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Facing the
Giants
Run Time: 1 hour & 52 min
Rating: PG
Christian movie makers take note. A new bar has been set. A leap forward in Christian movie making has been taken. Facing the Giants does what many other movies involving faith have only dreamed of doing – it succeeds!
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When I heard of this movie I was skeptical. Why? Because it wasn’t being made by professionals. It was produced and filmed by a church in Georgia. A church who raised over $100,000 and volunteered their time to make this film happen. With very few exceptions this film was done without any Holywood talent. And it is amazing.
I won’t waste time on the story, because it is simple. A high school football team in the South hasn’t had a winning season in 6 years. This usually means death for the coach in an area of the country that takes its football seriously. And it almost does for this coach. However, once he focuses on getting his life back in line with God’s will, things begin to change – in a big way. Then the team “that can’t” becomes the “team that can.”
I can’t say enough good stuff about this movie. Where this movie differs from its Christian movie cousins is in the fact that it didn’t feel the need to force a “Salvation moment.” The writers didn’t preach Salvation. They let it be seen. (Isn’t that what the “visual” medium is all about? Let the visuals do the talking for you.) They believed their audience smart enough to figure it out. The writers took real believable Christians and let them live their lives in such a way that that Christ was glorified without stopping every 30 minutes to deliver the Gospel message. Characters would naturally pray or share an encouraging Scripture because that is what Christians do (or at least should do).
Two 15 year-old boys from my church went with me. I only told them it was a football movie. I didn’t want them walking in with any preconceived notions. When we left they both told me, with big smiles, that they liked it. We talked a little about it being Christian and they asked why I didn’t tell them upfront. I said I wanted them to think it was a normal movie so I could get an honest response when it was over. To which one boy replied, “It was a normal movie.”
The movie’s message is simple and inspiring. Get your focus on glorifying God. Give Him all of you and never quit, God is responsible for the results. The coach said, “If we win, we praise God. If we loose, we praise God.” It doesn’t get simpler than that. The movie allows this truth to be seen in character’s lives through real world circumstances.
I haven’t enjoyed a movie this much in a long time. I haven’t laughed so hard or come so close too crying in a long time. I wondered why. Then I realized that this film didn’t just give a message, but those that made the movie lived the message. The power of God came through each actor, the writers, camera men, everyone because they put the focus on God and He took care of the results. This movie was pure and that is one of the things Scripture tells us to think on. So take some of your time, see this movie, and think on its message.
