Reviewed by Marilyn Kimberley
Crossroads Communication is bringing the new Christian Feature Film Courageous to theatres in major Canadian cities starting September 30, 2011. The primary topic of this exciting new movie is fatherhood.
Jimmy Broyden, a Canadian who lives in British Columbia, was the Stunt Coordinator on this latest Kendrick Bros/Sherwood Pictures Movie. You may be aware that Sherwood Films is the name of the movie production team from Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. The Kendrick brothers, who usually produce, direct and star in these films are associate pastors at this large missionary-minded church. Previous Sherwood films might be familiar to you: Flywheel, Facing the Giants, and Fireproof. Fireproof was a surprise hit, debuting at #4 and becoming the highest-grossing independent film of 2008, grossing over $33,000,000. It received awards from evangelical Christian organizations, including the Best Feature Film award at the 2009 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival.
This eagerly-awaited new Sherwood film Courageous deals with events in the lives of four policemen in Albany, Georgia—all fathers. The movie promo states:
“As law enforcement officers, Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, and their partners are confident and focused. They willingly stand up to the worst the world can offer. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge that none of them are truly prepared to tackle: fatherhood.”
While they consistently give their best on the job, good enough seems to be all they can muster as dads. But they’re quickly discovering that their standard is missing the mark. They know that God desires to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, but their children are beginning to drift further and further away from them. Will they be able to find a way to serve and protect those that are most dear to them? When tragedy hits home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Can a newfound urgency help these dads draw closer to God and to their children?
Courageous is the fourth release of Sherwood Pictures and the first since Fireproof. It joins Facing the Giants and Flywheel in touching and impacting lives through heartfelt stories of faith and hope. Moviegoers will again find themselves crying, laughing, and cheering—sometimes simultaneously—as they are inspired by everyday heroes who long to be the kinds of dads that make a lifelong impact on their children. Protecting the streets is second nature to these law enforcement officers. Raising their children? That will take courage.
In addition, Randy Alcorn, the best-selling author of over 35 Christian books (4 million in print), has written his latest novel based on the Kendrick brother’s screenplay of Courageous. The book has received rave reviews. So, if you can’t wait for the movie, you can order the book. However, the book and movie are not exactly similar. Alcorn uses only about 20% of the material from the movie but has expanded both the background and the events in the book.
I have read Randy Alcorn‘s novel Dominion and couldn’t put it down. So, I will be ordering his most recent book and, because I have enjoyed all of the other Sherwood films, I also intend to order this dvd as well. If you have given up on contemporary movies because of their often lewd content, I encourage you to see Courageous. If you and I vote with our presence at Christian movies, we may see more production of this type of movie coming from Hollywood. If you can’t get to the movie, you may want to get the book.
See you at the movies on September 30.
