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.
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.
Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood clinic director and abortion rights advocate, was taken by God on an unforgettable journey of redemption and forgiveness that led her to reject her former way of life and trade it for a ministry of pro-life activism. Though no one could have ever dreamed that an abortion clinic supervisor would switch political sides and join her former enemies, there is no end to the power of prayer.
Production Quality (2 points)
As expected at this point from PureFlix, the production of Unplanned is above-average and hits all the right notes, for the most part. On the surface, it looks good due to high video quality, professional camera work, and adequate sets, locations, and props. Audio quality is also good. They’ve checked all the typical boxes, but there are some issues with the soundtrack as many of the songs don’t properly fit the situations they are played in. However, the most glaring problem is the horrific editing that takes the viewer all over the map of a story that could have been good but only ends up playing like an audio book, as we see next.
Plot and Storyline Quality (1 point)
At this point, it’s painfully clear that the current PureFlix team can’t even properly portray a great true story even if it hit them in the face like Abby Johnson’s story did. Even if the book is already written for them, you can count on PureFlix to fumble the ball at the goal line by falling back on their old tried-and-failed pitfalls of trying to be too obvious without trusting the audience to read in to the subtlety and of crafting too many climax scenes for dramatic effect. The obvious goal was the hit all the high points of the story in order to maximize the most shock and awe possible with the hopes of scaring people about abortion. There’s no doubt that there were many powerful parts of Abby’s story, but we’ll never really know as the demonstrative elements are over-emphasized in the movie while the potential for character building is simply replaced with incessant and heavy-handed narration. They seem like great characters, but it’s impossible to know them due to the narration and the wild time jumps that leave the viewer disoriented. Since there’s a lot of content in this story, it could have been effectively laid out via flashbacks that built character motivation, yet instead, we were left with talking-points conversations and overly emphasized strawman villain moments. The film is written for basically one good scene near the end where we actually get realistic dialogue uninterrupted by Bratcher’s narration, but it’s too little too late. Unfortunately, where Abby Johnson’s story could have been a powerful treatise on prayer and a change of heart, all we’re given is a smile-and-wave, run-of-the-mill experience dedicated to grossing people out about abortion whose R-rating is warranted due to lack of balance.
Acting Quality (2 points)
Surprisingly, Ashley Bratcher is a bright spot in this cast, which suggests her performance in Princess Cut was heavily controlled by the creators of that film. While the supporting cast might have been interesting, it’s hard to tell due to the famine of lines and dialogue in this film. Even still, the casting and acting are mostly good without many glaring errors…it’s just basically unfinished and left wanting, like the overall feel of this movie.
Conclusion
There’s absolutely no doubt that Abby Johnson and David Bereit played integral roles in bringing the pro-life movement out of the dark ages through prayer and expert leadership, and Abby’s story is an amazing one that deserved a movie of its own. However, PureFlix’s treatment of the story doesn’t do it any justice. Moreover, Unplanned, in a way, represents the current state of the pro-life movement: lots of well-meaning people who want to do the right thing, along with a collection of more influential people who believe that ‘gotcha’ talking points and graphic displays of the evils of abortion will change things. The early marketing for this film proclaimed it to be (another) death knell for the corrupt Planned Parenthood, yet we beg to differ. Any success the pro-life movement will find moving forward is by both listening to and telling actual stories of real people, not by falling into the trap of unleashing smoking guns that will ‘sink’ your opposition. There was a massive opportunity to tell a real story in Unplanned that could actually reach people, but once again, PureFlix proves that they can’t tell stories properly because this requires actually knowing people. Unfortunately, while the gory moments of this film can be powerful if packaged properly, when they are separated from an emotional connection with the characters, they can re-traumatize those who have been hurt by abortion, which doesn’t win any ‘converts.’
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.
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.
Box Office Revolution 