A Man Called Peter

You'd think 20th Century Fox would have better sense. In a time when Mel Gibson racks up $400 million for a Christian movie in Aramaic, this good film about a minister that they already own would be out on DVD in a double-disc set. The sermon scenes ("full of heart and fire" to quote a contemporary review) wouldn't offend Jon Stewart. Richard Todd earned an Oscar nomination for his warm portrayal of a beloved minister in Washington, DC. The VHS has been available for a long time, but this one really is too good to bury...

Peter Marshall was the Pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church during the forties. His sermons were so popular that they had to install loudspeakers to send them to the crowds waiting outside. He was chaplain of the US Senate. Marshall's rolling Scots burr and warm "friendship with God" are still appealing. His wife Catherine wrote the book on which the film is based, and several other books besides. Jean Peters gives an engaging performance as Catherine, making the film less a religious tract and more a portrait of a family you wish to know. It's a joy to spend time with these people. They are better ambassadors for Christianity than many you may have seen lately.

If there was someone at Fox with a marketing sense, they'd re-release this one with great fanfare - the timing couldn't be better.