Approved for 12+

The Stranger

Wise and compassionate strangers impact the lives of ordinary men and women in this collection of thought-provoking stories. From the producers of The Perfect Stranger and Another Perfect Stranger, this four DVD set consists of seven unique episodes, each presenting modern-day encounters with the Son of God based on New Testament events.

In the first episode, "Woman at the Well," an imperfect woman struggles with her church and family's disapproval of her lifestyle. Then, a young man turns his back on a family fortune and winds up sleeping in an alley in "The Prodigal Son," a grad student is challenged by her agnostic professor in "Salt," and in "Mary Magdalene," a conservative senator is forced to cast the deciding vote in a landmark abortion bill. Additional episodes include "Mary and Martha," "Thomas," and "Walk on Water."
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FaithIntegrity

Dove Review

This set is, in my opinion, one of the best teaching tools available if someone wants to show how the Lord is relevant in today’s world. In fact, the premise of this series is that Jesus shows up in everyday situations to help people with their problems and he looks like just a regular guy, except for the moments when we get a glimpse of him in his robe. This four-disc set includes seven stories and they are all well written and well-acted. In fact, the gentleman who portrays Jesus really does an incredible job, striking a perfect balance between authority and compassion. He is never unkind, is patient, yet direct and confident that he speaks the truth.

Episode One: “The Woman at the Well”. Two sisters have a conflict regarding one sister’s boyfriend. This story is similar to the biblical account in which a woman opens up to Jesus who steers her in the right direction. It is emphasized that church is a hospital for sinners.

Episode Two: “The Prodigal Son”. A young man named Justin, whose father owns a pharmacy, leaves home, believing he doesn’t need his family. Dependent on pills, his life spirals out of control. Similar to the story of the Prodigal Son, the young man realizes the error of his ways and turns to the Lord for help.

Episode Three: “Mary and Martha”. Two sisters are raised in difficult circumstances, with their mother dying and their father running a diner. As they grow older Martha gets caught up in working and one day, having had enough of the world, Mary entertains a man who comes into the diner (Jesus), speaking at length with him, which angers Martha who wants her to get back to work. This, like the other stories in this DVD set, mirrors the story of Mary and Martha.

Episode Four: “Salt”. In this episode a college Humanities professor belittles the faith of a young Christian woman. Jesus shows up to encourage her and attends her class. The professor asks him to debate the validity of Christianity, and the professor winds up with egg on his face.

Episode Five: “Thomas”. A radio show host named Neil Fasio is a liberal who enjoys spouting off about Christians and how stupid they are. He goes so far as to challenge Jesus himself to call in on his program. Jesus does! Neil cannot figure out how this caller knows so many facts about his life and after he hangs up on Jesus, the phone board lights up with callers who demand that Neil get Jesus back on the phone! This is comparable to the story of Doubting Thomas.

Episode Six: “Mary Magdalene”. Senator O’ Connell is asked to cast the deciding vote which can make abortion illegal. She has always been a conservative and she knows which way her constituents expect her to vote. She has put off a press interview on her vote and she is running out of time. There is a reason she is struggling with her decision and not until Jesus meets with her in a park and speaks with her does she find the strength to do what she needs to do.

Episode Seven: “Walk on Water”. A high school student named Jordan is persecuted for her faith. She has always stood strong for Jesus but is beginning to wonder if it is worth it. When she is bullied on a street corner Jesus shows up and takes the hungry young girl to a diner to speak with her and encourage her. A fantastic version of “Amazing Grace” is played while the credits roll.

We highly recommend this DVD set as being inspirational, contemporary, and relevant. We gladly award our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal to it for ages twelve plus although parents may believe their younger kids will benefit from it too after viewing our content listing below.

Dove Rating Details

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Faith

None

0
Integrity

A father and son argue; young man is shoved; boy is pushed; a character is slapped; we learn a father and son haven't spoken in eleven years after a disagreement.

1
Sex

A young woman in college had sex with a man she liked and had an abortion but regretted her behavior.

1
Language

A few insults are spoken toward Christians by a liberal radio show host like "stupid" and "morons" and "idiots"; people who held up biblical signs are called "whack jobs" by man; "freaks".

1
Violence

A father and son argue; young man is shoved; boy is pushed; a character is slapped; we learn a father and son haven't spoken in eleven years after a disagreement.

2
Drugs

A young man lies in an alley and is strung out on drugs; young man takes pills and becomes dependent on them; some drinking scenes; a few bar scenes; a man asks for a cigarette;

0
Nudity

None

2
Other

Tattoos on man's arm; a hungry character searches the trash for food; a character yells at a waiter; a character is told to leave a diner; a racist comment against a Spanish-speaking man; a comment about a character's "churchy friends"; a college professor bad mouths Christians; a radio show host bad mouths Christians and calls them "stupid" and "morons"; comments about Darwin and Evolution being true by a hostile professor; Islam and Buddhism and other religions are discussed; the death of a loved one and grief is mentioned; a press agent lies.

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