Films are a powerful way to spread the Gospel of Life and enliven hearts with the truth of the dignity of each human person. Consider showing one of the films suggested below in your parish community. A parish film screening is a great first step to building a pro-life group in your parish.
Gospel of Life Week
Gospel of Life Week
Teachers and Parents
– Adoption
– Loving Our Neighbors
– Knowing My Value
– Life is a Gift
– Learning to Forgive
– Respecting Others
– Caring for Those in Need
– The Beginning of Life
– Celebrating Special Needs
– Overcoming Differences
– Receiving Mercy
– Immigration
– Life is Precious
– Dignity at Every Age
– Marriage
– Caring for Creation
DREs and Catechists
– Grades PK-3
– Grades 4-6
– Grades 7-9
– Grades 10-12
Topics
– The Beginning of Life
– Knowing My Value
– Adoption
– Respecting Others
– Receiving Mercy
– Immigration
– Loving Our Neighbors
– Life is a Gift
– Life is Precious
– Dignity at Every Age
– Learning to Forgive
– Caring for Those in Need
– Marriage
– Caring for Creation
– Celebrating Special Needs
– Overcoming Differences
High School Resources
Youth Ministry Resources
Service Opportunities
Recommended Films
Horton Hears a Who
Animated elephant Horton finds a speck of dust floating in the Jungle of Nool. Upon investigation of the speck, Horton discovers the tiny city of Who-ville and its residents, the Whos, which he can hear but cannot see. Horton forms a friendship with the mayor of Who-ville, Ned McDodd, and promises to transport Who-ville to safety. However, Horton encounters opposition from his jungle neighbors, who don’t want to believe in the existence of Who-ville. This classic Dr. Suess story is a great way to start a conversation about the personhood of ALL – no matter how small!
Great for all ages.
Watch the trailer here.
Wonder
Based on the New York Times bestseller, WONDER tells the inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman. Born with facial differences that, up until now, have prevented him from going to a mainstream school, Auggie becomes the most unlikely of heroes when he enters the local fifth grade. As his family, his new classmates, and the larger community all struggle to find their compassion and acceptance, Auggie’s extraordinary journey will unite them all and prove you can’t blend in when you were born to stand out.
Great for All Ages.
Watch the trailer here.
Life is Beautiful
A gentle Jewish-Italian waiter, Guido Orefice, meets Dora, a pretty schoolteacher, and wins her over with his charm and humor. Eventually, they marry and have a son, Giosue. Their happiness is abruptly halted, however, when Guido and Giosue are separated from Dora and taken to a concentration camp. Determined to shelter his son from the horrors of his surroundings, Guido convinces Giosue that their time in the camp is merely a game. Life is Beautiful is a modern classic about the joys, and challenges, of life!
Great for Grades 6-12, Young Adults, and Adults.
Watch the trailer here.
Meant to Be
When 20-year old Nathan Burr loses his career and his girlfriend, he questions his purpose in life. After growing up in a foster home, Nathan sets out on a quest to find his mother and somehow come to terms with her rejection of him. His mother, Linda, is a social worker who continues to struggle with the decision she made with Nathan 20 years ago. In an effort to admonish the guilt of giving up her son, Linda is caught up in the life of a teenage mother, Tori who is considering abortion. When Nathan gathers the courage to meet his mother, he uncovers a terrible secret that totally redefines what was meant to be for his life.
Great for Grades 9-12.
Watch the trailer here.
Because of Grácia
Chase Morgan would love to live up to his own name and pursue something great. It’s his senior year and he’s still as insecure as ever but Eastglenn High’s newest student, Grácia, is about to turn that around. A dark past gives Grácia a unique connection with Bobbi, a misunderstood classmate with a pushy boyfriend and disconnected father. As Bobbi struggles with a life-and-death decision and Chase risks rejection, Grácia challenges her friends, teachers and even herself to step outside the status quo. Because of Grácia’s inspiring strength, those around her are finding it easier to speak up, choose life, and fall in love.
Great for Grades 9-12, Young Adults, and Adults.
Watch the trailer here.
The Giver
Jonas lives in a seemingly idyllic world of conformity and contentment. When he begins to spend time with The Giver, an old man who is the sole keeper of the community’s memories, Jonas discovers the dangerous truths of his community’s secret past. Armed with the power of knowledge, Jonas realizes that he must escape from their world to protect himself and those he loves — a challenge no one has ever completed successfully. Consider leading a book group on the novel The Giver before showing the film!
Great for Grades 9-12, Young Adults, and Adults.
Watch the trailer here.
Bella
After Nina is fired from her waitressing job for being late, she leans on the restaurant’s chef, Jose, for support. Though they don’t know each other very well, Nina confides in Jose that she is pregnant and considering an abortion. Understanding that Nina is going through a tough time, Jose invites her to his home. They spend the day together and tell each other their most painful secrets, and what Nina learns about Jose changes her life forever. Bella is a moving story, and critically acclaimed film, on the power of companionship. Find the USCCB review of the film here.
Great for Grades 8-12, Young Adults, and Adults.
Watch the trailer here.
I Lived on Parker Ave
Adopted at birth and raised in Louisiana, David Scotton is on a journey to Indiana to meet the birth parents he’s never known. His tattooed birth mother, Melissa, and reserved birth father, Brian, anxiously wait for him, concerned David will reject them for decisions they made before he was born. I Lived on Parker Avenue is a short documentary about a mother’s agony in choosing what’s best, the joy of a couple starting a family, and young man’s search for where his life began.Great for Grades 8-12, Young Adults, and Adults.
Watch the full movie here.
October Baby
A beautiful and naïve college freshman sets out on a road trip with her misfit friends to discover herself after she learns that her entire life is a lie. Based on a true story, October Baby follows Hannah after discovering that she was adopted, after coming minutes away from being aborted. Facing a crisis of identity, Hannah sets out to find her birth mother and learn more about the life she didn’t know.
Great for Grades 8-12, Young Adults, and Adults.
Watch the trailer here.
Gosnell
The film is the shocking true story of the investigation and trial of Dr. Kermit Gosnell – an abortionist in Philadelphia – Who can the investigators really trust when a routine drugs investigation uncovers a scandal that goes all the way to the top? Follow the investigation, hearings, and trial of America’s biggest serial killer. Read more about the movie (from Respect Life Office intern Maggie Garnett) here.
Great for Grades 9-12, Young Adults, and Adults.
Watch the trailer here.
Unplanned
As one of the youngest Planned Parenthood clinic directors in the nation, Abby Johnson was involved in upwards of 22,000 abortions and counseled countless women on their reproductive choices. Her passion surrounding a woman’s right to choose led her to become a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood, fighting to enact legislation for the cause she so deeply believed in. Until the day she saw something that changed everything. Based on a true story, Unplanned is a moving and difficult movie to watch on the reality of the abortion procedure and industry. Find Bishop Robert Barron’s article about it here. Rated R for abortion procedure content.
Great for Grades 9-12, Young Adults, and Adults.
Watch the trailer here.
Gimme Shelter
Based on a true story that centers on 16-year-old Agnes “Apple” Bailey, Gimme Shelter uncovers the struggle for survival and the hope of redemption through the harsh realities of life on the streets. As a pregnant teenager, Apple’s journey plummets her into a perilous struggle until finding salvation in a suburban shelter for homeless teens. With provisions of unprecedented comfort, a collective sisterhood connection, and female empowerment, the shelter elevates Apple to break the shackles of her past and inspires her to embrace the future with clarity, maturity, and hope, not only for herself but for her unborn child.
Great for Grades 9-12, Young Adults, and Adults.
Watch the trailer here.
The 40 Film
Watch the moving opening scene for the new documentary on the 40 years of legalized abortion in the US. Watch the full movie here.