It's Great to See People Openly Talking About Jesus in Movies, but... Vague Spoilers in this review I just watched Facing the Giants and was really impressed by this movie made on a shoestring budget by a cast and crew of amateurs. The dialog was a little stilted sometimes and the acting was a little stiff at times, but it was certainly much better than I'd expect from amateurs. That's my assessment as a moviegoer. As a Christian, I do have a couple of issues with the movie. Was this a movie for Christians, non-Christians or both? If it was a movie for non-Christians, why didn't it present the gospel message. It talked about turning your life over to Jesus, but it never explained what that means. The movie never explained about Christ's life, death, resurrection, and what that means to us (on the DVD, they easily could have done this in the "extras" but maybe Samuel Goldwyn, Inc. would not allow it). Another issue I had that would cause a problem for non-Christians and Christians alike is that the movie made it look like if you'll just turn your life over to Christ, he'll take away all your problems: you'll go from lackadaisical to the leader of the team, your team will go from also-rans to champions overnight, you'll go from being in danger of being fired to an institution at your job, your wishy-washy subordinates will suddenly become your biggest supporters, you'll go from hating your father to being best friends with him, out-of-the-blue people will give you extravagant gifts, you'll go from being barren to being a baby-making machine, AND God will show you what is making your house stink and get rid of it.
Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the movie. I just think that these are near fatal flaws. God is not about removing our problems or causing us to triumph over all of them. God is about giving us peace in the midst of the storm. With God's help, we surely will triumph over many problems, but at the same time, he will also give us a peace while enduring them. (I suppose the wife did find peace in the midst of a storm before the nurse came to talk to her in the parking lot of the doctor's office at the end of the movie.) I did enjoy the movie, but just once I'd love to see a movie about the lives of Christians where what changes is the hearts of the characters in the movie--not so much the situations around the characters. There were hearts changed in this movie, but the movied showed everything becoming rosy by turning to God. God did not promise us that. I do agree that the coach's new, godly approach with the team would likely lead to greater success over time and a movie does not have time to show that happening over a number of years (and audiences don't have the patience to watch a movie about triumph that comes over a number of years. However, the coach and his wife's issues with children were not something that could be overcome by faith. I was really hopeful when I thought that the movie makers were going to have the guts to show them having to endure this thorn. It would have been a much greater message to Christians and non-Christians alike that God gives us strength to live strong through our trials. I find many Christians and non-Christians alike who think of God as a great big bubble gum machine. This movie does little to dispel that notion.
I do have to say that I was very pleasantly surprise to see a movie that was actually in my local theater that openly talked about Jesus and showed people of faith as average neighbors and in a positive light.
I give it 7 stars. It gets an extra star from me just because it showed Jesus and Christians as real people instead of the hypocrites as Hollywood usually does.