Plot Summary
Nothing ever seems to work out for Grant Taylor, high school coach of the Shiloh Eagles football team. His team is the laughingstock of the conference, his job is perpetually on the hot seat, his income is sub-par, and he and his wife cannot seem to have any children. What’s worse, the allegedly Christian football players have horrible attitudes toward the game and toward life, thus causing their new season to go from bad to worse. Everything comes to a head one day when Coach Taylor overhears the top men of the private school discussing his potential exit with one of his trusted assistant coaches. This causes Grant to cry out to God for help, and He answers, telling him to disciple his players and to foster a new attitude on the team. This is all confirmed by a faithful praying man who refuses to give up on the spiritual state of the school. When Grant gives everything over to God, he is shocked at the results that are produced not only at his job but also in his personal life.
Production Quality (3 points)
Giants was a landmark work in the Christian movie industry. It upped the standard of Christian movie production quality, something that was long overdue. The Kendrick Brothers invested in better equipment, and it paid off. Gone are the days of poor Flywheel production. The camera work, which could have easily been poorly done due to difficult football game scenes, is flawless. There is no more grainy video or medieval sound; the lighting in Giants is excellent. The soundtrack and audio quality are professional. Box Office Revolution sees little to nothing negative about the Giants production quality.
Plot and Storyline Quality (1 point)
This is perhaps the weakest area of Facing the Giants. The plot is fairly predictable, but it is done in the best way possible. The characters are believable and the Christian message is meaningful without being preachy. Dialogue is meaningful and real life events play out that the viewers can relate to. There are no real surprises or plot twists, but after all, this was the Kendricks’ second movie on a relatively small budget. One breath of fresh air is their continued commitment to well-thought-out comedy scenes, something that makes average movies great. Overall, this is not a creative plot, but it is done well.
Acting Quality (3 points)
Who needs ‘professional’ actors when the Kendricks are the acting coaches? ‘Amateur’ actors are made great in this movie. They make their characters believable rather than stereotypical. Dialogue is delivered well. BOR sees no real errors here.
Conclusion
In short, while Giants is not the best movie, it is certainly an above average movie. This is due to superb leadership and a commitment to a meaningful Christian message. Production is top-notch and the acting is excellent. This movie’s only weak area is its average plot, but this is only a small issue when compared to other Christian movies. The most important thing is that the Kendrick Brothers were not done yet.
Final Rating: 7 out of 10 points
Box Office Revolution 