Posted on Oct 2, 2006 | by Phil Boatwright

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (BP)--The reviews are in. A great many critics either like “Facing the Giants” or at least have a respect for the filmmakers’ independent spirit. Despite its flaws and the prejudices of the secular press, it’s proving to be the little movie that could.

Facing the Giants is a courageous sports movie: The frustrated coach of a non-winning high school football team, fueled by a renewed faith, gives his players a different game plan, daring them to believe in the impossible on and off the field. The coach’s spiritual impact affects not just the team but extends throughout the entire school.

Facing the Giants is all the more courageous, coming from semi-pro filmmakers burdened by a constricting budget approaching $100,000. Many asked: Can a good movie be born from such limitations?

One reviewer called the acting “wooden.” I admit that it had the usual cinematic shortcomings associated with well-meaning Christian moviemaking. During the opening sequences, both the actors and dialogue seem clumsy and forced. But as the film continues, something so sincere about the cast overshadows the handicaps of their amateur status. And I am not alone in that assessment. Some reviewers found the cast’s freshness a positive ingredient. Robert Butler of the Kansas City Star wrote of the lead actor, Alex Kendrick, that he “has an affable, sincere screen presence utterly untainted by Hollywood glamour.” Butler added, “The supporting players range from adequate to good....”

Due to the low budget, Facing the Giants lacks the razzle dazzle associated with most studio releases. However, Philip Martin of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette recognized Kendrick-and-crew’s initiative and devotion. While stating that “the script unfortunately devolves” into cliché and a particular slant, “other aspects of the movie are quite good —- so good, in fact, that Facing the Giants shames the efforts of a lot of better-financed moviemakers.” What he and others see is that what Facing the Giants lacks in polished style, it more than makes up in substance.

I can’t think of any other genre whose films are more alike than the sports category. The formula always consists of an underdog, or team of underdogs, conflicted with the coach or each other, yet uniting with a feel-good resolution and a last-second winning moment. That said, these cookie-cutter adventures can be entertaining when they feature involving storytelling. Throughout this post-“Star Wars” period, I’ve maintained that plot is still the real special effect of any film. Formulaic design aside, Facing the Giants registers with viewers because of its incisive narrative and soul-tugging themes.

The substance-propelled storyline has been noted by several reviewers. Roger Moore of the Orlando Sentinel wrote, “... this indie film, written, directed, produced and starring members of a Georgia church, does suggest that there are things in life more important than winning at sports.”

Others, like Chris Hewitt of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, found Facing the Giants’ simplistic handling of its spiritual messages to be “... a vending-machine view of spirituality.” Granted, a conglomeration of conundrums often is excessive in a 90-minute film. But I also understand the objective of Facing the Giants’ filmmakers. Problems tend to come in pairs -– or packs. And while most of us can contend with one major dilemma at a time, the bombardment of several minor difficulties tends to do us in. Mr. Kendrick wants his film relatable to anyone facing multiple problems. His film is about the issues of unsure faith and fear and perplexities, all bearing down on the oppressed at one time. It’s ultimately about spiritual warfare. The point many nonbelievers may not take into consideration is this: If you are facing one battle, that’s life. If you are under fire from every corner, that’s most likely a spiritual attack.

Certainly, not all problems in life will evaporate immediately once this warfare is seen for what it is, but with a renewed biblical awareness, the believer can turn his wants, desires and frustrations over to a higher power, knowing that He has the whole world and all its problems in His hands.

This assurance is the film’s central theme and its strength. What’s more, viewers can tell that it is being made by a group of people who understand that they have found a solution and want to share it.

Though St.Paul’s Chris Hewitt had problems with the film, he praised its virtues. “... It's refreshing to see a movie whose characters are people of faith, something Hollywood films almost never show us. Whatever the context, it's inspiring to see a dedicated coach tell his players, ‘I believe in you,’ but here that line plays as a metaphor for God talking to members of his ‘team.’”

The Motion Picture Association of America gave Facing the Giants a PG rating, but the controversy has worked in the film’s favor. While it is devoid of sexual activity, offensive locker room language or excessive football violence, the MPAA’s board thought the filmgoers of our nation, now a country of countries, a land populated by all faiths, needed to be warned of the film’s religious viewpoint. This, of course, may give many in Hollywood an excuse to further restrict the positive presentation of Christianity through movies. (Interesting how that application never seems to apply when a derogative portrait is featured.) Still, the MPAA’s reasoning brought the filmmakers much welcomed publicity.

One word stood out in nearly every critique I read of the film -– uplifting. Whether from a blog or a reputable newspaper, uplifting always seemed to find its way into the author’s opinion. One naysayer barked, “The religious proselytizing in this football movie is about as subtle as a blindside hit by a 300-pound defensive end.” But others are embracing this film as being forthright, stating clearly that there is a way to find calm amid the stormy sea of life.

Though life on this planet has always had daunting obstacles that threatened the existence of man or the destruction of his soul, our present generation is faced with almost insurmountable evil, as if demonic powers were on a rampage. The world is terrorized by a wave of suicidal maniacs on one hand, and man’s search for freedom and expression has meshed into a smorgasbord of ideologies that now state right is wrong and wrong is right. It’s all becoming disorientating. So the little film that could is being welcomed by moviegoers, especially those who know its proposition is true.

The Kansas City Star’s Robert Butler sums it up best. “... Whatever your religious leanings, the film inspires by example: Grass-roots moviemaking can be a viable alternative to the usual Hollywood claptrap.”
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Phil Boatwright is the editor and film reviewer for previewonline.org.