Here’s the latest dispatch from the crossroads of faith and media:

From the sublime to the horrifying, two films which may interest readers of this blog hit theaters this weekend. Dumbo is Tim Burton’s live-action/CGI remake of Walt Disney’s 1941 animated classic  about am elephant with ears so big they become wings that allow him to fly. A flight of fancy to sure, a sort of pachyderm version of The Flying Nun. The PG-rated film stars Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Eva Green, and Alan Arkin.

On a far more serious note comes Unplanned. The true-life story of Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood clinic director turned pro-life activist, is rated R (I understand for its recreation of an abortion procedure). Below the trailer is video from a Fox News interview in which actress Ashley Bratcher (who plays Johnson in the film) saying that “This movie is not about judgement and condemnation. It’s about mercy and forgiveness.” She then goes on to reveal how the movie unexpectedly intersected with her own family history.

“God can restore what is broken and change it into something amazing. All you need is faith.” – Joel 2:25