Some October movies, this week at the theaters.

I Am Not Ashamed is the title of a faith-based film at theaters this week. Being a faith-based film, ‘I am not ashamed’ seems to refer to being not ashamed of Jesus. I have heard it used quite often in Christian products and is based on the biblical reference. This film uses the not being ashamed of God theme in its title which may say quite a bit about what the film is going to be about.

This faith-based film, one of the first released theatrically for a little while, uses Rachel Joy Scott’s diary entries, which may be revealing. The story is circa the 1999 Columbine shooting.

Rachel’s story is sad and perhaps uplifting. I trust a faith-based film will accentuate faith and the positive in the midst of tragedy, which may be a challenge to pull off.

American Pastoral is interesting. Generally, it is about what happens when someone in a family changes ‘colors’. The family is reputed to be of one affiliation. Then a son or daughter or anyone in the family upsets the cart and turns the family coat. It happens.

The vehicle of this theme in American Pastoral is politics so I’m guessing the film may have a political point of view. It stars Ewan McGregor, Jennifer Connelly and Dakota Fanning. It is based on the book by Phillip Roth. American Pastoral is R-rated for “some strong sexual material, language and brief violent images”.

October movies: two comedy movies this week in October

Tyler Perry is back with a Halloween story, Boo! A Madea Halloween. It’s a comedy with ‘madness’. Madea is fending off Halloween evil while looking after unruly teenagers. The premise seems to neutralize the whole Halloween nightmare scenario in the vein of many a serious Halloween film.

Keeping Up with the Joneses may capitalize on the theme of suspicious and paranoid minds. Neighbors are government spies, with comedy stalwarts Zach Galianakis and Isla Fisher starring in this PG-13 rated comedy.