| Overall Grade: |
B+ |
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| Story: |
A |
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| Acting: |
B- |
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| Direction: |
B |
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|
| Visuals: |
A- |
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|
Actually Better Than A Lot Of Hollywood Movies
by sounddude (movies profile)
May 28, 2008
248
of
251 people found this review helpful
By now, most everyone will know that Facing The Giants is a no budget movie, shot on video, written by two brothers from a small Baptist church in Albany, Georgia, directed by and starring one of those brothers, featuring all amateur actors, using only 5 professional crew members and involving hundreds of volunteers from their church.
Their goal was to make a movie that would appeal to those of like mind with a message of hope and encouragement; that God loves them, cares about them, and with him all things are possible. That's it. They had no aim at greatness, no goal for Oscars, no serious thought of even showing the movie in theaters since the cost for that would just about double the budget they barely squeaked by with. But through a series of pretty miraculous events, including stuido giant Sony Pictures asking to distribute the film in movie houses, Facing The Giants has become a household name and a mirror of the movie's David and Goliath theme. Against the Goliath of the Hollywood movie making machine, this little film has garnered more press than most blockbusters can afford to buy.
And it's gotten some respectable reviews, from those who take into account all of the above facts in the first paragraph. So maybe there just may be something to the underdog status that God does indeed care about.
Facing The Giants is the age old story of the small against the strong. It follows the struggle of small town high school football coach Grant Taylor as he comes close to being fired for a six year losing streak. But that's not his only problem. His junker of a car is barely running, his dishwasher is broken, the house stinks and he and his wife Brooke haven't been able to have children in the four years they've been trying. Only after finding out about the plot to relieve him of his position, does Grant get serious with God, calling out for wisdom and direction in his life for all of his problems.
Following a visit from an old man who prays daily for the students at the school, Grant starts to seek God through prayer and study of the Bible. With a new hope and purpose in his heart, the coach now must turn his apathetic football team around.
Yes, it's an old story and yes, the outcome is predictable. But Facing The Giants accomplishes it's mission of communicating God's love through cleaver writing, perfectly timed humor and extremely well shot and realistically staged high school football sequences. In fact, the story is so affecting, that you quickly look past the stiff amateurish acting and are caught up in the drama and action.
I've rarely witnessed audiences participating in a film as much as this one. There was hooting, cheering, laughing, clapping and crying, lot's of crying, but all at the right time and no snickering, well maybe a little at the last crying scene. But the crowds at the showings I attended were not only into the movie, but they "got it", they understood what this movie was attempting to do.
I have to say, that in an age of super budgeted feature films where most come and go in a couple of weeks after tanking, Facing The Giants outshines and out classes a large majority of those Hollywood giants. Maybe that's another message the film makers didn't intend to be communicated through their film but is there anyway. Watch out Hollywood. If you won't make family friendly films which portray Christian people in a positive, realistic way, they will and people will come and spend their money to see them! |
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