Plot Summary
Reggie Knox is a successful professional football player, but he feels the call of God to leave the league and go to make a difference in the lives of struggling inner city teenagers. He feels like he can make more difference in the world by coming down the world of real people rather than insulating himself in a professional sports bubble. Thus, he and his wife move to Oregon to work at an inner city high school, where they find many opportunities to impact the lives of young people who desperately need the love of Christ.
Production Quality (1.5 points)
As a 1990s production, Reggie’s Prayer has a lot of raw moments. This include some dizzying camera work and some inconsistent audio quality. There are also some odd sound effects and weird special effects in certain parts. However, video quality is fine throughout, and the aforementioned areas show good improvement as the film goes on. The good thing is that sets, locations, and props are well-used and well-constructed throughout. Yet there are some moments of disorienting editing, even though this area also shows some improvement throughout. In the end, this production is a mixed bag, thus warranting an average score.
Plot and Storyline Quality (1 point)
While this is a good story idea based on true events and realistic and believable circumstances, there are still some issues here that hold it back from being all that it could be. One such area is the confusing and isolating psychological elements near the beginning of the film. Also, while characters are somewhat accessible, they could still use some better development through deeper and more meaningful dialogue, even though the dialogue is fine as it is. There is also a lot of content that needs to be further explored as there are plenty of under-developed subplots throughout this storyline. Also, while there is a very good message in this plot that many audiences will enjoy, the villain that somewhat dominates the plot is cheesy. In the end, this is an enjoyable plot, but it seems like it could have gone further.
Acting Quality (2 points)
It’s likely that the casting and acting of this film is its strongest point. Though there are some moments of over-acting, there are also plenty of great moments that make this section above average. With the exception of the villain character, emotions are believable and line delivery is on point. Most cast members are cast appropriately. In the end, this film has plenty of good in it.
Conclusion
If this film had been slightly modernized and refined in some of the rough areas, it could have been way better. Even so, many audiences will still enjoy this film, and future film makers can learn from its desire to portray real people with real struggles. The core concepts of this plot can be used in the future to ensure sports plots do not become so formulaic. The important thing is to capture the accessible struggles of characters audiences can relate to.
Final Rating: 4.5 out of 10 points
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