After several recommendations from a lot of different people, I finally watched Facing the Giants this weekend. The film tells the story of a struggling Christian school football team and how their coach inspires them by his faith and commitment to God to go on to win a state championship.
As for the review, let me begin with the what all the people who recommended this movie: "This is a really good movie. The acting is pretty bad, but the movie is really good."
So, if you are going to watch this movie, you need to start out with that caveat in mind. The storyline is pretty good for what the film sets out to accomplish, but the quality of the acting and the production is not the best.
Overall, I enjoyed the movie and agreed with the basic concept that the film tried to portray, namely "with God, nothing is impossible." You have to understand that that is the message that the film is trying to convey. Most movies asks you to suspend reality somewhat to bring across their point, and Facing the Giants is no different. If you are able to suspend reality, and accept the storyline, then Giants effectively teaches the power of God to overcome any struggles we may face and conquer the "giants" in our lives.
Every thread of the storyline reinforces this point. (Spoiler Warning) The coach's car is falling apart and an anonymous donor gives him a new Ford F-150 pickup truck. The coach also receives a $6,000 a year raise when the teams starts winning. The commitment of the coach and the football team leads to a revival on campus in which one of the team members becomes a Christian and is reconciled to his father. The coach, with God's help, is able to turn the football team around and save his job. The coach and his wife, struggling with issues of infertility, are able to get pregnant, not once but twice. The football team, defeated in the first round of the playoffs and facing elimination, are reinstated in the playoffs because the team that beat them is disqualified for playing two inelgible players. The football team then goes on to face the Giants, four time state champs who are bigger, stronger, faster, and better coached. The game comes down to a field goal attempt in which the undersized, less than confident, second string kicker named (you guessed it) David must kick a fifty-one yard field goal to win the game with two seconds left on the clock.
Now, let me say loud and clear that I absolutely and completely agree with the basic premise of the movie that nothing is impossible with God. I can affirm in my own life that God has done some things that I thought were absolutely impossible. However, I think the movie overstates its case. Literally everything in the movie works out for the best. And that is not how life often works. God can do the impossible, but he is also sovereign, and sometimes his purpose and plan for our lives means that we will face difficulties that won't always easily be wrapped up.
I would have enjoyed the movie more if it had shown the reverse side of this coin. Had the coach and his wife continued to praise God without getting a child, had the team not went on to the state championship, had some tragedy struck the football team, I would have more readily accepted the movie as a reflection of real life. The coach and players continually say, "We praise God when we win, and we praise God when we lose." The full force of the movie and its impact as a whole would have been greater to me if there had been a realistic representation of the latter part of that statement.
As it now stands, the film could be construed as reinforcing a health and prosperity gospel, that if you love God and have enough faith and serve him, everything will always turn out perfect. That is why I offer a caution in viewing the film. It is a great movie for Christian families, so long as you understand that it does not represent the whole story. Be sure to talk to each other about the reality of the Christian life. Remember, being faithful to God's call for his life led Jesus to a cross and countless other believers to suffer for the sake of Jesus Christ.
Beyond that, the movie also gets preachy at times. I completely support the idea of realistically depicting the lives of people of faith in film. I think realistic people of faith are sadly absent from television and movies. I think it is awesome that a church (the movie was produced, written, directed and cast by members of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, GA) would step out in faith to produce a movie as a means of conveying the Christian message. However, the dialogue in the movie often sounded like it came directly from the pastor's sermon for the week. People of genuine faith and conviction and character usually talk about their faith without using phrases that sound, well, like a sermon.
I would also caution against trying to use the movie as an evangelistic tool. Although, it gives a clear statement of the value of faith in God, it is a little too over the top for the average unbeliever. If you have someone who is very receptive to the gospel and very close to crossing the line of faith, then the movie could be an effective tool. But for the average spiritual seeker, I would advise using some other tools. For one, the quality of the movie might be a distraction to your friend. If they are quickly turned off because of the quality of the movie, you may have lost the opportunity for further conversations. I would recommend movies with spiritual themes that can serve as conversation starters with your friends (movies like The Chronicles of Narnia, The Green Mile, Saving Private Ryan, or Harry Potter).
In summary, I enjoyed Giants and will share it with my family and Christian friends, while recognizing that while trying to communicate its message, it leaves unsaid some important aspects of facing the giants in our lives with faith in God. Enjoy the movie, but we aware of its shortcomings and be careful about trying to use it to win people to faith.
No comments:
Post a Comment