You may have heard about the movie Facing the Giants, the inspirational independent film about a high school football team that was seen by 1.5 million moviegoers last year. Not bad for a $100,000 budget. The DVD is now available everywhere you buy DVDs, including your favorite Christian stores (like Family, LifeWay, and Parable, though probably not all Catholic stores), along with the Targets and Best Buys of the world. If you get a chance, check out www.FacingTheGiants.com and watch the trailer. Show this film to your youth groups, get together and view it with your friends, or watch it as a family.
Here is a description of the movie:
From the award-winning producers of FLYWHEEL comes a new, action-packed, family-friendly drama about a high school football coach who draws up a new game plan for his team … and himself.
In his six years of coaching, Grant Taylor has never had a winning season. Even the hope of a new season is squelched when the best player on his Shiloh Eagles decides to transfer schools. After losing their first three games of the season, the coach discovers a group of fathers are plotting to have him fired. Combined with pressures at home, Coach Taylor has lost hope in his battle against fear and failure.
However, an unexpected challenge helps him find a purpose bigger than just victories. Daring to trust God to do the impossible, Coach Taylor and the Eagles discover how faith plays out on the field … and off.
With God, all things are possible …
I saw flywheel a couple of years ago. It was very low budget and perhaps one of the worst movies I had ever seen. My young teenage kids excoriated me for renting such a bad movie as well. Sadly, the intent may have been good but it proponed a "believe in Jesus" and all your problems will go away including finances etc.
It also depicted a very typical, but dysfunctional family where the "christian" wife brow beats and berates the spiritually lazy husband until he finally surrenders to Jesus.
Overall, I would give it A for effort, F for theology, and F for writing and acting . Once you see Flywheel, you will not want to see this next movie.