When life does a 180: Hardflip follows the story of Caleb Jones (Randy Wayne, To Save A Life), a young skater whose ill mother (Rosanna Arquette, The Whole Nine Yards) and absent father (John Schneider, October Baby) leave him reaching for the only hope he has—becoming a sponsored skater. After finding a stack of old love letters, Caleb sets out to find the father he never knew, learning to let go of his anger and pain, while forgiving those who hurt him most. Released this month, the 108-minute film retails for $19.95 and is distributed by Bridgestone Multimedia Group.

According to the Book: In The Player’s Manual, an evangelist named Levi takes viewers on a journey through the lives of familiar characters in today’s urban communities, illustrating with gritty reality the relevance of Scripture to modern-day life in the hood. Released last month by Black Christian Entertainment and GT Media and distributed by EMI CMG Distribution, the 91-minute movie retails for $14.99.

Triumph lies within: New Hope was written and produced in response to the high number of suicides in Ouachita Parish, La., in a 13-month period. The inspirational drama stars Ben Davies (Courageous) as Lucas, a high school basketball star who is fiercely loyal to the memory of his brother Chase, who died at is own hand, shaking his close-knit Southern town. Released this month, the 120-minute film retails for $19.95 and is distributed by Bridgestone Multimedia Group.

Life choices: Following Earth and Wind, Wood is the third film in best-selling author and pastor Erwin Raphael McManus’ “Signs” series. In Genesis 3, man chooses his first act of rebellion at the tree of life. Portraying a hunter sprinting through the jungle, the film shows that while expressing love and living in faith can be difficult, those decisions can be creative and spiritual acts. The 12-minute DVD, which retails for $14.99 and is designed for small groups or individual study, released last month from David C Cook.

An angel in Texas: I Am … Gabriel weaves multiple stories of individuals in Promise, Texas, touched by tragedy, to an unlikely messenger from God. The film stars Dean Cain as Sheriff Brody (Lois & Clark), John Schneider as Doc (The Dukes of Hazzard, Smallville) and Gavin Casalegno as Gabriel. Produced by 2nd Fiddle Entertainment and Heaven’s Promise Productions, and distributed by EchoLight Studios, the 93-minute film, which retails for $22.98, was released in late August.

From slave to missionary: The dramatic events that led an African boy prince to take a new name, then become a missionary to the United States is chronicled in The Samuel Morris Story. The latest 30-minute animated biography in “The Torchlighters: Heroes of the Faith” line for children 8-12 is distributed by Vision Video. Retailing for $14.99, the DVD, released last month, comes with a four-lesson leader’s guide, reproducible study materials, English and Spanish tracks, and subtitles.

Suffering and hope: Inspired by the personal experiences of filmmaker David de Vos, Eyes to See follows Ray (Matthew Marsden, Coronation Street), a news cameraman who was assigned to capture the damage from a 2010 earthquake in Haiti that left more than 300,000 dead. Ray is forced to choose between doing his job and helping the quake victims. Released last month, the 105-minute drama retails for $17.95 and is distributed by Bridgestone Multimedia Group.

A pal for a champ: After his parents die in a car accident, 12-year-old Bobby Graham dreams of becoming a soap-box-derby champion in You've Got A Friend. But his aunt and uncle aren't supportive. Bobby sneaks away to befriend the town recluse (John Schneider), who is also the former derby champ. Together they design and create a victory-worthy car. Released last month by GT Media and distributed by EMI CMG Distribution, the 85-minute, Dove-approved film retails for $14.99.

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