Movie Review | God Bless the Broken Road

Synopsis: 
God Bless the Broken Road tells the story of a young mother who loses her husband in Afghanistan and struggles to raise their young daughter in his absence. The film combines elements of faith, country music, and stock car racing while paying tribute to those who serve in the United States Military.

Bless the Broken Road has always been a special song for me. Some of my first sweet memories are from teaching a friend to play the accompaniment for this song on her harp. And now they've made a movie based on the song's theme. 

Amber Hill leads the choir at church and focuses on raising her young daughter while waiting for her husband to return home from fighting in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, devastating news is brought to her and Bri, and they must learn to live life differently. Bri's loving Sunday school teacher plants the seeds of faith in her students and Bri's childlike trust is beautiful to watch. Amber's faith, however, is tested, and though others around her love her and protect her, ultimately she will have to find her own way along the broken road. 

The church friends, the mother-in-law (however different she may be to Amber), the race car kids' leader, the US military men, a car repair man (and his apprentice ;) show their support for Amber in various ways. It was so amazing to watch the community of the church gather around her and provide for her in physical, mental, and emotional ways. And they continued doing so even when she tried to make life work for herself. 

Though Amber believed in God, she doubted His goodness, and it takes more challenges in Amber's life to bring her back to a full relationship with God. This movie wasn't shallow or casual in it's approach to faith in God, and the little quotes and vulnerable moments bring theology to a practical level. Sometimes it is a broken road that God takes us along to make us understand knew things or to show us the old things we've forgotten. And in the end, Amber finds that those around her were instrumental in holding her up when she couldn't stand. 

I believe God Bless the Broken Road is already in theaters, so go check it out and support those who bring us Christian content through the art of film!





*Film has been provided courtesy of Pacific Northwest Pictures and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Movie Review: Samson

Storyline from MovieInsider:

A Hebrew with an unusual gift of strength must respond properly to the call of God on his life in order to lead his people out of enslavement. After his youthful ambition leads to a tragic marriage, his acts of revenge thrust him into direct conflict with the Philistine army. As his brother mounts a tribal rebellion, only Samson's relationship with a Philistine temptress and his final surrender - both to the Philistines and to God - turns imprisonment and blindness into final victory.

So I requested this movie, not realizing that I would only be able to view a few scenes within a 26-minute span. If I had understood that, I wouldn't have requested it because I'm not sure I can give it a fair review without the whole picture. 

Based on what I can see, the acting is well done and the couple scenery shots are amazing. I have always dreamed of seeing Israel, so movies and stories set in that period are special to me. In Scripture, we aren't told of many emotions or thought-processes of the characters, so viewers will be cautioned that there are dialogues and conversations that are definitely added in. From what I could see, I thought the main parts were true to Scriptural events, so that was encouraging. 

Samson has never been a favorite character of mine. I always thought he was too flawed, though I recognized that God mightily used him to bring the Israelites to repentance. In my judgment of him, these movie clips showed me that as an Israelite himself, Samson would have recognized the One true God and would have prayed to God. One scene I especially loved was Samson's anointing as a judge. 

Judges were often given supernatural power and this movie also portrays that. It also demonstrates some of the judgment that God's people went through due to their rebellion and unbelief in God's power. The Philistines were not kind masters and it is likely that they suffered as the movie portrays. I'm not sure I liked the relationship between Delilah and Samson, only because they portray her as one compelled and forced into a relationship with him in order to trap and catch him, but then actually ends up loving him in the end. While there is no indication in Scripture for or against Delilah's love for Samson, it throws a somewhat unneeded emotional aspect into the scenes I previewed. But I cannot say for certain what my entire opinion is on that, as I did not see the entire show. 

One thing I had trouble comprehending was the fact that Samson was indeed powerful. While I have read his account in Scripture and mentally realized that he was strong, the movie demonstrates that visually. For me, it's easy to say "Oh, that's just the movie" or "Oh, that's just graphics". But no, Samson's strength was probably demonstrated in similar ways as the movie actually shows. So that was indeed a good reminder. 

The movie is rated PG-13 due to the fighting scenes, and as I have no seen the entire movie, I cannot say for sure what my opinion is, but I am interested in seeing the finished product. This movie releases February 16th.


*Film montage has been provided courtesy of Pure Flix and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Movie Review: All Saints

From the Website:
ALL SAINTS is based on the inspiring true story of salesman-turned-pastor Michael Spurlock (John Corbett), the tiny church he was ordered to shut down, and a group of refugees from Southeast Asia. Together, they risked everything to plant seeds for a future that might just save them all.

After trading in his corporate sales career to become a pastor, Michael’s first assignment is All Saints, a quaint country church with a dozen members. It comes with a catch: he has to close the church doors for good and sell the prime piece of land on which it sits. While developers eagerly eye the property and the congregation mourns the inevitable, Michael and his family look forward to moving on to an established church where they can put down roots.

But when the church hesitantly begins welcoming Karen (kuh-REN) refugees from Burma—former farmers striving for a fresh start in America—Michael feels called to an improbable new mission. Toiling alongside the Karen people, the congregation attempts to turn their fertile land into a working farm to pay the church’s bills and feed its newest people.

Jeopardizing his family’s future by ignoring his superiors, Michael must choose between completing what he was assigned to do—close the church and sell the property—or listening to a still, small voice challenging the people of All Saints to risk it all and provide much-needed hope to their new community.

My thoughts on this movie are somewhat scattered and few, but that's because I watched this movie last week and am just now posting a review. All Saints comes out in theatres tomorrow! 

While I wouldn't say that the production and quality are exemplary in this movie (they aren't bad though), I loved it for the quiet country setting and close community. I also think that two major aspects of this movie apply directly to the North American culture today. Michael comes to a dying church (called All Saints) just after vowing to obey his church authority even when he disagrees (which I don't completely agree with in concept). However, his heart isn't cold towards the small church family and he doesn't desire to kick them out and close the church doors. He struggles with his priorities and responsibity to his denomination, while caring for the people under him. While I don't align myself with Michael's denomination, I think his struggle as a pastor and as a man with those under his care is a real one. Churches today (especially in Canada) are dying and closing often. And sometimes the hours of work placed into people and land and property are unrewarded. Even failure is possible. Michael faces challenges and ultimately failure in this movie and I think that is portrayed well. 

As Michael pastors All Saints, the Karen refugees come seeking shelter and worship. Because only one speaks good English, they end up holding two services: one for the Karen, and one for the previous members. The church members weren't all excited about receiving these poor people, but they do come to accept them and cherish them. I think this is an important part for us today with the amount of refugees. I know that the refugee population isn't something the individual person has much say in, but it is our job to love the foreigner, welcome them, and help them transition to the culture while also respecting their differences. I think there is much hostility to refugees and those attempting to immigrate and it's hard to watch. In the Old Testament God specifically commands the Israelites to love the foreigner and leave some of the crop for them so they would be provided for. They were not Israelite-born, but they were loved by God nonetheless, and He still commands today that we love our neighbors. 

Michael risks his heart, home, and health in staying with the Karen and All Saints, but he does so out of love for them. And I love this about the film--the struggle to commit and to stay even when you face failure and hardship. There was one theological point at the end that was rather glaring and I didn't quite appreciate; that of all religions coming together to create community. Perhaps it was meant well in the setting of the movie, but I do not believe it helps with the "coexist" mentality of todays religions. There is only one God and He does not allow competition with His glory, and there is no rival to His throne. Other religions do not just fall alongside of Him and believers cannot fellowship with those of other faiths like they would among their own. It was a small comment, but it referenced a bigger point of the movie, and it was one I majorly disagreed with and wanted to mention. But despite theological differences, I found much encouragement from this film and I would encourage those who know their beliefs to go watch it and learn to stand strong even when life threatens to capsize our faith. 

*I will hopefully be receiving the book about this film in the next couple months! This film is based on a true story, so I'm excited to read and see how they compare. 

*Movie has been provided courtesy of Sony Entertainment Releasing Canada and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Movie Review: The Case for Christ

Movie Website: 

A hard-driving journalist, Lee Strobel was exactly where he expected to be at work: on top. His award-winning investigative reporting recently earned him a promotion to legal editor at the Chicago Tribune. But things weren’t going nearly as well at home where his wife Leslie’s newfound faith in Christ went against everything Lee believed—or didn’t believe—as an avowed atheist.

Utilizing his journalistic and legal training, Lee begins a quest to debunk the claims of Christianity in order to save his crumbling marriage. Chasing down the biggest story of his career, Lee comes face-to-face with unexpected results that could change everything he knows to be true.

Based on Lee Strobel’s award-winning bestselling book and starring Mike Vogel, Erika Christensen, Faye Dunaway, and Robert Forster, THE CASE FOR CHRIST will be available on Blu-ray™, DVD & Digital HD August 15.

I haven't done a movie review for a while, and I'm still deciding if I'd like to make it a habit, but when I heard of The Case for Christ coming out, I wanted to see it. When scouring through second-hand bookshelves and thrift stores for hidden treasures, I have often seen the book The Case for Christ sitting in the "religious" section, and I picked it up and skimmed through it a couple times but never bought it (yet ;). 

I really enjoyed this film. While though not one of external drama and action, the quiet workings of the Lord in people's lives was refreshing. Lee Strobel begins the movie accepting a promotion and we soon find out that he is a staunch atheist. He has a precious daughter, however, and an incident in her life begins the conversion of Leslie, Lee's wife. I loved Leslie as a character. She didn't try to change her husband, though she didn't hesitate to witness to him. But she loved him for who he was and prayed faithfully for him. There are moments of tension in their relationship simply because of the opposing faith backgrounds for them. Lee begins a project to destroy the arguments for Leslie's faith and ends up with answers that are different than he expected--answers coming from even those who don't profess Christianity. 

The message of this movie is definitely the story of Lee's journey to demolish the Christian faith. However, my favorite part of it was Leslie's story and faith through it all. The actors portray emotions and scenarios well. I would have liked the arguments for true Christianity to be a little more fleshed out and full, but the foundation was there, and I realize that a movie can only contain so much. I have found it a recent "trend" in current Christian movies though to portray a strong message, but not always strong logic for Christianity. Today's generations are in need of good arguments to answer skeptics questions, defend the faith against persecutors, and quiet the doubts of our own hearts at times. And I do think this is an area that needs to be improved in. But all in all, it was a good movie--one that captured my attention and told the story of a young family who found Jesus in unexpected ways. 

You can find out more details about The Case for Christ HERE. 

*Movie has been provided courtesy of Mongrel Media and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.