Plot Summary
Pam likes to control her life. She likes to persuade her boss to give her more power in the workplace and she likes to control the lives of her sons, even though she doesn’t agree with all their choices. One son, a delinquent druggie, is sent to live with her and her husband so that he can begin to turn his life around. The other son is living with his girlfriend and their child, with another on the way. Pam wants her life to look nice and neat on the outside, so she takes steps in her own strength to make this a reality. However, she quickly discovers that she cannot do everything and that she needs to look to God for her strength.
Production Quality (0 points)
Unfortunately, there is nothing positive to point out in this film. From low quality video to terrible audio quality to shaky camera work, this one is a doozy. Lighting is bad in a majority of the scenes, and the sets are very cheap-looking. An annoying Hallmark soundtrack clanks the entire time, sometimes louder than the dialogue. Transitions between scenes are very abrupt and some scenes appear to be missing. This horrid editing job is basically just cut and paste—even if it means key information is cut off or left out. It really seems like this crew had no idea what they were doing.
Plot and Storyline Quality (0 points)
We’re at a loss as to what this movie is even about. With confusing dialogue filled with abstract figures and workplace lingo, it’s like the characters are malfunctioning robots. The protagonist herself comes off a very dense and not connected to reality, even though she’s very serious about what she does. The subplots are disjointed and appear pasted together from multiple different movie ideas. The conflict therein is mindless and isolating; audiences are not able to connect with the struggles of the characters. With no focus or main point, the storyline comes down to an empty ending that teaches a dangerous half-truth, which will be discussed at the end of this review. Essentially, there was little reason for this idea to be approved for filming, let alone release.
Acting Quality (0 points)
Crystal Creek Media has a penchant for casting very wooden actors and actresses. There is nothing wrong with using amateurs and they can certainly be coached, but coaching does not exist in Crystal Creek Media’s budget. Cast members are emotionless throughout the film, delivering uninspiring monotone lines, like they’re reading from cue cards. I’m sure they meant well, but it doesn’t show.
Conclusion
When it comes down to it, Unexpected Places simply does not properly deliver whatever message it is trying to convey. What’s worse, the ending preaches a very dangerous idea: that when someone becomes a Christian, their life is automatically turned around in every aspect. There is no question that when someone is saved by surrendering to Jesus, their life is totally transformed. Yet this film appears to suggest that salvation takes away all of a person’s sin struggles; this is something that may confuse and frustrate those new to the faith. In the end, few will find this film even fully watchable, which is just another testament to the sad state of Christian film.
Final Rating: 0 out of 10 points
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I really like this film which portrays the difficulties in life which all of us have, do we believe God or not? You have for example the Do-Gooder in Church who wants to control her world, by the face she lives by. She demonstrates perfection, she goes to Church so that she can be perceived as good, as perfect, but ultimately she cannot control the world, though she makes a big effort to. Unfortunately that world comes crashing down around her, and when she gives me and admits she can’t, then she leaves God to do it – her son accepts Christ in Jail from his own conscious decision, and a miracle happens, the prodigal son who was dead, is alive again!
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You forgot about all the squirrel hunting scenes.
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Perhaps you can explain the relevance of them, as I didn’t quite get it
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Didn’t quite get what?
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The most absurd dialogue from this film occurs in a conversation between the protagonist and her husband: Him: “You do realize that you’re trying to fix your sons?” Her: “That’s my job.” Oohhhkkayy? Excuse me ma’am but I believe that’s God’s job….surely you’ve reaped this concept from the absurd Bible study you’ve been attending?
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