The List

The Jewish side of my family would have said that protagonist Scott Pryor had forgot to learn to be a mensch. Coming from some real bottom feeding parents and separated from the only family he had any kind of feeling for his young brother, he's determined to rise above the hand life has dealt him.

Pryor becomes a lawyer, he marries Kristen Sharp and they have a kid. Just when things are really starting to click it all falls out from under him.

The film went on too long asking Pryor to forgiving of just a bit too much. Still this being a Christian film it has to follow certain parameters.

I knew someone in my life years ago who was dealt a similar bad hand that Pryor's character got. Sad he never got the breaks in real life Pryor got nor does Pryor appreciate it until it is almost too late.

Granted the Christian parameters nevertheless The List is not a bad film and suitable for more than church audiences.

The film's pacing is terrible --.time is badly telescoped; relationship conflicts are set up, ignored for years, and suddenly re-escalated; a key event Is telegraphed in a strange, symbolic, visual reference that takes several minutes to be explained. The poor writing creates characters that aren't believable.

Why did I love it? It's a great story that is realistic (I hate spoilers and won't give away anything, but the one scene where Jack has puke on his clothes from a drinking binge? Yep, that's realistic). Moreover, it's a Christian story that touches on redemption, forgiveness, brokenness, and healing without having that cleaned up glossed over effect that some Christian movies have. In life we are all broken, all have messed up lives, which aren't always pretty, even though we might put on a cleaned up "church face" when we are in public. This one was a tear jerker for me, in a good way. I highly recommend it.

I think Scott Pryor needs to make more movies like this and the movie Tulsa! I loved the spiritual parts in these movies! It just goes to show you how people really do need God in their life even through tragic events!