. But Fox Home Entertainment successfully struck a deal with Lifetime Televison to play Saving Sarah Cain not once but twice during the fall.

After living in California for several years, Michael moved his family to Utah to be close to Sharee’s family. Her parents often helped her with the kids while Michael was away filming. Recently, the family fell in love with Austin, Texas, and just moved there. There’s a burgeoning film community, they’ve found a great Christian school for the kids, and the next film Michael hopes to direct is a true story that takes place in Texas.

CC.com: Prior to the Love Comes Softly films, what were you doing professionally?

Lee Strobel Collection - DVD Get both DVDs of journalist Lee Strobel's explorations of the truth of Christianity	I Flunked Sunday School - DVD Lloyd Boyd, personal preacher. A man on a mission from God. If only he had a clue what it was.	The Case For Christs Resurrection - DVD Has the case for Christ’s Resurrection been made for you? Be equipped with the answers!
Heidi - DVD Shirley Temple's classic portrayal of literature's beloved heroine.	Against All Odds: Israel Survives - The Complete Series - DVD The complete 13-part cable network series that asks the powerful question: Is Israel the place of miracles?	Josephs Gift - DVD Between revenge & redemption, love & hate, his name became legend
Incredible Creatures 3-Pack - DVD	Bananas Comedy: Thor Ramsey "When I need to laugh I listen to Thor Ramsey. He's the funniest person I know." - Chonda Pierce	Jesus of Nazareth - DVD Franco Zeffirelli's production is acclaimed for its thorough Biblical and historical research.