The latest from Christian film studio Sherwood Pictures (Fireproof) deals with issues of fatherly responsibility, which—surprise!—does not a thrilling experience make. Writer, director, producer and associate pastor Alex Kendrick also stars as one of four Georgia sheriffs, each beset by the tragedy of being a father in this kooky, gang-ridden culture of ours. The rest of the wooden cast, and most of the crew, are made up of volunteers from Sherwood’s megachurch to keep the budget low. The ludicrous two-hour plus running time gets padded with a wealth of time-consuming subplots that lead nowhere. While any momentum that begins to build through sheer luck is instantly derailed from scene after scene of lengthy monologuing about god’s expectations. That’s the problem with “message movies:” They have to stop to preach a message.
This article appears in Sep 29 – Oct 5, 2011.