Writer(s): Matt Chastain, Meredith Johnson, Jarod O’Flaherty, Alan Tregoning, Micheal Willbanks
Director(s): Jarod O’Flaherty
Producer(s): Jarod O’Flaherty, William Carroll, William Curtis, Corey Cannon, Abby Wilkie, Micheal Willbanks, Michael Dennis, Candace Collier, Katherine Johnson, Kat Steffens, Nene Nwoko
Starring: Todd Terry, Peggy Schott, Emma Elle Roberts, Steve Mokate, Matt Holmes, Ben Davies, Venus Monique, T.C. Stallings, Cameron Arnett, Andrew Cheney, + more
Plot Synopsis: Vindication is an episodic faith-based crime-drama series that follows the small-town investigative work of Detective Travis.
Colton is a police officer who’s haunted by the trauma of witnessing his former partner get gunned down in a crossfire. Now, Colton avoids all things relating to God even though his wife wants him to come back to the faith. However, circumstances begin to change Colton’s heart as he’s forced to face the past that he’s been running from.
Production Quality (2 points)
Although this production is mostly above-average, it still has some unnecessary pitfalls, such as odd zooms in the camera work and some strangely blurry video quality in certain parts. Action camera work is inconsistent, and the soundtrack is a bit loud at times. Also, flashbacks tend to be disorienting, and the editing has a lot of quick cuts and transitions, but all aspects of the production generally improve with time. This include better video quality, audio quality, and camera work in the second half of the film. Sets, locations, and props are relatively stable throughout. In the end, this mixed-bag section does enough to warrant this score.
Plot and Storyline Quality (.5 point)
Fearless Faith is based on a very valid and worthy idea that needs to be explored in entertainment: law enforcement trauma. However, this concept is presented with stream-of-consciousness storytelling that lacks focus or overarching themes. Average conversations don’t do enough to develop the generic characters although there is a lot of missed potential to have better dialogue. The perfect Christian characters and racial stereotypes don’t do much to help the cause of the narrative. Religious platitudes and lack of continuity are only compounded by wasted time and plot jumps. Despite dry humor and sarcasm that could have made for interesting experience, unrealistic coincidences happen just because the writers need them to. Even though the ending does a somewhat good job of bringing everything together, characters are fixed way too easily, and the conclusion isn’t properly set up. There are no meaningful payoffs because a majority of the storyline is just kicking the can down the road to get to an unearned high point. The climax falls flat where it could have soared because it lacks effective build-up, and personal tragedies aren’t exactly treated in a serious fashion. All of this is to say that Fearless Faith had the potential to be a truly interesting movie, but this section’s low score holds it back.
Acting Quality (1.5 points)
As a whole, the acting in this screenplay is average. Surprisingly, Jason Burkey may have found his niche in this film as he demonstrates pretty good performances with dry humor and sarcasm. This role doesn’t require him to go too far beyond his abilities, which actually works. Elsewhere, there are no obviously glaring errors in this section except for some annoying yelling and screaming. In certain pivotal scenes, the acting can tend to be unnecessarily blank and not present. In the end, this aspect of them movie rounds out an okay effort.
Conclusion
Fearless Faith had a lot going for it since it was written by real law enforcement officers who know what it’s like in the real world. This creative team put forth a pretty good project in Beautifully Broken, but Fearless Faith seems to lose some of this progress. A disorganized narrative derailed most of the potential in this screenplay, and a handful of concerns in production and acting didn’t help either. Next time, however, this team can hopefully learn from their mistakes and seek better counsel in their plot development.
Jack Benson never knew his birth mother, and this fact has always caused his pain. That’s why he takes the opportunity to run when he gets a vehicle for his sixteenth birthday. However, he doesn’t make it very far and ends up stopping at a local diner called The Griddle House. There, he meets an eccentric cast of characters that surprisingly helps him sort through his problems to find hope.
Production Quality (1.5 points)
For the most part, The Griddle House has a respectable production even though it’s mostly limited to a handful of sets. Even still, the props therein are realistic, and video quality is as it should be. At times, however, there is some shaky camera work as well as some odd camera angles. As a whole, the audio quality is on part with standards, even if the soundtrack is slightly generic. Further, the editing is fairly basic without any major concerns or significant positives. Therefore, this production is basically average since it’s neither horrible nor dynamic.
Plot and Storyline Quality (.5 points)
From the get-go, it’s fairly hard to understand the point of the story behind The Griddle House. While there’s some character potential, the dialogue isn’t enough to keep them from being generic and cardboard, even though it’s almost entirely made up of conversations. The forced comedy doesn’t help matters, especially since it’s very flat and awkward. Many scenes appear to drag on just for the purpose of filling time, and the interactions between the characters seem stiff and forced rather than natural and dynamic. The Griddle House draws a lot of comparisons with The Encounter, except with fewer Messianic characters. In the end, there’s not really that much to this movie’s plot as it’s hard to deduce the actual purpose behind the random conversations that fill the run time and don’t do enough to help us truly know the characters. This is one of those nice-try-but-not-good-enough efforts.
Acting Quality (1.5 points)
As a whole, the acting in The Griddle House is fine but not very dynamic. The cast is somewhat vanilla in their performances and safe in their acting. This doesn’t allow many major errors to surface, but it also doesn’t create an environment for standouts. Also, emotions are somewhat awkward throughout, and this section overall comes out as average.
Conclusion
Bearfruit Films typically likes to try different things (i.e. Rumors of Wars), but The Griddle House doesn’t quite meet these standards. It’s almost like there’s some kind of hidden idea in this film that was never fully disclosed or that there were pertinent scenes edited out that would help us understand better. The overall underlying tone is hard to grasp, which makes it difficult to discern the actual purpose. Perhaps future projects from this creative team will yield more lasting results.
A random small town is apparently falling apart due to the local factory closing down, and this decimates a Christian private school’s basketball team and sends the coach spiraling. When he already doesn’t even know what he’s going to do about a team, his superior, the principal, forces him to coach a one-girl cross-country team even though she has asthma! Along the way, he stumbles into a random hospital room containing someone who has surprising connections to the plot! Will he ever learn who he really is in Christ beyond just being a coach?
Production Quality (2 points)
Okay, so, what exactly was this $5 million budget spent on? Much of the production is fairly uninspiring. As usual for the Kendricks, it’s fine and mostly professional-looking, but for reals…all we get from this dollar amount is a bunch of vanilla sets, props, and locations mostly pertaining to people’s houses, a school campus, and lots of running\training footage? The decade-plus career of the brothers who brought Christian film out of the dark ages culminates with this? Besides the overall blah-ness of the layout, tons of time is wasted on nothing special in this film, and the editing seems very disjointed and disorganized. However, much of this could be due to the lack of any substantial plot content…
Plot and Storyline Quality (.5 point)
…which makes us wonder what the story actually is here. What are we supposed to focus on? The less than half-an-hour treatise on small towns falling apart? Five minutes of basketball footage? Alex Kendrick getting angry and throwing things? A runner with asthma? A random guy in a hospital? In all actuality, the blind man in the hospital bed is the most worthwhile subplot of the entire film, and it keeps this section from being abysmal, yet we only hear this part of the story through spoken word rather than via effective flashbacks. The only way to fix this film would be the focus entirely on this part of the story (the past and present narratives of the blind man and his interactions with other side characters) through a non-linear plot style. However, we don’t get this in Overcomer as we’re instead left with a very disjointed and disorganized storyline that gives us no opportunity to get to know the characters except that Alex Kendrick’s character is an almost-perfect white guy who has to save a non-white girl. Therein, there are many disturbing themes, such as the white family being overly good as they help the ‘bad’ African American girl; it goes without saying that a very disturbing plot point involves the school principal telling the coach to aid said minority minor in going around and lying to her legal guardian in basically illegal fashions. These actions are painted as good and never receive any consequences because the white characters can do no wrong. It’s too bad that the cross-country athlete character never stood a chance with the poor dialogue written for her character…she’s essentially programmed to respond to the prompts of her Caucasian helpers with little thought of her own. Elsewhere, old Kendrick humor is dying a slow and painful death as cringe-worthy attempts at comedy litter the already-confusing landscape of this storyline. In the end, it’s very difficult to think this plot had any other goals besides pushing propaganda and some kind of weird suburban version of Christianity.
Acting Quality (1.5 points)
The Kendricks can choose literally anyone to be in their films; some cast members would do it for free, yet Alex insists on continually casting himself in lead roles he can’t pull off. He and Shari Rigby crowd out the runtime of Overcomer with bland and forgettable performances that drown out better skills from supporting (non-white) cast members who are barely given a chance to do anything. For instance, Priscilla Shirer and Cameron Arnett have plenty of acting skills, but we don’t see them as often as we see awkward white people. Aryn Wright-Thompson probably has something to offer if she was ever given a shot to do something besides robotically repeat stale lines. In the end, this section is fine, but it punctuates a surprisingly bad effort from the Kendricks.
Conclusion
Minus the unusual racial undertones and the bizarre condoning of illegal actions, Overcomer is basically a run-of-the-mill church film with a sports twist. Even without the glaring issues, however, this still wouldn’t be acceptable based on where the Kendricks are in the careers. They are basically at the pinnacle of success, coming off their most successful film (War Room), so their budget and advertising resources are clearly vast. They can hire and cast whoever they wish, including actual screenwriters, yet they decided to settle for a well-produced version of Flywheel combined with the worst racial stereotypes found in Courageous to create a blandly vague idea that focuses on forcing messages down the audience’s throats. In the end, it appears as though their refusal to reach out and try different collaborations is causing them to fade into the background of an industry they helped save from the brink.
Detective Travis always wants to bring the criminals of his small Texas town to justice. However, he’s not always right, and he can’t do it all on his own, despite what he believes about himself. Through every twist and turn of each case, the detective learns something new about himself and about life, but the ultimate challenge of his work and life involves his daughter and her checkered past. Thus, when she comes to stay with him and his wife, he’s sure she’s got something to hide. However, he could have never foreseen the end result of this.
Production Quality (1.5 points) For a relatively low-budget series, Vindication is definitely trying when it comes to production. The video quality is great throughout, and the camera work is respectable. Sets, locations, and props are mostly fine, but the audio is sometimes too quiet. At first, there’s basically no soundtrack, but this tends to improve as the series goes on. While there are some creative story overlays and plot criss-crossing throughout, the editing can be fairly choppy at times. Sometimes, scenes start and stop at awkward places, and some portions seem unnecessary. However, this element also tends to improve with time. In the end, this is an average production that shows commendable effort.
Plot and Storyline Quality (.5 point) What an absolute roller coaster of a storyline. It’s difficult to know where to begin with this; in the first two-thirds of the series, many of the cases are either fairly unrealistic or extremely simplistic. Some contain improbable circumstances just for the sake, it seems, of being unique and tricky. Others contain lots of coincidences and convenient turns; many of them include partially or mostly inappropriate content seemingly just because. While being edgy and realistic is a good quality to have in Christian entertainment (rather than white-washing humanity), there’s a fine line to walk between authentic and trashy. As a side note, some of the ‘crimes’ that are actually ‘twists’ are substantially questionable and borderline ‘vindicate’ the wrong types of behavior. Elsewhere, the suspense elements don’t seem to jive with reality even though there are some interesting psychological elements throughout. Besides the head-scratching partially objectionable content included, the treatment of police ethics and criminal procedure throughout the series would be offensive to many real police officers. Rules are callously broken with no resource, and while it would be one thing to portray a rogue cop in a negative light for the purpose of being realistic, it’s another thing to downright condone unethical practices in the name of doing the right thing, including mixing personal vendettas against certain people and in favor of family members with police work. The detectives’ time is spent on petty misunderstandings that would likely draw the attention of higher authorities due to their frivolous use of resources and questionable methods of arresting people with little reasonable suspicion. These two major problem areas (inappropriate content and offensive portrayal of procedure) are almost enough to totally derail the series from the get-go, especially when these issues are combined with a lot of blank and empty dialogue and cheap Christian messaging throughout the first two-thirds of the season. Odd portrayals of women and minorities throughout the series are also concerns to contend with, but the recurring subplot between the main character and his daughter keep the narrative on life support long enough to get to the final two episodes of the season, which almost save the writers from themselves. It’s clear that the entire series was made for this storyline, and the daughter is the only notably interesting character in the entire creation. The last two episodes are so starkly different from the other ones (except for the disregard for jurisdiction and other questionable practices in the name of being police with agendas) that it seems like an entirely different idea, yet the thinly-developed characters still shine through due to their lack of depth in the first eight episodes. Had they been properly built in the first two-thirds of the season via real cases and authentic circumstances, we would be looking at a totally different concept. As they are, the last two installments include very effective flashbacks that take a good look at hard issues effecting many people. In doing so, the final ‘villain’ is fairly realistic, and the partial conclusion of the subplot between the father and daughter is mostly authentic and believable. Nevertheless, despite the acceptable ending, it doesn’t cover over the multitude of sins committed by the rest of the storyline.
Acting Quality (1.5 points) Acting isn’t a glaring problem throughout the series even if many cast members come off as very robotic and overly practiced. However, this is likely not a talent problem or a coaching issue because the lines they are given are usually uninspiring. This is evident since acting seems to improve as dialogue gets a slight upgrade in the latter third of the season. Although makeup is terrible at first, this seems to get better too. The key standout performance from every episode she’s in comes from Emma Elle Roberts as she sets herself apart as a truly talented actress with potential beyond this series. In the end, this is neither the best nor the worst acting from a Christian season.
Continuity Quality (1.5 points) As previously mentioned, the only significant continuity throughout season one of Vindication involves the storylines of the central character’s family, especially his interactions with his daughter and her checkered past. However, these recurring subplots are fairly good in the midst of a mostly typical recurring crime drama style. Still, it would have been preferable to see some other interwoven subplots that were worthwhile to follow.
Conclusion
The creators of Vindication are trying to do something, but there are too many elements of season one that are way off base. The use of edgy content is commendable for a crime series, but it would be nice to see better standards of propriety when it comes to dealing with sensitive topics. For another, a lot of significant research needs to be conducted before anyone creates a drama centered around criminal procedure and police work because it can be easy to make careless mistakes. Further, there needs to be a better look at mental and behavioral health issues beyond simplifying them and reducing them to trite Christian sayings and prayers. In the end, this concept may work better as a larger-scale federal investigative storyline rather than confining it to a small town with unusual half-mysteries. To summarize, the creators have potential somewhere in here, but there’s too much blocking out the light.
Brad and Lillian believed that they were meant to be together forever. When Brad graduates from high school, Lillian believes this will not affect their relationship as she has one more year to go. However, on the night of the graduation, Lillian’s life is changed forever when Brad disappears for days without contacting anyone. The town searches for him and holds vigils for him, but nothing ever comes of it all as the months go by with no word about Brad’s whereabouts. Lillian’s emotions collapse as she can think of nothing else besides the future life she thought she had. Will she be able to pick herself back up and remember the faith she claims to have had?
Production Quality (2.5 points)
After several years of trial and error, the production efforts of husband-and-wife movie team John and Brittany Goodwin have paid off. Though If You’re Gone had a modest budget, it was allocated very well. This is evident in the professional video quality and camera work. The soundtrack is a very good original creation, and the audio quality is spot-on. Sets, locations, and props, though somewhat limited, are utilized very well. The only minor issues to point out here that keep this production from being perfect are some inconsistent lighting and some slight editing issues, but as a whole, this is a very professional production that gives great hope for the future of Every New Day Pictures.
Plot and Storyline Quality (1.5 points)
Based on the original novel from the Goodwins, If You’re Gone delivers a unique plot and a compelling message. Though the story can be a bit slow at times, there are some great conversations and dialogue throughout that seek to build characters. However, there were still some missed opportunities to use dialogue to deepen characters just a tad more since this is a character-based story with only a handful of characters. These missed opportunities are most evident in the middle of the film as it appears to only serve to fill time with montages and somewhat repeated scenes in order to get to the ending. Though some audiences may not hold on for the end, the conclusion is definitely worth the wait as it contains an unexpected twist combined with a very unique and empowering message that one does not see very often in Christian film. This ending is very much worth your time, but it would have been even better to see some flashbacks in the middle of the film that helped us to further understand why the characters did what they did and that expanded upon the family of origin issues that were touched on. This story was clearly written for the excellent ending, so it would have likely been Hall of Fame if the lead-up was more engaging. Even still, some will find this movie to be worthwhile and interesting.
Acting Quality (2 points)
For the most part, the cast of If You’re Gone appears to be well-coached as each cast member does a good job assuming his or her respective role quite well. Masey McLain is always a great lead, but it might have helped for her to have further support since some cast members come off as a bit weak and detracting from the overall score. However, emotions and line delivery are above average as a whole, which rounds out this film very well.
Conclusion
The Goodwins have persevered for several years in pursuit of the greatest film, and they have a unique opportunity to create their own source material by writing it before making their own films out of it. They have always been close to the mark, and with If You’re Gone, they have come even closer. Production is in a good spot for them, and acting is nearly perfect. The next step forward for their team is to ensure stronger plots to accompany their great messaging. Writing stories can be difficult, so it may be a good opportunity to adapt other source material as well since the Christian fiction world is replete with options. In summary, If You’re Gone is definitely a good film, and the Goodwins are one step away from true greatness.
Chase Morgan is going to be a senior in high school, but he never feels like he’s been able to make a difference in life. He is content to just hang out with his best friend OB and not really be noticed by anyone, but when a new girl, Gracia, comes to school, she turns his world upside down and he feels like he has to get to know her, even though he is terrified. But as they grow closer and become friends, they discover that they have the ability, through their faith in God, to change their world together.
Production Quality (3 points)
The collaboration of Film Incito, Check the Gate Productions, and Five Stones Films is a lethal combination in crafting a flawless production. Because of Gracia demonstrates exactly what a modern Christian production should be, from excellent video quality to professional camera work to seamless audio quality. The soundtrack is also very well-constructed and appropriate for the genre. Sets, locations, and props are also without flaw. The editing is nearly perfect as well as the story is presented in an inviting fashion. In the end, Lisa Arnold and her production team have finally struck gold with this film, and the sky is the limit from here.
Plot and Storyline Quality (1 point)
New screenwriter Tom Simes has debuted his skills with a worthwhile plot. Though the story is somewhat limited and tends to be a stereotypical high school romance, the characters carry the story very well and make it enjoyable. Dialogue is mostly creative and complex, thus serving to build the characters. The biggest issues to point out here are a lot of unnecessary heavy-handed narration and quite a few ‘silly’ sequences that keep some characters and subplots from being further explored. It’s great that we know the main characters well and that they are not black-and-white in their construction, but we would like to get to know the supporting characters just as well. Also, the epilogue that is tacked onto the end of this film really puts a damper on an otherwise excellent point that is shared at the end. Nonetheless, Because of Gracia isn’t afraid to deal with some very real and serious topics in a realistic fashion, so the creative team must be applauded for this. In the end, this is definitely a good plot to start out with since it shows further potential for the future, and it is still enjoyable as it is.
Acting Quality (3 points)
You can hardly ask for a better cast than this. Moriah Peters and Chris Massoglia are excellent in their roles, as are Ben Davis, Masey McClain, and the rest. The collective minds behind this film really hit a home run with this cast, as each cast member assumes their character flawlessly and even improves upon what is written for them. Emotions are very believable and line delivery is excellent, which demonstrate the presence of acting coaching. In the end, this section punctuates a very worthwhile film.
Conclusion
We should be seeing movies like Because of Gracia come out every month from Christian film makers. This proves that with time, adequate funding, effort, and care, any film can be Hall of Fame. With the right combination of producers, directors, and writers, greatness can happen. Movie making, more often than not, should be a team approach, and hopefully Christian film makers are learning this now. When it releases to the public, this film is definitely worth everyone seeing. It lends great encouragement to the slow but sure turnaround and upward trend of Christian film.
Jessica is struggling in her battle with cancer while her mother struggles to hold it all together emotionally and financially. The last thing her Jessica’s mother expects is for her father—Jessica’s grandfather—to show up at their house unannounced in the midst of it all. Her mother has no choice but to let Jessica’s grandfather watch over her daughter while she is at work. Through it all, will they be able to mend their broken family ties even in the midst of the battle with cancer?
Production Quality (1.5 points)
Closer to God is another one of those productions that has good effort behind it but not enough funding or creativity to sustain it. As is usual for these types of productions, video quality and camera work are fine. Audio quality is good, but there is virtually no soundtrack. Sets and locations are quite cheap and limited to a few houses and vehicles. Another common element for this sort of production is blasé editing, which is also true for Closer to God. There are a lot of lagging scenes and confusing transitions. Overall, this is an average production that could have been more.
Plot and Storyline Quality (0 points)
While based on true events, Jessica’s Journey follows the predictable progression of a simplistic disease plot. It is less dramatic than this type of story usually is, but it is instead filled with a lot of activities of daily living and meaningless sequences. The characters are somewhat flat and one-dimensional due to uncreative and non-starter dialogue. Perhaps the most identifiable element of this film is the creepy grandpa character depicted above. A majority of the story is him wandering around the house spouting unusual dialogue. While there is a vague recollection of meaning in the ending of this film, the rest of it is simply too much for it to matter. We are unsure what was trying to be insinuated by the grandfather character, who dominates most of the movie, but perhaps they had no control over this actor…
Acting Quality (1 point)
It seems like the grandfather actor has been set loose on this set with no real direction except to use annoying and overly-enunciated line delivery. He overshadows the other cast members, some of which are fine. However, casting Ben Davies as a character older than he is simply does not work at all. Some emotions are overdone throughout this cast, but there is some positive here, yet not enough to compete with creepy grandpa.
Conclusion
Films like this are very safe and marketable, but they have no staying power. They don’t make the difference they hope to make and they rarely return the money that is wanted. They are especially bad when they are remembered for weird offbeat characters like the grandfather in this film. Elements like that are all that is remembered of these types of films because they have no dynamic elements to truly affect the market. Once again, this is another one to throw on the pile.
When Aaron Chase’s brother dies in a school shooting, his family moves to a new area in the hopes of starting over. He ends up going to Rosewood High School, whose arts department budgets have been slashed due to overall budget cuts. The students in those departments are disappointed and seek to put on their own show. Aaron gets involved and decides to stand up for the faith he has been hiding, even though an evil atheist teacher is trying to stop him at every turn.
Production Quality (2 points)
For what it’s worth, Liberty Counsel and JC Films made sure Uncommon looked good on the surface. Video quality is clear and camera work is professional. Audio quality also meets industry standards, although the soundtrack is bloated and full of cheesy songs. Sets, locations, and props demonstrate that time was put into them. Yet editing is quite poor, as there are far too many musical montages and filler scenes that appear to just be filling up the runtime rather than imparting real content. Essentially, care was put into making this production look good, which is fine, but it’s just not enough when it comes to substance.
Plot and Storyline Quality (0 points)
As is to be expected, Liberty Counsel and JC Films construct a false reality where religious persecution is rampant in public schools—to a degree that is unrealistic and requires half-truths to be told—and which is full of heavy-handed propaganda messaging and narration to drive their points home. Atheists are extremely offensive strawmen, while Christians are downtrodden and overly perfect. Dialogue only forces the plot along, which is actually quite boring and melancholy when all is said and done. There is an attempt to be complex and different with some of the plot elements, but it’s not enough to make up for the outright twisting of reality that has to be done to make this movie’s message work. Basically, when all is said and done, Uncommon simply boils down to a sophisticated version of God’s Club.
Acting Quality (2 points)
Another interesting element to Uncommon is that time and care were also put into the casting and acting. This is a semi-professional cast, yet they appear to be coached fairly well. There are some awkward moments and unrealistic emotions, but on the whole, this is actually not that bad of a performance by this cast. If only this truth could translate to other films.
Conclusion
Uncommon is an anomaly. Usually movies that have small-minded plots like this one are terrible in all areas, yet time and care were spent on production and acting. It proves that anything can be done if you put your mind to it. Just think if this type of effort was put toward other movies that have better plots than this. But in the end, Christians overall need to steer clear from these types of plots for like forever, unless they’re going to portray real persecution that happens anywhere except the Western world. We need to change the mentality that ‘the atheists’ are always around the corner trying to snipe us and just live out our faith the way God wants us to. Jesus didn’t constantly gripe at or sue the Pharisees or Romans for religious persecution, and He had plenty of His ‘rights’ violated. God’s work can proceed whether or not you have your Bible club in a public school. People need to know that Christians care, and with stuff like this being put out there, it’s really hard to see that Christian leaders care about anything except ‘getting back’ at atheists.
After Jason Burkey’s heart is broken by a girl he thought he would spend the rest of his life with, he gives up a basketball scholarship (as he is frequently reminded) and does the most natural thing anyone would do: run away to live on a remote island with his reclusive father, Kevin Sorbo. But seven years later, Kevin Sorbo get tired of the island and decided to buy a sombrero and live the rest of his days on a boat. So Jason Burkey is forced to go back to the hometown he bitterly left behind and finds everything very similar to the way he left it. He’s still angry at Ben Davies and won’t talk to him, but he slowly finds that the plans he originally had may not have been the best for him—including that basketball scholarship!
Production Quality (1.5 points)
On the surface, like many productions, A Place in the Heart seems fine. Video quality and camera work are on par. Sets, locations, and props are acceptable. However, audio quality is inconsistent—sometimes too loud and other times too soft. The soundtrack is regularly too loud and is at times juvenile. As for editing, there are too many awkward transitions and there is too much choppy content as the film jumps from one thing to the next. In the end, this production is just average, but it seems like it could have been much more than this.
Plot and Storyline Quality (.5 point)
Loosely based on The Great Gatsby, A Place in the Heart has a mild amount of complexity, yet this complexity is detracted from by a lot of amateur elements. Narration used as a crutch to fill in the missing parts of the plot that are due to unnecessary time jumps, even though it is a stereotypical return-to-hometown style plot. Parts of the premise are forced, unrealistic, and based too much on coincidences, while there are tons of manufactured dramas and childish sequences. Dialogue is very stiff and stilted, including very unusual statements and asides, thus creating very awkward and wooden characters. However, despite all of these issues, the second half of the film is slightly better than the first half, and contains a partially interesting message and point if you make it that far. But in the end, the only reason for any plot twists is the fact that this plot is borrowed from other sources.
Acting Quality (0 points)
Any small amount of good that is accomplished in this film is totally derailed by this awful casting job. Any cast that includes Jason Burkey, Kevin Sorbo, and Ben Davies without coaching is sure to be a disaster. Every character is represented by a very awkward cast member that exhibits mumbled lines, fake emotions, and generally poor line delivery. Unfortunately, this film shows that good intentions can be greatly hurt by poor casting.
Conclusion
Romance is a very difficult genre to write because it can very easily become a high-school-level of cheesy. Regrettably, A Place in the Heart commits almost every common romance error all at once. On top of this, the production isn’t what it should be and the casting is deplorable. Movies like this are painful to see because they are so prominent in Christian film. This is not what the face of Christian film should look like, as we have said time and again. Yet hopefully, slowly, this trend is changing.
After Simone Burner is attacked by the grandson of a powerful man, she is arrested for the grandson’s murder and mostly everybody in the city turns against her for no particular reason. Therefore, she has to seek out the help of an estranged attorney who doesn’t really like her as her last resort. Meanwhile, there are tons of others subplots are all going on at the same time as other random characters are briefly introduced who have very loose connections to the original point. With so much going on, the question is not what will happen, but will anyone understand what is happening?
Production Quality (2 points)
Virtuous has a professional and adequate production, as evidenced by clear video quality, good camera work, acceptable audio quality, and an intriguing soundtrack. Sets, locations, and props are professionally chosen and presented. On the surface, it seems like Virtuous checked all the necessary boxes to receive a passing score. However, the major detractor here is the horrific editing. Somewhere in post-production, someone needed to sit down and have a serious talk with the JC Films team about whether or not it’s justified to have a 150 minute film that has next to no continuity. This was the editor’s job; however, this was not done, and thus, it leaves a gaping hole in this film.
Plot and Storyline Quality (.5 point)
As previously mentioned, this perhaps the most convoluted and non-continuous plot in all of our viewing days. With hundreds of subplots that have very little connection to one another, there is no way to make sense of what is going on as the story hops from one random thing to the next. There’s all kinds of intrigue with this local judicial and law enforcement system and how corrupt businessmen are trying to control stuff, plus some stereotypical down-on-his-luck who takes on a seemingly impossible case that has some ties to a non-profit involving Erin Bethea, and this doesn’t even cover the random guy in the hospital and the nurse who takes care of him who also has a questionable position on the jury of the original trial. This previous run-on sentence doesn’t even cover all the points Virtuous tries to expand on. It’s like twelve different people all had ideas and decided to shove them all together into one bloated film. With so much going on, there is no hope for character development as dialogue is stunted and all over the place. The only characters that stand out are strawmen villains, unfortunately. Yet despite all of this massive blending of concepts, there is a really interesting idea somewhere lost in the fray that would be better served in a miniseries format. It’s disappointing to see good ideas go to such waste, especially when it’s like this.
Acting Quality (1.5 points)
With so many cast members, it’s really hard to keep up. This is an unusually large cast for a Christian film, thus making the performances inconsistent and random. Sometimes line delivery and emotional delivery are good, while other times they are not. Overall, it comes out as fairly average.
Conclusion
When you’re in the process of making a film that is over two and a half hours and you actually have the budget to make a film this long, perhaps you need to stop and consider: with so much content, I should make this a series! People love series: just look at the unexplainable success of When Calls the Heart. Why not, instead of making a cumbersome film like this one, try something different and create an interesting genre-busting Christian series. It would be a huge hit. Yet once again, we are left wondering what could have been.
When Cassie Roberts receives word that her father is having medical complications, she is forced to return to the small town of Texas she grew up in, the one she tried to get away from. While back in town, she is reminded of her horse riding days and reluctantly agrees to help her father and his young trainer to train her old horse for a reining competition. Will she be reminded of what she left behind and of the new life she can start anew?
Production Quality (1.5 points)
While Texas Rein has good standard production elements, including video quality, camera work, and audio quality, there are still some other issues to raise. The soundtrack is very stock and uninspiring. The sets and locations are quite limited to a few houses and outside areas and don’t even give off that small town feel. Finally, the editing is quite poor and causes the film to be very choppy and confusing—just a collection of random scenes. There are also too many musical montages. In short, while this movie looks good on the surface, it’s really just an average production.
Plot and Storyline Quality (0 points)
So a character returns to their hometown they don’t want to be in because of some extenuating circumstance and finds a reason to stay (usually a horse is involved) and meets a significant other and so on and so forth. We’ve seen this plot before and this is a 2016 movie, so why are we seeing it again? Besides the predictable plot structure, the characters therein are extremely juvenile and simplistic. The dialogue is typical and full of small town statements. Nothing really substantial happens as the passage of time is hard to follow. We can’t feel like these people are real or are doing real things as their unrealistic high school dramas are resolved too easily. Basically, there’s really nothing good to say here.
Acting Quality (.5 point)
This is really a very poor casting job. The actors and actresses are awkward, wooden, and robotic in their line delivery. They don’t express any believable feeling or emotions. On the bright side, this is possibly Erin Bethea’s best role to date. But otherwise, this is a big disappointment.
Conclusion
It’s great to want to make a movie, but sometimes you need to take a step back and see if it really is worth marking. Texas Rein probably would have done better as a short film, to work as sort of a springboard for better things. With no creative plot content and very weak characters, this was unfortunately not a story worth telling. Also, it’s great to have production elements down, but having such a poorly coached cast is unacceptable. Perhaps things will improve in the future.
As Roxy, a college student, witnesses the slow but sure takeover of a one world government, she chronicles her thoughts, beliefs, and discoveries in a detailed journal that is eventually discovered by agents of the new world order. Shaw 408, the agent who discovers the journal, is unsure of his role in the takeover regime and finds himself intrigued by the journal’s contents. As Zurn, the leader of the new regime, tightens his grip on the world by ordering everyone to receive a microchip inserted under their skin, the world descends into chaos. Who will survive?
Production Quality (3 points)
It’s clear that the Bearfruit Films team has a commitment to high quality productions, as their effort on Rumors of Wars shows in every production element. Video and audio quality are error-free. The original soundtrack is effective and appropriate. The apocalyptic sets, locations and props are excellent. The action-based camera work, which is often difficult to execute, is done quite well. Finally, there are no obvious editing errors, thus making this a perfect production job. This is rarely found, so we greatly anticipate Bearfruit’s future work.
Plot and Storyline Quality (1.5 points)
Rumors of Wars is a unique brand of apocalyptic storyline that actually doesn’t bite off more than it can chew by trying to cover tons of apocalyptic high points. Instead, the story stays in a controlled atmosphere to build a good dystopian premise without jumping through time too quickly or zooming all over the world. The mixing of the past and present subplots is interesting and is done fairly well. However, this overall concept needs a little more explaining and development. The characters are most okay, but some of the villains are cheesy. Surprisingly, the antichrist character is actually different and creative. Finally, Rumors of Wars does commit a key apocalyptic error in creating a passive-aggressive this-might-be-continued-someday ending. But otherwise, there is a lot of potential here and room to grow.
Acting Quality (1.5 points)
Full of recognizable actors and actresses, this cast is a mixed bag. Sometimes they are over the top and other times they are very much on point. For example, this is not T. C. Stallings’ best performance, but Ben Davies is better than usual. It’s different from cast member to cast member, thus making this an overall average performance.
Conclusion
This whole idea would work so much better either as a series of films or as a miniseries. There are a lot of creative ideas and concepts hidden in here that require further development, which necessitates more time and money to do this. We hope that one day this movie concept can be continued or remade in some fashion. Regardless, Bearfruit Films has a talented team, so it will be interesting to see what they have planned next.
Rachel Joy Scott was an artistic free spirit who longed to change the world. When her father left the family when she was young, it left her confused and searching for affirmation in her friends. However, after a spiritual experience one summer while staying with her cousins, Rachel knew she would never be the same again. But she still struggled with trying to hang out with her old friends, who always tempted her to be like them. As Rachel tried to discover her true identity, she still felt like she needed to change the world. In the end, as tragedy hit Columbine High School, she did change the world, and touched many lives in the process.
Production Quality (2.5 points)
This is obviously a talented and dedicated production team, as they went all out to make this movie as realistic as possible. They stayed true to authenticity with the sets, locations, and props, demonstrating that this was not created lightly. Video quality, audio quality, and camera work are obviously flawless. The soundtrack is effective and thought-provoking. The only detracting factor in this movie is a slight editing issue that is mostly due to having too much content to deal with. But otherwise, this is a high quality production that shows both the commitment and the skill of those involved.
Plot and Storyline Quality (2.5 points)
We say this all the time—it’s almost always better to portray a real life story in a movie. With guidance of real events and people, the Rachel Joy Scott story has been thoroughly and effectively brought to life in I’m Not Ashamed. The characters are highly accessible and relatable, as are the circumstances they experience. Rachel is a real person with real struggles and real problems, as are the other characters. The dialogue is excellent and builds strong personalities for the characters. The only caveat to raise here is the fact that since such a large story was taken on, some parts seem rushed through, but nothing bad enough to ruin this story’s overall point. The message that is communicated through this plot comes across very well and challenges Christians to live out their faith without compromising. This is a job well done.
Acting Quality (3 points)
Movies can be made or broken by their casting, but I’m Not Ashamed does not disappoint. Each cast member fits their character exquisitely. This is arguably Ben Davies’ best performance to date. All emotions are realistic and lines are delivered effectively. Costuming is realistic. There are no errors here.
Conclusion
It might have been tempting for someone with less than pure intentions to portray Rachel Joy Scott as a perfect saint, but this was not done by this writing team. She was a teenager who struggled to live out her Christianity, just as many of us do. Yet though she was surrounded by confusion and turmoil, she made a difference with the short life she had. Besides being a quality film, I’m Not Ashamed succeeds in communicating this important message. This is what Christian film should be about, so things are certainly looking up.
When Ethan Cooper is fired from his day job, he picks up an unlikely freelance job when a friend of his parents’ pays him to break up her daughter from her boyfriend. She then refers Ethan to other parents who want their daughters’ boyfriends gone. His business booms almost overnight until he is hit with two difficult cases: one set of rich parents want their son to give up his ‘low class’ girlfriend and one mother refers Ethan to break a girl up from her boyfriend—only the girl turns out to be Ethan’s childhood crush. He will have to decide whether or not to proceed with his heart or his head.
Production Quality (3 points)
The Vetter Brothers and Wesley Elder clearly have a commitment to quality and professional production that is demonstrated throughout The Matchbreaker. Video and audio quality are crisp and the camera work is effective. Sets and locations are highly realistic and enhance the movie. The soundtrack is also great and down to earth. Finally, the editing is flawless and drives the point home. In short, there are no real errors here and it’s refreshing to see more and more new film makers committed to starting off with quality.
Plot and Storyline Quality (1 point)
Caleb Vetter, Wesley Elder, Torry Martin, and Marshal Younger certainly make up an excellent writing team. The comedy in The Matchbreaker is quite good, as is most of the dialogue. Thus, the characters are all very believable and excellently developed. However, this storyline is somewhat simplistic and straightforward, leaving it with little potential to work with. But despite this, it is developed to its fullest extent. There’s also some minor narration to contend with, but it’s not a big deal. In the end, though the plot is this movie’s weakest area, it does not keep it from being a movie worth watching as there is plenty of real humor to enjoy.
Acting Quality (3 points)
Like the production, there are no errors to point out with this casting job. Each character is cast to perfection and each cast member executes their role flawlessly. Comedy acting takes true to talent to avoid being too obvious, and this cast delivers. This is a job well done.
Conclusion
There is clear talent in the collaboration of the Vetter Brothers, Wesley Elder, Marshal Younger, and Torry Martin. The Matchbreaker demonstrates a commitment to high production and acting quality. While we would like to see a more complex storyline and a deeper Christian message, there is great potential in this team for the future. People like these creators prove that independent Christian films can be quality if the right dedication and talent are applied. We can’t wait to see what they have planned next.
Final Rating: 7 out of 10 points
Full disclosure: We were provided by the creator with a copy of this film in exchange for a fair and honest review
When a high school class is given the decision to vote for a ‘popular’ girl for homecoming queen or a Grace, a girl with Down’s syndrome, the latter wins in a shocking upset. One of the ‘popular’ girl’s friends, Cara, accidentally befriends Grace and her friend Brandon as they try to find Grace a partner for the homecoming dance. Cara finds herself torn as her ‘popular’ friends try to ostracize Grace and as she begins developing feelings for Brandon. In the end, the entire school will be faced with the reality that special need people are just like everyone else and they should be treated thus.
Production Quality (1.5 points)
With an obviously limited budget, Touched by Grace sometimes does the best it can with what it has, but other times it does not. The sets are quite limited, but this is not entirely a negative issue due to the small scale plot. They are realistic, which is important. The camera work and video quality are quite good for a production this small. The soundtrack is average; we would have liked to see more here. There is much positive to say about this small time production, but the biggest issue is the editing. There is virtually no editing present in Touched by Grace. Too many scenes are long and drawn out, making for a disappointing experience. All in all, there are both positive and negative aspects to this film, which is very frustrating.
Plot and Storyline Quality (1 point)
There was so much potential in this movie. It’s based on a great idea and has believable elements. It could have been very touching had more time been spent on character development. Sometimes the dialogue is meaningful, and other times it’s not. There is far too much understatement in this film; sometimes things happen for no reason. A common mistake in Christian film is overstating the obvious, but Touched by Grace has the opposite problem. More needed to be emphasized regarding the important issue of treating special needs people as equals. Where this movie could have been heartfelt, it just came off as somber. The main redeeming quality is the effective end that the movie was obviously written for. The end was powerful enough to make this movie something great had the remainder of the plot been adequate. In short, it’s a disappointing plot and one that desperately needs a remake.
Acting Quality (1.5 points)
With a largely amateur cast, the actors and actresses sometimes come off as awkward, but other times they shine. Ben Davies as a high school student doesn’t really work and he definitely needed more coaching. On the flipside, the casting of special needs people was a score as they were some of the best cast members. Overall, this cast wasn’t bad, but it could have been a winning cast with better coaching.
Conclusion
Touched by Grace receives half of an x-factor point for presenting an important issue in a semi-meaningful way. Overall, while this movie was sometimes heartwarming, it was also frustrating to watch, knowing just how much potential it could have achieved. This is not one of those Christian productions that has no heart or care behind it. We truly believe that the creators sincerely cared about this issue and wanted to make a movie about it. Their heart was in the right place, but their film inexperience derailed it. Inexperience is probably not their fault either—it’s a tough world out there for independent Christian filmmakers. This is why it’s all the more important for Christians to come together and pool their resources to produce quality over quantity. Just think of what would have happened if two stupid Christian movies were defunded and the money was given to this one.
When the Evans family comes to the small town of New Hope to pastor the church, they inadvertently walk into a hurting town that’s still lost and confused following the unexpected suicide of their basketball star. The oldest son, Michael, suddenly realizes that he has accidentally filled the shoes of the late town legend, and immediately becomes a target for the angry best friend of the dead hero. The Evans family and the town must together navigate the wake of suicide and determine how they are going to discover a new identity together.
Production Quality (1.5 points)
For a little known independent film, the production of New Hope is decent enough. The camera work is average and the angles are good. The video and sound qualities are consistently above par. However, the musical score is uninspiring and there are quite a few editing errors. Scenes are cut off at odd times, some scenes are awkwardly placed, while others seem completely unnecessary. While most of the surface issues are covered, there is simply too much amateurish editing for the production to be rated any better.
Plot and Storyline Quality (.5 point)
Dealing with life after the suicide of a family member and friend is an issue that needs to be discussed in the context of film, but New Hope is either too melodramatic, too inauthentic, or too inappropriate. Dialogue is too obvious and dramatic, thus making extreme characters. Michael is an okay character, but the others are not accessible. There are too many screaming matches throughout. There is a generally offbeat flavor to New Hope, like there’s something the characters aren’t saying out loud. There is also some inappropriate content that doesn’t belong in a supposedly family-friendly movie, all in the context of a bizarre and forced romantic subplot. Overall, this plot meanders along with emotional outbursts, picture taking, and basketball games, without really accomplishing anything. The end is very rushed and the implied scenes during the credits are absurd. In short, there is little to be positive about here.
Acting Quality (1.5 points)
The story here is much like the production quality—it’s good, but not good enough. Some actors and actresses perform well while others do not. Emotional delivery and line delivery are inconsistent. Costuming is average. Overall, this is just average.
Conclusion
New Hope had the right idea to try harder on production than most Christian films, but it never found its story identity. The plot is a vague idea that it slapped together with sports elements and a pathetic attempt to be edgy. The bottom line is that the creators rushed ahead too quickly and didn’t think this movie through. We feel that the resources could have been used more appropriately, as will your time in watching this film.
Elizabeth Jordan, on the surface, has an ideal life—a good job, an expensive house, a husband with a high salary, and a nice daughter. However, something isn’t right, something is just missing. She can’t really seem to get along with her husband anymore, he seems distant and preoccupied with other women, and she barely knows her daughter anymore. Everything changes for Elizabeth when she meets her new realty client, Miss Clara. Miss Clara subtlety pricks into Elizabeth’s personal life just enough to make Elizabeth interested in finding out what Miss Clara’s secret to happiness is. After talking long enough, Elizabeth discovers that her life is not alright and that Miss Clara’s secret weapon is worth a try. The secret weapon? A war room, or a prayer closet. Miss Clara teaches Elizabeth to fight for herself and for her family on her knees so that God can fight for her rather than her fighting for herself. Little did they know that the battle had only begun.
Production Quality (3 points)
In the same vein as Courageous, the production quality of War Room is high. Despite this being the first Kendrick movie away from Sherwood Baptist Church, nothing in the area of production quality changed between Courageous and War Room. While there are no real action scenes in War Room, the diversity of sets is still present. The soundtrack fits into the film neatly. The editing and the production give the movie a close to home feel, which seems to be what the creators were going for. In short, this is business as usual for the Kendricks.
Plot and Storyline Quality (2 points)
The plot of War Room follows a typical non-linear Kendrick plot with minor twists and turns—one that defies conventional plot structure. In the beginning, the plot depicts realistic struggles of accessible characters paired with a clear Christian message, which is a hallmark of the Kendrick brand. Dialogue is mostly effective in building character motive and driving character arcs, and the message is obviously a powerful one, but there is a point where the storyline of this film overstays its welcome through multiple moments that seem like the end and through stop-and-start sequences that lag on a bit too long with the purpose of driving home how the characters have become seemingly perfect. Thus, while there is plenty of good in this plot and while there is no doubt of the film’s success, we needed a bit more realism in the arcs of the characters. However, the message of War Room is still worthwhile.
Acting Quality (2.5 points)
In the first movie away from the Sherwood acting pool, there are no concerns here. The actors behave just as all actors do under the tutelage of a Kendrick movie crew. The delivery of lines is solid and the emotions are believable. This type of movie is heavily dependent on the acting quality, and they did not disappoint. A continued under-appreciated aspect of Kendrick films is their commitment to diversity of casting. This is huge, since Christian movies should be better than mainstream movies.
Conclusion
The Kendricks have a brand, and they are sticking with it. War Room feels like a redux of Fireproof with better cast members and a less textbook message, but the up-and-down career of the Kendricks continues in this rendition. They know their audience, they have the marketing skills down, and they have the name recognition to basically do whatever they want from here on out and still have box office success. War Room takes another spot on the Hall of Fame, but we have to wonder if the Kendricks will branch out in their post-Sherwood career or if they will continue to churn out more high-quality but safe films. We are banking on the latter, but we will be looking for them to do something more creative in their next film.
Adam Mitchell and Shane Fuller are just average deputies in an average Georgia city. They’ve seen humanity at their worst and have tried their best to not become desensitized to the world. But their mediocre existence is altered when they meet Nathan Hayes, a transfer deputy who truly lives out his faith and his commitment to his family. Hayes challenges them and a young deputy, David Thompson, and eventually a mutual friend, Javier Martinez, to commit to become better men and fathers, not to just settle for the status quo. They don’t take him very seriously until tragedy rocks all of their worlds and they are forced to truly look at what they believe in and what they are working towards in life. Yet as they each make their own decisions in response to the tragedy, they find that every choice has a consequence and the right way is hardly ever the easy way.
Production Quality (3 points)
In their largest budget at this point in time, the Kendricks minced nothing. They left everything on the proverbial production field. The camera work is masterful, from filming difficult action scenes with skill to bringing an overall high quality and professional look to the movie. The editing is at least average, especially when considering the large amount of plot content. There is an excellent balance between action and serene and even sad. Audio quality is excellent, including an effective soundtrack. Sets, locations, and props are very realistic. This was no doubt a difficult production to pull off, but the Kendricks did it very well.
Plot and Storyline Quality (1.5 points)
Courageous follows a typical Kendrick storyline, including multiple subplots and non-linear elements. There are a lot of great attempts to develop characters through dialogue and realistic situations. The stories of the characters are intriguing and mostly relatable, even if it sometimes seems like there is a lot going on in the film. Many different issues are covered in the plot, which is both good and bad. Not everything turns out to be perfect, and many very relevant concepts are included. However, sometimes the storyline comes off as a bit disorganized, and sometimes the messaging it a bit too obvious. Moreover, there is plenty of good here, and many audiences will enjoy this film.
Acting Quality (3 points)
What else can be said about the acting coach talents of the Kendrick crew? Once again, seasoned actors are mixed with ‘average’ actors, and there is no difference. Kevin Downes, with years of acting experience, is no better or worse than Robert Amaya in his masterful acting debut. In addition, the Kendricks continue to show a commitment to diversity of actors, which something many Christian film makers struggle to do. As a whole, the Kendricks are consistently great in the categories of production and acting.
Conclusion
The Kendrick Brothers have definitely found a Christian movie-making model, and they are sticking with it. They have an audience, and they know what types of stories they want to portray and what types of characters they want to craft. There is always plenty of positive to find in their films, and their consistency puts many Christian film makers to shame, but one can see how this movie model can become pedestrian. In future films, they should consider retaining better screen-writing, but since they have something that works so well, it’s hard to see it changing.
Box Office Revolution 