A brief overview of the five films follows, beginning with the general perception of each film, based not on scientific research, but on anecdotal evidence: personal conversations, media reports, and online conversations with other Christian film critics.

Lastly, I name “the ones that got away” – a few films that were unjustly overlooked in major Oscar categories.

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

Still the front-runner for Best Picture honors, this story of two male sheepherders who fall in love with each other defied the odds by breaking out of the art-house circuit and finding paying customers across the country. It’s already a landmark film, and will remain so, even if it loses out on Oscar night.

Director Ang Lee ("Sense and Sensibility", "Eat Drink Man Woman") brings a delicate touch to this story of heartbreak and betrayal. When Ennis (Heath Ledger) and Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal) spend a summer tending sheep atop "Brokeback Mountain," their friendship takes a sudden turn, and the two enter into a sexual relationship that will endure over the years, even as both men, while separated from each other, pursue marriage and family life.

The two men are protective of their secret, fearing that, if word got out about their love for one another, they may suffer violent repercussions. But Ennis’ reluctance to build a life with Jack leads to bitterness on Jack’s part, who seeks anonymous sexual gratification with other men.

The film’s tragic dimension is supposed to lie in the inability, due to societal prejudice and the increasing responsibilities of work and family, of Ennis to commit exclusively to Jack. But the sinfulness of homosexuality is not as painful as the betrayal of each man’s marital vows to their respective spouses, one of whom lives for years with the knowledge of her husband’s willful betrayal. The film is deeply painful, and no attempt to explain away the flagrant sins of its main characters can make the film more palatable.

While beautifully crafted and presented with Lee’s artful touch, the film is, at its core, a hedonistic story of two people who cheat their families to gratify their base desires. That’s nothing to celebrate when heterosexuals are involved, and it’s certainly no different with "Brokeback Mountain."

CRASH

A dark-horse candidate for Best Picture," Crash," from director Paul Haggis (screenwriter for "Million Dollar Baby" ), shows the animosities among different ethnic groups in Los Angeles. The multi-character drama about the intersection of vastly different lives and attitudes struck a chord with audiences over the summer and continued to build momentum through the Oscar campaign season. Prominent Oscar prognosticators have suggested that, if any of the Best Picture nominees can upset supposed front-runner "Brokeback Mountain," it will be "Crash."