The value of story

When we read through the Gospels, it's a ready realization that they were written in story form.  Granted, they are written in a very special narrative format, but they are story, nonetheless.  We don't hesitate to praise the value of reading and knowing the gospel story and the stories in the gospels.  But we should stop and consider the format.  God gave us the most important piece of information in story form, not any other form. Jesus did most of his teaching in story form and even at times did not give an explanation to the meaning of his stories. 
What do we do with this in our own lives?  Consider the current state of our culture here in the US.  From birth onwards, we are immersed in stories.  Children's books, audio books, movies, etc. We are given to story.  We seem to have an inherent interest in, as well as a training towards enjoying a story.  The billions of dollars spent every year on movies and fiction supports this idea.
What is the appropriate way to handle this?  As I am constantly learning, there is no easy, black and white answer to this.  Can we learn from movies?  Absolutely.  But it is also true that movies and fiction can be a huge waste of time and a distraction from what is truly important. 
It's a question you must answer for yourself, but it must be an honest answer that is preceded by many other questions, answers and considerations.