Facing the Giants

Make no mistake, this is not a polished Hollywood product. All of the actors are novices. The story is neatly packaged, but so what.

The thing that comes out of this film is the people playing the characters are real. I don't mean their performances are necessarily the greatest, but they are real in how they present the material.

There are too few films out there like this that are specifically intended to be for the Christian community. Nothing wrong with that. Films are allowed to imbue the filmmaker's belief's all the time. Funny that is an issue when it comes to Christianity.

Everyone here puts everything they have into this film and it shows. The leads are the better actors, rightfully so, and they bring an air of authenticity to their roles.

For the most part, the games are shot very well. There are instances when the action looks staged, but for the most part it is nicely done. The locations are all authentic south, as well they should be. Everyone has a real southern accent, not overly done Hollywood take on it. The story is not complex and it doesn't take a great sleuth to know all will be right in the end. But then again, that is the intended message; through God all things are possible.

I highly recommend this film to any youth director looking to show a film to their youth.

Strong Christian movie. This movie will give you joy, it will make you sit on the edge of your seat wondering what amazing thing God can pull out of the events. Yes it is a movie but it shows Gods love for those who give it all to him. This is a must see movie for the entire family. I saw this movie with my youth group at our church. This movie all had us crying o the floor because it is so true. This movie can help you get your life straight. You can actually relate to this movie you must see it. I know it will change you life for the best by God's intentions.

It was an awesome movie. I laughed. I cried. I clapped. I cheered. I smiled! At times, I was on the edge of my seat! The message is truly inspirational. Reminds me a lot of "Remember the Titans" but faith-based. The movie stays away from the usual Hollywood hype. It's clean.....no sidetracking on meaningless words, bad language, or other things that detract from the plot or overall movie. They don't shy away from talking about God or praying. It has down-home charm and a feel-good quality. Our family loved it and will go see it again. I recommend it to anyone who wants to be inspired! My kids are already saving to buy it!

Facing the Giants boasts no Hollywood stars. Many of the players are locals who were part of the actual true events the story is based on. The acting is fine but nobody will be nominated for an Oscar. The dialog is at times simplistic if not down-right trite. But what Facing the Giants has that so many other films lack these days is a ton of heart and an unapologetic focus on the power Christian values to change the direction of peoples' lives, thereby changing the direction of the organizations they participate in (families, schools, football programs, etc.).

This film was primarily funded and produced by a church in Georgia... completely outside of the grips of Hollywood influences. Like many of the other Kendrick Brothers films, it is a small production with mostly volunteer actors and technical staff. I believe there were only about 6 people total who they had to bring in and pay.

Most people who watch this film (I'm guessing) are already Christians or are at least sympathetic to Christian/traditional Western values. Regardless what your 'beliefs' are, this film demonstrates how these values- when sincerely applied in one's life and brought to bear on troubling situations- can transform mindsets, change circumstances and open doors to amazing experiences and achievements.

People who give this movie a poor rating do so because they are turned off by religion (or at least Christianity) and no amount of money, big-name stars or fancy production will change their minds. Sure this film isn't a cinematic masterpiece by traditional measures. But are your measures traditional? Maybe they shouldn't be.

The big-budget Hollywood film is dead. The formula is failing. Nothing that comes out of Hollywood has any soul anymore because all the people in Hollywood have sold their souls a long time ago. In the 60's, Hollywood turned out many epic religious films such as Ben Hur, The Greatest Story Ever Told and The Ten Commandments. Why are they not making these kinds of films anymore? After all, they are still making war films and westerns and gangster/caper films and 'comedies' (which aren't very funny). Hollywood has been completely and thoroughly morally corrupted evidenced by the absolute absence of any recent product that one could say is morally uplifting whether religion is part of script or not. If Christian religion is part of the script at all, it is factually misrepresented at best and belittled and demonized at worst. At this point, Hollywood is incapable of producing anything that isn't soul-crushing, heart-blackening and mind-numbing. That boat has gone over the falls and there is no turning back. Thank GOD they can't force me to watch their garbage.

Thankfully, today, small, independent films and other media from all over the country and world are being created to fill this void and bring light back into a dark, oppressive, soulless industry. People crave truth and hope... even if on a shoe-string budget. The big wigs in Hollywood are freaking out because they no longer have a stranglehold on "mainstream" entertainment. So, instead of giving the people something better that speaks to their higher nature, they just get more and more base... spending ever increasing amounts of money in an effort to keep pushing the primal buttons of fear, anxiety, jealousy and hate. People are tired of it and they want something better because we were made for something better. Facing the Giants is a small but powerful film that provides something better. It's a "feel-good" movie, a term which has become a pejorative in this context. But since when has "feeling good" from watching a movie become such a bad thing?

Well, this movie was a shock to see and to hear. Among the thousands of mainline films I have watched over many years, this is the first I've seen with a modern-day story that was unapologetically Christian. It actually used Jesus and God's name as you would hear in a sermon in church. Of course, the fact that "Hollywood" didn't make this film is understandable; it was produced, directed, written, etc., by a Baptist church in Georgia.

But - surprise - it's available in good quantities at the video stores and actually has the production values of a big-budget Hollywood film. In other words, this looks nice and, for the most part, is adequately acted even though amateurs do the acting. The only one I thought sounded wooden, unfortunately, was Alex Kendrick playing the main character: coach Grant Taylor, the Shiloh Christian High School football coach. Kendrik directed and wrote this film, so kudos to him for all that wonderful work....but an actor, he ain't. Real-life University of Georgia football coach Mark Richt makes a guest appearance and he sounded very relaxed and convincing, as a professional actor would sound. They should have given Richt the main role!

Yes, the story is hokey, especially at the end at the last football game, but what Hollywood movie isn't? It's just a little far-fetched to anyone who knows football. At any rate, the action scenes were well-done and very realistic looking.

To see a movie with this many inspirational and profound Biblical statements was a "revelation" and really nice to see (hear). Hokey or not, there are several moments in this film that should drive most viewers to tears. If not, check your pulse.

The main message of the movie: "All things are possible with God," is a good one and one everyone, including Christians, need to be reminded of periodically. Secular people who don't want to hear anything positive about God or the Bible, or who are just plain biased against Christians, will hate this film and wouldn't last 30 minutes watching it. I have a very good friend who is in that category and I couldn't recommend the film to him, because he'd be in the bathroom puking his guts out after a half hour. However, if you are more tolerant, or are a follower Of Jesus Christ, then you will find this film inspiring and emotional and worth your time.