Yes, after long last, it’s time to unveil the winners of Plugged In’s highly respected, uber-prestigious movie awards—both our official selections and the movies that you thought were truly tops. This year’s movie award tourney was particularly interesting for a whole host of reasons, so why dilly-dally any longer? Let us begin.
Best Movie for Kids
The Nominees: LEGO Batman, Despicable Me 3, Ferdinand, My Little Pony, Wonder
Plugged In’s Pick: Wonder
So sweet. So touching. So real. While Ferdinand received some support from the Plugged In staff (and I’m partial to anything with Batman in the title), Wonder was the clear winner. As reviewer Bob Hoose wrote, “It’s easy to slap together a sappy pic. …But it’s an altogether different task to create something like Wonder.”
Your Pick: Wonder
This was a bit of a surprise for me, given that animated movies have traditionally ruled the category. Perhaps it’s because Pixar’s entrant, Coco, had enough spiritual issues to lose out on a nomination (though some wrote it in, anyway). Perhaps it’s because The Star, another write-in favorite, was in a different category. Still, Wonder ran away with the reader vote as well, giving this sweet family film a clean sweep.
Best Movie for Teens
The Nominees: Dunkirk, The Greatest Showman, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, War for the Planet of the Apes, Wonder Woman
Plugged In’s Pick: The Greatest Showman
Let’s be honest: This category was stacked, filled with box-office champs and an Oscar Best Picture nominee. But in the end, our team chose the guilt-free, toe-tapping musical The Greatest Showman—one that emphasizes themes of family and forgiveness as well—singing heartily along with the soundtrack as we did so.
Your Pick: Dunkirk
In one of the awards’ tightest races, director Christopher Nolan’s gripping war drama edged Wonder Woman by one vote, with The Greatest Showman sneaking in a pretty close third. While many readers passionately praised Gal Gadot’s wildly popular superhero flick, Dunkirk’s cinematic savvy was just too much. Oh, someone also offered a write-in vote for Justice League, too. Had that voter flipped for Wonder Woman, this category would’ve been a straight-up tie.
Best Movie for Adults
The Nominees: Darkest Hour, Gifted, Goodbye Christopher Robin, Maudie, Victoria and Abdul
Plugged In’s Pick: Darkest Hour
Most of us weren’t around when England teetered on the edge of defeat to Nazi Germany in the opening days of World War II. But this well-crafted drama helped us feel like we were roaming London’s halls of power with Winston Churchill, coughing on his cigar smoke. Churchill’s bad smoking and drinking habits (along with a bit of language) were the only content bugaboos for this Oscar nominee. But its messages of showing courage in times of crisis (and its curiously affecting redemption story, focusing on the flawed Churchill himself) won the day.
Your Pick: Darkest Hour
Many of you said that Dunkirk really should’ve been included in this category, and a few offered a word or two of praise for the content-laden but surprisingly redemptive superhero story, Logan. But in the end, Darkest Hour brightened your day, too.
Best Christian Movie
The Nominees: All Saints, The Case for Christ, Same Kind of Different as Me, The Shack, The Star
Plugged In’s Pick: All Saints
The makers of this movie eschewed pat, feel-good answers and dug in deep to a couple of seriously thorny issues: How can we discern God’s will, and what do we do when His will appears to be different from our own? All Saints isn’t up for any Oscars, but it’s the rare Christian film that even secular critics appreciated:It currently has a 94% “freshness” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, higher than five of Oscar’s Best Picture nominees
Your Pick: The Case for Christ
Who says that good drama and top-flight apologetics don’t mix? You loved this cinematic turn of Lee Stroebel’s bestselling book, and your votes carried it all the way to the top. The Shack came in a reasonably close second, with folks who loved the film about equally split with folks who decried the movie as “heresy.”
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