Living in the perceived secular paradise that is Montreal, it’s often difficult to grasp what goes on among the diehard religious. While a fanatic like Pat Robertson is easy to dismiss, documentary filmmakers are working towards a more dimensional view of those who attempt to live their lives by the strict confines of biblical scripture.

In For the Bible Tells Me So, filmmaker Daniel Karslake focuses on American Christians who are reconciling their faith with the homosexuality of their loved ones. And some of those he chooses to profile are familiar, from Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson to former Democratic presidential hopeful Richard Gephardt (who has a lesbian daughter). Robinson’s parents discuss their initial disbelief and sadness that their son was gay, but the revelation here is his ex-wife, who dealt with the news with incredible grace and tolerance (the two remain close friends to this day). But most astonishing is one of the non-celebrity subjects, who discusses the sharp, nasty reaction she had to her daughter’s coming out, a response that would have devastating consequences.

Karslake tosses in some quirkier bits and pieces so the traditional doc treatment can breathe a bit. There’s a funny animated sequence, and he kicks the whole thing off with a famous bit of TV footage, in which iconic homophobic crusader Anita Bryant gets a well-earned pie in the face during a press conference. She weeps, struggles to find her composure and then prays for the man who pied her. Hallelujah. For the Bible Tells Me So is a powerful film, a perfect addition to the fine work of documentarians who have taken on religion and faith, like Sandi DuBowski (Trembling Before G-d), Parvez Sharma (A Jihad for Love) and Teodoro Maniaci and Francine Rzeznik (whose One Nation Under God explores the bizarre world of ex-gays).

The third season of the long-running crime series Hawaii Five-O has arrived on DVD. Dig the trashy writing and Jack Lord’s hair, and guests like singer Nancy Wilson and Martin Sheen.