Facing the Giants

I heard a lot about this movie when it first came out. The local Christian radio station I listen to was advertising it and then reporting some of the media attention and public response it got. I was a little skeptical of the whole idea, since my overall experience with Christian-produced movies hasn't left a great taste in my mouth. (No offense intended at all, but did anyone else watch those "Mr. Button" videos? Bob-Jones-produced movies? So you see my point.) Still, I think it's important to support Christians who are brave enough to try to make a positive influence through the arts, so I rented Facing the Giants this past weekend.

It was actually very good. The acting is decent, the characters are likable and the humor is honestly funny. Plus, the movie is absolutely squeaky clean from start to finish. I also liked the fact that it was set in Georgia and all of the actors had real Southern accents--not the the put-on fakes of Hollywood actors. It is overtly and unapologetically Christian, which really was the only odd-seeming thing about it--the movie assumes that everyone in its audience is a Christian and understands things like prayer, Bible reading, and the concept of trusting God. The only criticism I have--if it can be called criticism--is that the story is a little too Cindarella-ish. One could get the impression that Christianty is a quid pro quo belief system: "If I trust God enough, He will make everything go my way." That being said, however, I thought the movie was very well done and I'd recommend it. It's good for an evening where you just want to kick back and watch a feel good movie without being assaulted by the usual foul language and other "stuff."