Plot Summary
Miles Montego has everything money can buy, but he is restless and is under investigation by the federal government. When he talks a Christian friend of his, he is inadvertently introduced to a girl he cannot stop thinking about. The only problem is she is an outspoken Christian while Miles hasn’t been to church since he was a kid. But in order to pursue her, he begins to play the part of a Christian, all the while running from his past as a drug dealer. Eventually, it will all catch up to him so what choice will be make?
Production Quality (1 point)
Though there was a modest amount of money behind this project, it doesn’t seem like it was spent very well. Camera work is fine, as is video quality, but there are one too many poorly lit scenes here. Audio quality is fine, but the soundtrack is very standard and typical. Sets and locations are fairly cheap and limited and have room for improvement. There are too many product placements in this film, which make it seem plastic. Finally, the editing is not the best as there are too many montages and wasted scenes. In the end, while there is some good here, it simply isn’t up to standard.
Plot and Storyline Quality (.5 point)
Though this film was based on a true story, this story is not necessarily portrayed well. There is too much narration that serves as a crutch to move the plot along. Dialogue is mostly okay, but characters tend to be too one-dimensional and need further depth. There is also some suggestive content that could have been avoided. The purpose behind this film is also questionable—the idea here could send a wrong message about ‘missionary dating’. It doesn’t really seem like the seriousness of the issues presented here are really grasped. Though there is a somewhat good message of redemption, its conclusion and quite forced and rushed—it’s very hard to appreciate what is going on here because it all seems too surface. Unfortunately, this was not the best way to portray a true story.
Acting Quality (1 point)
Though this is a ‘big name’ cast, and though there are some bright spots, there is too much over-acting and there are too many awkward performances in this effort. A lot of the cast members seem forcibly cast to the point where they don’t seem real. Of course, Stephen Baldwin is as ridiculous as can be expected. Also, costuming and makeup is largely overdone in most of the cast members. Essentially, this film is a case of too much of the wrong thing.
Conclusion
True stories are great in film—they can portray real people that audiences can connect with and learn from. However, I’m In Love With a Church Girl crafts an unusual message that can confuse Christians when it comes to dating. We certainly aren’t about to get into a debate over this topic in this forum, but we definitely have to be very careful when it comes to becoming emotionally involved with non-Christians. Besides this, the gospel is presented, perhaps unconsciously, as a quick-fix method for problems and is thus cheapened. But maybe next time this team will improve.
Final Rating: 2.5 out of 10 points
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