Thank you for stopping by and for the comment. I would add to your sentiment by saying that I think we as Christians, in almost everything we do, think that our efforts are having far more impact than they truly are.

The reason that we believe that is because we live in a Christian “bubble”…If I took a poll of the millions of “born-again believers” in the US who attend church every Sunday and asked them how many “lost”/”non-Christian”/”unbelievers” they are “Friends” with and have evangelistic friendships with, the percentage that would say ZERO would probably be around 75% or higher.

I just don’t think most Christians are engaging people who aren’t Christians at all. I think they are more interested in separating from them than moving closer to them. And as such we live in the echo chamber.

And as such, we hear the applause of a movie like this from those we are hanging around and assume, therefore, that it must be great. Truth be told, we’re inside the chamber and can’t hear the deafening silence of indifference outside the chamber…which is what I think this movie will receive from those who don’t have any connection to Christ, Church, or Christianity.

IMO

I have not seen this movie yet but it is showing at my church in a week or so.

I agree with you and a few other reviewers: in essence it is time for Christian filmmakers to grow up and make quality movies. I can’t escape the feeling that the studios (this is Sony, after all) think that they can get away with anything because their Christian audiences will lap up even the most simplistic stories presented to them. Unfortunately they have sometimes been right (same applies to Star Wars fans, IMHO).

I can’t escape the feeling that churchgoers are being unduly swayed by claims that “Facing the Giants” made $15 million? same with “The Passion”. Are feelings of pride that one of “their” movies can make money blinding them to plausible affect these movies are having in the quest to spread the Gospel?

I’d agree with you there!

Thank you for the reading the review and for the gracious comments. I do agree that folks, if they look, will see something of their own marriage in the film.

While it would have definitely been harder to “rough up the edges of the movie” both in the character and situational development, I think it would have been effort well spent on a movie that is being sold as an outreach tool to people whose lives definitely have “rough edges”…

I think Sherwood films is making a great honest effort to advance the Gospel and glorify Christ in it…but I hope I’m wrong about what I said at the end of my review..my hunch that this film will appeal mostly to Christians..and not far beyond..

Time will tell…

Thanks for posting this review. I enjoyed reading it!

You said, “No money problems. No kid problems. No external surrounding issues. No extended family issues (in fact, both extended families have both parents living and are presented as being there to support this couple as they work through their problems).”

It’s a good point you bring up, and I wonder if that isn’t exactly what they were trying to do. Every one of those plot elements, while it might make the story more realistic, would also add an element they needed to introduce, deal with and then somehow wrap up. Perhaps they kept things simple so they could focus on the biggest issues and the ones that are of particular interest and importance to Christians today. Those other issues would either make for a longer movie or one that kep flipping between issues.

But I am just speculating. Either way, I think most couples will see something of themselves in there. My wife and I look nothing like the couple in this film in some ways (no porn addictions, no expensive house, three children…) but we still saw something of ourselves there; somehow the movie still managed to connect with us. It’s not going to challenge for any Oscars, but I do think it’s going to speak to people where they’re at.

But again, good review!