dove family movie reviews

Get news & reviews in your inbox

• Prime Video
• Documentary
• Producers Corner
• Watch Lists
• More Than A Movie Night
• It’s Dove Approved – Family Movie Trivia Game
• Dove Ratings
• Privacy Policy

All Reviews

Since 1995 The Dove Foundation has been publishing our movie reviews on the Internet.  Well over 100,000 families rely on these reviews each month to help them make informed choices about the entertainment their family can watch with confidence.  Below is a description of the different types of reviews that The Dove Foundation publishes.

Now Showing in the Theater

Here you will find a list of Dove approved feature length movies that are currently playing at your local theaters.  While most of these films should be available in all areas of the country, some may be designated as “limited release” and only shown in select cities.  This list contains only Dove approved titles.

Coming Soon to Home Entertainment

Here you will find a list of Dove approved home entertainment products.  These videos and DVDs can usually be found at a local retailer for purchase or you can rent them at your local video store.  This list contains only Dove approved titles.

Theatrical Reviews

This link will group all of our theatrical reviews together and sort them by their release dates with the most recent films appearing first.  Here you will find reviews of both approved and non-approved titles.

Video/DVD Reviews

This link will group all of our home entertainment reviews together and sort them by their release dates with the most recent products appearing first.  Here you will find reviews of both approved and non-approved titles.

Book Reviews

This link will group all of our Book reviews together and sort them by their review dates with the most recent reviews appearing first.  Here you will find reviews of both approved and non-approved titles.

TV/Network Reviews

This link will group all of our made for television movie reviews together and sort them by their release dates with the most recent reviews appearing first.  Here you will find reviews of both approved and non-approved titles.

Audio CD Reviews

This link will group all of our audio CD reviews together and sort them by their release dates with the most recent reviews appearing first.  Here you will find reviews of both approved and non-approved titles.

Manuscript Reviews

This link will group all of our manuscript reviews together and sort them by their release dates with the most recent reviews appearing first.  Here you will find reviews of both approved and non-approved titles.

Dove Content

Faith Film Producer DeVon Franklin Steps in Front of the Camera for ‘Jesus Revolution’

Cyrano: Love is a Verb

Redeeming Love: Grace Rising Up Out of the Dirt

Filmmakers Highlight the Hope and Heroism in “Gi...

• About Me/Contact Me
• FTC Disclosure Policy + Private Policy
• Holiday Gift Guide 2023
• Current Giveaways

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Dove family-approved films from echolight studios (review).

No comments :

Post a comment.

Fun Happy Home

Coloring Pages. Recipes. Crafts. Money-Saving. Travel. Florida Blogger

Dove Channel: Family Friendly Shows and Movies That You Can Stream

Lisa Joy Thompson 43 Comments

Sharing is caring!

I am soooooooooo excited about partnering with the Dove Channel! They provide parents with a way to stream family friendly movies and TV shows that won’t violate your values! This has been one of my serious parenting frustrations and I am so thankful that the Dove Channel has met this need. I received a free year of Dove Channel plus a Roku Streaming Stick and compensation for this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own!

Finding appropriate shows for your kids to watch can be quite challenging.  Even mainstream “kids” shows sometimes contain material that I don’t want my kids to see.  I’ve also rented quite a few “kids” movies that were objectionable!  One of my go-tos when it comes to movies for my family is movies that have been approved by the Dove Foundation.

When I found out that the Dove Foundation now offers the Dove Channel , a streaming service, I was over-the-moon excited.  The Dove Channel allows you to stream on iOS devices or a Roku Stick.

The Dove Channel was developed in response to caring consumers like you and me, who want to make informed choices when selecting entertainment. New streaming technologies make it challenging to locate films that do not offend your sensitivities or violate your values.

The Dove Channel also allows you to create a custom viewing experience using Dove Channel’s customization tool.  You can choose your Dove rating and safe-guard settings to make sure that the your family only sees what you want them to see.

When I told our twins about Dove Channel, they immediately wanted to know what they’d be able to watch.  I showed them the movies and shows available on Dove Channel and they began watching the mail like a hawk!

When our package arrived they were thrilled!  They posed…and the picture taking and unwrapping began.

Once we received our info, our kids immediately began putting together a list of the movies and shows they want to watch.

What impressed me was the great list of family-friendly and faith-based movies.  There were movies for kids and adults.  Also, I was impressed with the amount of educational videos that Dove Channel offers.  As a homeschooling mom, I’m always looking for additional resources to teach with.  There are so many great educational resources.

I was also excited to see some fabulous old school TV shows  and movies offered.  You can watch The Little Princess or Highway to Heaven. There are also a bunch of documentaries and I look forward to watching Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace.  I’m a huge fan of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and have read most of his writings as well as a biography about him.

My kids have been thoroughly enjoying the Dove Channel.  They’ve used the Roku stick to watch it on TV and they’ve also been watching it on the iPad.

The Dove Channel is extremely affordable at only $4.99 per month!  It’s so worth it!!!

Sharing is Caring

Help spread the word. You're awesome for doing it!

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Get the app
• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

Explaining the News to Our Kids

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

"best of" lists.

Get age-appropriate ideas and inspiration for every interest:

• Best Movies for Kids
• Best TV for Kids
• Best Streaming Picks for Kids
• Best Games for Kids
• Best Apps for Kids
• Best Books for Kids
• Best Podcasts for Kids
• Best Websites for Kids
• Best for Character Development for Kids
• Best for Diversity for Kids
• Best for Learning for Kids

Best Movies for Family Movie Night

Need a great pick for your next family movie night ? Having trouble finding a movie you can all agree on? Our editors have hand-picked some of the best kids' and family movies available to rent or stream on Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, or your favorite streaming service, including beloved classics, action-packed adventures, laugh-out-loud comedies, and powerful dramas. No matter what your family is feeling, these films are perfect to watch together. Need even more inspiration? Be sure to check out our list of 50 Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12 for our favorite time-tested titles we know your family will love. Or use our age-based filters to find the perfect pick, no matter your kid's age. So grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy!

The Adventures of Milo and Otis

Lovable pet tale about friendship despite differences.

A Bug's Life

Cute animated tale with some mild peril and scary bugs.

Finding Nemo

Sweet father-son tale has some very scary moments.

Wintry Disney musical is fabulous celebration of sisterhood.

The Little Mermaid

Superb, entertaining animated musical has some scary stuff.

My Little Pony: A New Generation

Sweet tale of acceptance has some mildly scary scenes.

My Neighbor Totoro

Beautifully animated fantasy about friendship fit for all.

Toy Story (1995)

Pixar classic is one of the best kids' movies of all time.

Beauty and the Beast

Disney fave has great music, strong messages, some scares.

Vibrant visuals, catchy songs, moving messages.

Beautiful, original story about handling big feelings.

The Lego Movie

Hilarious toy tale plugs product but is nonstop fun.

The Lion King (1994)

Musical king-of-the-beasts blockbuster is powerful, scary.

Sweet fish-out-of-water story about friendship, adventure.

March of the Penguins

Stunning, loving documentary; some intense peril.

Mary Poppins

Classic family movie has positive messages.

Mary Poppins Returns

Blunt is a delight in sweet, nostalgic, toe-tapping sequel.

Muppets Most Wanted

Amusing Muppets sequel ups the gags, as well as the action.

My Fair Lady

Witty, stylish musical classic will entertain all ages.

Over the Moon

Dreamy, China-set musical fairy tale has positive lessons.

Other great lists from our editors

• Best Family Comedy Movies
• Disney Pixar Movies

Suggested Search Terms

• Dove Channel titles
• Kids & Family movies
• Drama movies
• Animated movies
• Comedy movies
• A Lovable Lead
• A Courageous Lead
• An American Story
• Happy-ending
• A Happy Ending
• Protagonist-life
• A Story of a Protagonist's Life & Times
• Sympathetic
• A Sympathetic Lead

Cinedigm Buys Faith-Based Review Site Dove.org and VOD Platform Christian Cinema

The acquisitions give the streaming company a big piece of the family-friendly entertainment marketplace

Cinedigm is aiming to own a big piece of the faith-based entertainment marketplace. The streaming company will acquire the movie review and rating service Dove.org along with the faith-based streaming platform Christian Cinema from Giving Company. The two established brands will combine within Cinedigm’s existing streaming service the Dove Channel. The intent is a single-stop solution for faith-based and family-friendly entertainment across subscription, advertising, commerce, editorial and podcasts.     

Founded in 1991, Dove.org aimed “to encourage and promote the creation, production, distribution and consumption of wholesome family entertainment.”

The organization publishes reviews, news, podcasts and rates films, TV shows, video games, online content and more through its website, email newsletters and social channels to help families make informed media choices.   

Cinedigm and Dove.org first partnered in 2015 to launch the family-focused Dove Channel. Cinedigm will now operate both services by integrating them together to serve consumers seeking family-friendly content.  

Christian Cinema is a leading transactional video-on-demand (TVOD) service for faith-based films. The site offers movies with Christian values to rent or buy via ChristianCinema.com.  

“Over the last few years, we have perfected what we think is the best approach to enthusiast streaming: giving customers more of what they want in the medium they want – movies, podcasts, editorial, commerce – under the business model of their choice,” Cinedigm president and chief strategy officer Erick Opeka said.   

Opeka further stated that “This has led to record growth in other verticals for us, including Fandom, Genre, and Asian content, and we think that Faith & Family could be bigger than all those combined.”   

Furthermore, he continued, “This pair of acquisitions immediately provides us with an established consumer base, immediately accretive revenue, and multiple new avenues for growth. Much like we have done in other verticals, we expect to dramatically ramp up our offerings in original theatrical releases, podcasts, publishing, audiobooks and more. It is an exciting time to see this culmination after nearly eight years of successful partnership with Dove.org and Giving Company.”  

“As an advocate for entertainment and media that reflects faith and family values, I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunities that will come from Christian Cinema becoming part of the Cinedigm family,” Giving Company president and CEO David Henriksen said.   

“The audience for Faith & Family-focused content is powerful, passionate and growing – yet very underserved. I am convinced that the sky is the limit for how these services can grow with the addition of advanced technology, content and marketing expertise from Cinedigm. Cinedigm is the perfect long-term home for Christian Cinema and Dove.org.” 

Find Family Movies, Movie Ratings and Movie Reviews

Browse all of our movie titles from this page..

• Page 1 of 44

Parent Reviews and Movie Info

Titles with full reviews are marked in red.

• 2 Fast 2 Furious
• 3 2 1 Penguins—Trouble on Planet Wait-Your-Turn
• 3:10 to Yuma
• 3 Days To Kill
• 3 Ninjas Kick Back
• The 5th Quarter
• The 5th Wave
• The 6th Day (2000)
• 7 Days in Entebbe
• 10 Cloverfield Lane
• 10 Things I Hate About You
• The 11th Hour
• 12 Angry Men (1997)
• 12 Dogs of Christmas: Great Puppy Rescue
• 12 Years a Slave
• 13 Going on 30
• 13 Hours - The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
• The 15:17 to Paris
• 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea
• 20th Century Women
• 21 and Over
• 21 Jump Street
• 22 Jump Street
• 30 Minutes or Less
• The 39 Steps (1935)
• The 40-Year-Old Version
• 47 Meters Down
• 47 Meters Down: Uncaged
• 50 First Dates
• 90 Minutes in Heaven
• 101 Dalmatians
• 101 Dalmatians (1961)
• 102 Dalmatians
• 300: Rise of an Empire
• (500) Days of Summer
• 2001: A Space Odyssey
• 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984)
• Abandon (2002)
• ABCs of Death
• ABCs of Death 2
• About A Boy (2002)
• About Last Night
• About My Father
• Above and Beyond
• Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
• The Absent-minded Professor
• The Accountant
• Ace of Hearts
• Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
• Across the Universe
• Action Point
• Act of Valor
• Actors of Sound
• Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights (2002)
• The Addams Family
• Addams Family Values
• The Adjustment Bureau
• Adventure Boyz
• Adventureland
• The Adventures of Huck Finn
• The Adventures Of Pinocchio
• The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)
• The Adventures Of Rocky And Bullwinkle
• Adventures of Rufus: The Fantastic Pet
• The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3-D
• Adventures of Tintin

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, wings of the dove.

Now streaming on:

What happens in Henry James takes place deep within stories where, on the surface, the characters go languidly about their lives of privilege. They subscribe to a code of what is done and what is not done. They know exactly what it means to be a gentleman or a lady; those titles are like decorations, to be worn invisibly at social occasions. And then in the privacy of their souls, some of James' characters darkly contemplate getting their way no matter what.

"The Wings of the Dove'' is the cold-blooded story of two British lovers who plot to deprive a rich American girl ("the richest orphan in the world'') of her heart and her inheritance. What makes it complicated--what makes it James--is that the two lovers really do like the rich girl, and she really does like them, and everyone eventually knows more or less precisely what is being done. The buried message is that when it comes to money, sex, love and death, most people are prepared to go a great deal further than they would admit. There is, if you know how to look for it, incredible emotional violence in the work of Henry James. This new film of his famous novel makes two significant changes. It moves the action up slightly, from 1902 to 1910. And it makes the British woman a little more sympathetic than she was in the book. The second change flows from the first. James' story, which he began writing in 1894, embedded the characters in the world of Victorian propriety. By 1910, the actions they contemplate, while still improper, were not unthinkable; modern relativism was creeping in. Kate Croy, whose desire fuels the story, was more selfish and evil in the James version; the film softens her into someone whose actions can almost be defended as pragmatism.

Kate, played with flashing eyes and bold imagination by Helena Bonham Carter, is a poor girl with a tenuous foothold in society. Her father is a penniless drunkard. Her mother is dead. She is taken in by her wealthy Aunt Maude ( Charlotte Rampling ), who wants to marry her off to the best advantage--perhaps to Lord Mark (Alex Jennings). But Kate loves Merton Densher ( Linus Roache ), an ill-paid journalist who cheerfully admits he doesn't believe the things he writes. Maude forbids the marriage and even threatens to cut off the weekly shillings she pays Kate's father.

What is Kate prepared to do? Characters talk a great deal in Henry James, but are sometimes maddeningly obscure about what they mean (does any other novelist use the word "intercourse'' more frequently, while not meaning by that word or any other what we immediately think of?). They talk much less in this film, where facial expressions imply the feelings that are talked around in the novel. My guess is that Kate might have eventually married the odious Lord Mark, while continuing quietly to see Merton Densher.

But that is not necessary. At a dinner party, she meets Millie Theale ( Alison Elliott ), the rich young American, and discovers that Millie has an unnamed disease, possesses hardly a protector in the world except for her traveling companion ( Elizabeth McGovern ), and intends to see Europe and die. One of the things Millie wants to experience in Europe is romance; she doesn't say so, but she is looking for a man, and when she sees Merton, she asks Kate about him.

"He's a friend of the family,'' Kate replies--a lie of omission, because Kate and Merton are secretly engaged. Kate's plan is clear. She will accompany Millie to Venice. Merton will join them there. Millie will fall in love with Merton, marry him, die and leave him her fortune. Merton will then have the money he needs to marry Kate. This scheme unfolds only gradually in the James novel, emerging from behind leisurely screens of dialogue and implication. It is more clear in the film, especially in a dark, atmospheric scene where Kate and Merton walk down deserted Venetian passages. She tells him she is returning to London and outlines what she expects him to do. Then, to seal the bargain, they have sex for the first time. (They do it standing up against the old stones of Venice; one imagines the ghost of James turning aside with a shudder.) Iain Softley's film, written by Hossein Amini , emphasizes Kate's desperation and downplays her cold calculation. It softens the villainy of Merton by making it clear how desperately Millie does want to be involved in a romance with him; is he simply granting her dying wish? There is another fugitive strand of affection in the film that I did not sense in the book: Millie and Kate genuinely like each other, and it's almost as if they strike an unexpressed bargain, in which Kate lets Millie have the use of Merton--lets her find what she came to Europe for. The money is crucial, of course, but too vulgar to be discussed.

In its stark outlines, this plot would be at home on a daytime talk show ("Sold her lover to a dying rich girl''). But the film sets it at a time when standards were higher, when society had clear expectations of moral behavior. The reason we're so fascinated by the adaptations of James, Austen, Forster and the others is that their characters think marriage, fidelity, chastity and honesty are important. In modern movies, the characters have no values at all.

In "The Wings of the Dove,'' there is a fascination in the way smart people try to figure one another out. The film is acted with great tenderness. If the three central characters had been more forthright, more hedonistic, we wouldn't care nearly as much. But all three have a certain tact, a certain sympathy for the needs of the others. At the end, when Millie knows the score, she can at least be grateful that she got to play the game.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

Now playing

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Christy lemire.

Brian Tallerico

Carol Doda Topless at the Condor

Marya e. gates.

Wicked Little Letters

Sheila o'malley.

Film Credits

Wings Of The Dove (1997)

Rated R For Sexuality

103 minutes

Helena Bonham-Carter as Kate Croy

Linus Roache as Merton Densher

Alison Elliott as Millie Theale

Charlotte Rampling as Aunt Maude

Elizabeth McGovern as Susan

Michael Gambon as Kate's Father

Directed by

• Iain Softley
• Hossein Amini

Based On The Novel by

• Henry James

Latest blog posts

Celebrating the Tenth Anniversary of Our Managing Editor Brian Tallerico at RogerEbert.com

An Incorrect Image Of Ourselves: Mike Flanagan on the Tenth Anniversary of Oculus

Ned Benson, Lucy Boynton, and Justin H. Min Want to Play The Greatest Hits for You

Until It’s Too Late: Bertrand Bonello on The Beast

Movie Review: Should you watch 'Sasquatch Sunset' about a family of Bigfoots? Not yeti

One of the wildest movies of the year — or the century, for that matter — suggests that Bigfoots mourn, cuddle, bury their dead, enjoy throwing rocks in rivers, make art and wonder if they’re alone in the world

Do you reckon Sasquatches snore? C'mon, you know the answer, deep down. Of course, they do. They snore and eat noisily and pick bugs out of each other's fur and then eat those bugs, noisily.

What else do Sasquatches do, you wonder? One of the wildest movies of the year — or the century, for that matter — suggests they mourn, cuddle, bury their dead, enjoy throwing rocks in rivers, make art and wonder if they're alone in the world.

Even so, “Sasquatch Sunset” from filmmaking brothers David and Nathan Zellner, is a bewildering 90-minute, narrator-less and wordless experiment that's as audacious as it is infuriating. It's not clear if everyone was high making it or we should be while watching it.

Nathan Zellner, Jesse Eisenberg,Riley Keough and Christophe Zajac-Denek play a makeshift family of four Sasquatches, lost in hair suits and prosthetics and communicating only in grunts, snorts and howls. They also pee a lot.

Why the filmmakers hired such starry actors instead of paying scale to some unknowns is puzzling. None of the Sasquatches do more than what could be called Method Chimpanzee — jumping up and down, whooping and growling. A group of real chimps would ding the quartet for overacting.

As an exercise in creating empathy for monsters, “Sasquatch Sunset” does an admirable job. In the first frames, when we see a loping Bigfoot in the middle distance — and then three more — it's clear that they are telling this story, not the folks who usually capture them in shaky camera frames.

There are plenty of Sasquatches-are-just-like-us moments, like when one brings flowers to seduce another or two Bigfoots comfort each other after a death. Perhaps the most poignant moments are when they pound trees with sticks in unison, a rhythmic question that echoes through the valley. It's a call, waiting for a response — anyone out there like us?

But then there's a lot of gross-out stuff. We've mentioned the peeing, but it turns out that Sasquatches sneeze, procreate loudly and like to touch their genitals and then smell their fingers. They can also poo on demand and throw that poo to scare off predators.

One juvenile Bigfoot makes his hand into a makeshift puppet and talks to it — like a nod to the kid in “The Shining” — and another considers inserting his manhood into a small tree hole, like a prehistoric riff off that famous scene in “American Pie.”

Both things can be true, of course: Bigfoot can be disgusting and deep at the same time. But it's not always clear what the filmmakers are going for here — satire, metaphor, sympathy, naturalism or gross-out comedy?

The Sasquatches reveal deeply human characteristics and may be stand-ins for our innocent pasts, a lost link in our evolution, showing the unrelenting violence of natural life or just the voiceless among us now. Or the filmmakers might just like the image of tossing poo.

Gorgeous vistas of pristine forests and misty valleys don't help us figuring out when this all takes place but gradual clues emerge, including evidence of logging and a truly surreal bit at a human camping site, scored by the Erasure song “Love to Hate You.” But if the Zellners had an environmental lesson here, they shanked it.

There's great music from The Octopus Project, veering from bright electric guitar noodles to sci-fi electronic dread reminiscent of “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Stick through the roll of end credits and see one of the best credits ever in film: Sasquatch Wrangler. You don't see that every day. You don't see Sasquatch movies every day, either, but this is one you should probably let lope past you.

“Sasquatch Sunset,” a Bleecker Street release that lands in some theaters on April 12 and goes wider April 19, is rated R for “for some sexual content, full nudity and bloody images.” Running time: 89 minutes. One star out of four.

MPAA definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Online: https://bleeckerstreetmedia.com/sasquatch-sunset

Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

Top Stories

Kansas women killings: Court documents detail alleged murder-kidnapping motive

• Apr 15, 9:16 PM

Theresa Nist of 'Golden Bachelor' shares message following divorce from Gerry Turner

• Apr 15, 1:52 PM

Rudy Giuliani loses bid to dismiss $148M defamation judgment in election workers case

• Apr 15, 4:27 PM

US to Israel: If you strike back at Iran, you'll do it alone

• Apr 15, 12:20 PM

A knife attack in Australia against a bishop and a priest is being treated as terrorism, police say

• Apr 15, 7:27 AM

ABC News Live

24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events