Movies provide us with some of the oddest angles around. In our modern culture, they’ve become a prime teaching tool—and Christians are using them to communicate their thoughts, feelings and ideals.

My series of articles titled Not Just a Movie wrapped up this week—the exclamation point on a long, long project. The final chapter dealt with the fascinating intersection between cinema and spirituality—how we, as Christians, are now co-opting the art form and making it, in some small way, our own. I’m not just talking about Christian films like Fireproof, though that’s obviously part of it. I’m talking about pastors using movie clips in sermons, adults using films as devotional launch pads—and just the natural conversations that pop up among friends once the credits roll. Movies have become a crucible in which we can examine, question and, at times, affirm our most treasured beliefs.

Now, maybe this intersection isn’t always a safe one to navigate. I know of folks who’ve walked out of church services because they deemed the clips they saw there inappropriate. And I do think there’s a fine line when it comes to this stuff—one that we, here at Plugged In, struggle mightily to walk in our own way every day: How do we grapple with good messages in bad movies?

So, with that in mind, talk to me about how faith and film intersect in your life. Do you see film clips in church? Have you ever seen instances where you felt a film illustration or clip crossed the line? What movies have sparked spiritual conversations between you and your family or friends? Has film been more of a help or a hindrance in your walk with God?

It's November now, and here at Plugged In that means we're on the cusp of Oscar season. Films with Academy Awards aspirations are starting to trickle into the the theaters, and those sorts of films present all manner of opportunities and challenges for us. I mean, what do we do with beautifully made films that grapple with weighty, spiritual issues—all while gunning out profanities by the minute?

In the most recent installment of my eight-part series "Not Just a Movie," I talk about how there is no one way for Christians to think about—or watch—movies. We Christians are all over the map when it comes to this stuff, so it's probably not too surprising that Christian film critics tackle films from different viewpoints, too, Here at Plugged In we tend to take some of the more obvious issues—sex, violence, profanity—pretty seriously, largely because tons of parents read our reviews while deciding what to let their kids watch (or not). I know this can frustrate the dickens out of kids—I've gotten letters from a few of them—but I'm sure they'll come to thank us eventually!

Still, that doesn't alter the fact that some problematic movies can contain some really worthwhile messages ... and figuring out how to navigate that paradox is probably the biggest single challenge all of us Plugged In writers face. How do we talk about Slumdog Millionaire's inspirational love story and sense of destiny without shortchanging the fact that it's steeped in poverty, prostitution and horror? Can we convey Gran Torino's Christ-inspired sacrifice's and its alarming number of racial epithets, too? Up—perhaps my favorite film this year—seems like it'd be a slam-dunk for us: Stunning storytelling, great messages and no problematic content to speak of. Yet, after Plugged In published my review, we got an angry letter or two from parents shocked that we'd give such a glowing critique of a film that dealt with death.

I know sometimes readers get frustrated because we don't grade our movies by stars or thumbs up and down ... but frankly, many films are too complex to just give them a Plugged In stamp of approval (or disdain). We're here to make you think more critically about movies, not just provide a list of do's and don'ts. Sorry, folks, but you've got to make your own hard decisions.

Last week, Joel, a reader, offered some e-mailed thoughts on my first "Not Just a Movie" chapter:

Pretty good criteria, I'd say. Thanks, Joel.

So, with that said, I want to open this up to you. What, in your mind, is a "good story well told?" What film has moved you the most this year? I'd love to hear from you.