Movie Review: Courageous

I'm going to start this out by saying that every father in America needs to go see the movie Courageous.  This film, starring, written and directed by Alex Kendrick, was a beautifully presented as a clear call to action for men to step up and fulfill their duties as fathers and leaders of their communities and households.

The story follows the lives of five friends, four of which are police officers, who are all fathers dealing with various issues in their personal lives.  When tragedy befalls one of the five, it forces him to take a close look at the kind of father he has been to his children. Bothered by the fact that he only felt that he had been "good enough" by his own standards, he begins to seek out God's standards and is heavily convicted by what he finds in God's word as it relates to a father's duties.

Driven by the desire to be a better father, he creates a resolution and presents it to his friends so that they will hold him accountable to be the man that he promises to become in his resolution.  After reading the document the other men decide to join him in his pledge.

This action sets off a chain of events that tests the faith and resolve of all the men, while forcing them to deal with their personal issues of loss, abandonment, forgiveness, financial hardship, guilt and integrity.

When this movie ended, there was not a dry eye in the house.  Alex Kendrick did a masterful job of tackling the position of fatherhood from every angle imaginable.  Whether it was the "baby daddy" who was running from responsibility, the effects of growing up in a fatherless home, the father who's in the home but spends no time with his kids...no situation was left untouched.

Real talk, Courageous is a movie that is definitely worthy of Oscar attention because it is the best movie I've seen all year.  The story's message is one of critical importance to our society and the acting was outstanding. And to see a movie that openly proclaims God's Word and message of salvation through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is nothing short of a blessing.

This one gets ten very enthusiastic spirit-fingers! Do not walk, but run to go see and support Courageous at the theater! Let Hollywood know that there is nowhere that God's voice can't reach!

 

www.black-smithenterprises.com

www.twitter.com/janayablack

If you want to see more faith-based movies and theaters, please considered supporting Someone To Watch Over Me.

Movie Review: Warrior

When I got the invitation to go to a private screening for the movie Warrior I was really excited because of the fact that it is a faith-based movie. I had no idea what it was about, all I knew was that I was going because it was in the genre that I wholeheartedly support. Little did I know how impactful that 90 minute movie would be.

Warrior is kind of a modern day Rocky meets The Prodical Son in the story of a family torn apart by alcoholism and abuse.  Paddy Conlon (played by Nick Nolte), who was once an abusive alcoholic, is now a born-again Christian who is trying to live for the Lord. In the process of taking his road to sobriety day by day, he dreams of the day that his family will be reunited; but unfortunately his two sons, Brendan (played by Joel Edgerton) and Tommy (played by Tom Hardy), want nothing to do with him.

Tommy is filled with a bitterness and hatred toward his father and brother over the loss of his mother and the hardship they faced after fleeing from an abusive home and his brother's perceived abandonment, while Brendan is bitter toward his father for the abuse and feeling like he was never able to live up to his father's expectations as a fighter.

As fate would have it, the three of them meet up in the most unlikely circumstances when they all find themselves at the Sparta cage fighting tournament to compete for a $5 million prize.

While the movie does have some harsh language and very aggressive fighting scenes (as the premise of the competition is mixed martial arts), the story paints a very real picture of the state of the family unit today.

What I really liked about it was that it didn't paint the fairy-tale picture with the happy ending where everybody lives happily ever after.  It showed the realness of the hurt that children suffer at the hands of their parents' selfish decisions and how the road to forgiveness and recovery is not always an easy one.

It also touched on the struggles of marriage and how husbands and wives are supposed to work together through the hard times instead of just opting for divorce when times get tough.

Warrior is definitely a movie that will touch your heart and keep you on the edge of your seat. The message is a strong one of forgiveness, self reflection and unconditional love. While the PG-13 rating should definitely be taken to heart when considering taking young ones, this movie is definitely worth the trip to the movie theater when it comes on out Sept 9.

Please go see it and support faith-based films.

www.black-smithenterprises.com
www.twitter.com/janayablack
 

Christians: Will You Stand?

Harry Potter (the series), Twilight (the series), Wizards of Waverly Place, True Blood, Vampire Diaries are just a few names of the dozens of movies and TV shows that are currently dominating the big and small screens.

What do they all have in common? They all, in some shape form or fashion, deal with the occult and go to great lengths to glamorize it all.  Our children are intrigued by magic and smitten with vampires and werewolves, as if these things are to be emulated and revered. But Christian brothers and sisters, I ask you: How do we combat these messages when we see it at every turn?

These images permeate the so-called "children's" channels, like Disney and Nickelodeon, and then channels like The Cartoon Network air what you may as well call soft porn during prime-time. And now to top it all off, they are trying to make Bert and Ernie get married!

People, the minds of our young people are at stake and it's time for Christians to take a stand. The messages of sex, violence, homosexuality and the occult are at an all time high and show no signs of slowing down, so we must arm ourselves with the Word of God in order to effectively combat the enemy. 

Since the Bible says that we should be doers of the Word, and not hearers only Black-Smith Enterprises, Goldline Films and Global pictures have teamed up to begin being the change we want to see by producing movies that are dedicated to help expanding the kingdom, starting with Someone To Watch Over Me.

Due to the fact that independent films, especially those focused on God, don't always receive the support that is required to ensure global success, our methods must be more grass roots in approach.  So, we are asking our community to stand with us as we make strides to embark upon this huge undertaking.

The Indiegogo campaign we have created will allow you, the viewers, to show the powers-that-be that you are ready for change; that you are ready to get back to the place where families can enjoy wholesome entertainment once again. Entertainment that showcases core values that are not laced with hidden agendas that are contrary to God's word.

By donating you are actively becoming a part of this project and will be instrumental in helping us bring it to the big screen. So please check out the video and share it with your friends and family, and if you can please make a donation.

Our voices must be heard and we can't do it alone.  So in closing I will leave you with this question: Will you stand with us? 

Peace, blessing and love to you and thank you for reading!

www.black-smithenterprises.com
www.twitter.com/janayablack