The Ten Best Dove-approved movies of 2005
By Dick Rolfe, chairman - The Dove Foundation

In the interest of full disclosure, I'd like to make it clear that the Top Ten choices used in this article are made up of subjective favorites. It's nearly impossible to develop a consensus of these rankings, since "best" and "favorite" are in the eye of the beholder. Therefore, the Ten Best does not refer to the ten biggest box office hits, or the ten movies most likely to win an Oscar or Golden Globe. I selected them from the films that were awarded 5 Doves for overall quality. The selection is more subjective because I chose my "Ten Best" out of 15 movies that actually received 5 Doves, our highest quality rating, during 2005.

Hollywood did a pretty good job serving the family audience last year. Dove awarded its "Family-Approved" Seal to 41 out of 168 major theatrical releases that were reviewed. That means a family determined to watch only wholesome films could have gone to the movies more than three times every month, before running out of choices.

Many think that the Dove Seal means "kid flicks." Dove reviewers actually approved a broad selection of films, appealing to many different tastes and age groups. Eleven are action/adventures, eight are animated, eight comedies, three documentaries, ten dramas, and one suspense thriller. 36% (15) were rated for audiences age 12 and above.

Selecting my "Ten Best" was especially difficult this year. Hollywood did an outstanding job of mixing top quality productions with wholesome content. Not all of the "5 Dove" movies are overflowing with meaningful messages leaving you deep in thought. Some are simply meant to amuse.

In order to separate my "Ten Best" films from the others, I looked for two special subtexts; redeemed family relationships and overcoming adversity.

Every one of my top ten films stressed the importance of redeemed family relationships. The siblings in "Chronicles of Narnia" buried their differences and joined together under the banner of Aslan to defeat the evil Ice Queen. It took Uncle Nino from the "old" country to cure the dysfunctions of the Micelli family in the US. And a dog named Winn-Dixie became the crucial bonding element between a father and his daughter.

Over-comers are easy to detect in my list. Young Charlie overcame huge obstacles to finally get the golden ticket to the Chocolate Factory. Chicken Little had to overcome a bad reputation as a worry wart in order to save the world. Francis Ouimet had to overcome prejudice because of his low social/economic status as a golf caddie so he could compete in the "Greatest Game Ever Played." One movie that epitomizes the trait of over-comer is the "March of the Penguins."

I've listed the Ten Best Dove-approved movies for 2005 in the order of my personal favorites. Since, as I admitted, my selections are subjective, I included all 15 movies that received 5 Doves for quality in case you disagree with my choices.

Many of these movies are now available on DVD, while some are still in the theaters. I hope you find a few that you can enjoy with members of your family.

Here's wishing you a family-friendly 2006, both in your entertainment and in your lives!

The Dove Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.  Our mission is to encourage and promote the creation, production, distribution and consumption of wholesome family entertainment.  We are supported primarily by donations from families such as yours who want to move Hollywood in a more family-friendly direction.  All donations are tax deductible.

Copyright © 2006 The Dove Foundation. All rights reserved.