Courage (I) (2009) User Reviews

definitely a made for TV movie, not bad over all.

[moviesarebetterthantvshows · 5/10 · 9 April 2010]

The movie was okay. I just finished watching it on the movie network. Jason Priestly (Robert) is an important figure in the movie, and plays a father role who just finished writing a novel. Priestly doesn't really do much acting in this role, it is mainly done by his wife who is the one who really shows the courage in this movie. His wife played by Andrea Roth(Teresa), also the stepmother of his daughter. His daughter is played by Genenvieve Buchner (Megan). It starts off pretty well with an opening scene of future events to come and how they get caught in a big storm on their family boat. The movie portrays how a modern family overcomes their differences and work together to survive difficult situations. The acting overall isn't really that great but not bad for a made for t.v. movie. It does keep you interested as to what is going to happen next. I would say it's movie that you can watch with the family, especially if you have a teenager's who give you a hard time. They may learn to appreciate you more if you were in this situation as this family was. Also, a good one for those struggling step mothers who have a hard time bonding with their step children.

On a side note they state on the movie network that their is some nudity in it. Well let me just let you know, that no nudity occurred.

A religious themed movie about a family bonding during a tragedy. Very cheesy but overall not too bad. I say C

[cosmo_tiger · 5/10 · 8 July 2011]

"Dear God, please protect us from this storm." After receiving the news that his new book is not selling and the store he works at is going to close because of it Robert (Priestley) decides the best way to clear his head is to get on his boat with his family and get away for the weekend. While on the way to the island getaway a storm hits and the family is stuck on an island, but they are not alone. Being that this is a movie from the "Faith & Family" series, I was expecting some cheesiness from this. I was not disappointed. This is a hard movie to review. There really is no substance to this movie. The acting is pretty bad, and the movie seems to get more and more absurd. That being said, it is a religious themed movie and all of that stuff is to be expected so it can't be docked because of it. It you have seen any of the other "Faith & Family" movies you will know what to expect from this one. If you are looking for a feel good, uplifting movie this is a good one to pick, but again there is not much to this one. Overall, not good, but not bad either. A decent one time watch. I give it a C.

Would I watch again? - No I wouldn't *Also try - Letters To God & Expecting A Miracle

Yet another Canada-made generic-US-town bore

[rgcustomer · 5/10 · 14 April 2010]

I suspect like most people, I got conned into watching this because of Jason Priestly's name.

Still cute, but he pretty much phoned in his performance. Jerk. At least his character got a leg infection.

But his performance is stellar compared to that of almost everyone else involved in the project, from the writers to the director to the other actors, the cinematographer, the music, and the special effects group.

One sure sign of a crap movie is the fact that it's obviously made in Canada, and yet it supposed to be in some US town that nobody can name. Not on the public buildings, not on the police cars, nowhere. But, like every small US town, it does have a Scotiabank. I'm amazed they actually found a Washington license plate. Big budget, eh?

I start out assuming that a movie will be a 7, and then I start moving the score up or down from there. This one quickly dropped to 6, which typically are B movies, and then to 5, which are things that are so bad they can hardly even be called movies. I didn't give it a 4 or less, because I don't feel that the filmmakers actually intended to maliciously insult the audience.

The only part that wasn't predictable was how awesomely bad the ending was going to be. I don't think I've seen anything more recent than the Gilligan's Island TV series that actually uses sped-up playback to turn a walking bear into a running bear. On Bear Island. Whatever.

If you're in Canada, and particularly in BC, you probably helped pay for this piece of junk, via its tax credits or film incentives. Are you having fun yet?

Unbelievably Stupid

[wsitgm · 1/10 · 26 April 2019]

I have never seen a movie about boating, camping and bears that had so many flaws in the story and situations...i don't know where to begin. Pounding on cellphones with no coverage instead of using the VHF radio. Sheriff office refusing to help because a 48 hr missing persons time period passes and no one thinks "what about the coast guard?!". Two guys going after a rogue grizzly on an island with no way for a grizzly to get there. One of the two wrestling with the grizzly bear while the other dope stands there with a high calibre rifle pointing at the sky. It goes on and on....one stupid thing after another.

You need Courage to get through this movie

[BoredNow33 · 1/10 · 15 August 2018]

So, you tell no one where you are going? You hear a storm is coming and take no shelter in the 6 hours before it comes? How far are you sailing, there were plenty or islands to sail to to wait the storm out. You don't use the boat radio to try to contact anyone? You have no survival experience at all? You almost drown your husband/father running away from bear that isn't chasing you? But later this psycho bear decides to follow the people? And you don't hear the gigantic grizzly bear until it is 2 feet from you. That's a smart bear!

There's a ferocious bear on the same island as ship wrecked people, but we'll wait an hour before even leaving to look for them.

Let's see, what else... oh, the doctor's office reruns a pregnancy test? Why? Because those are wrong so often, right! Then gives the results to someone other than the patient? Sure.

I think though what pisses me off the most is the wife saying now her mother has to wait to be a grandmother when she has been married to a man with a daughter for 2 years. Really? This woman couldn't have accepted and loved his daughter as her granddaughter? Now wonder the daughter can't accept her new stepmother if the stepmother and her mother don't accept the daughter.

What's the Frequency, Robert?

[wes-connors · 4/10 · 30 December 2015]

During the opening credits, it looks like a flood is causing serious damage for some people. This turns out to be a boating trip hit by a storm. Two days earlier, the story begins… After his new book "On Dating Brainy Women" receives a cool reception, Seattle-area author Jason Priestley (as Robert "Bob" Childs) decides to take his family out on a boating trip to Bear Island. While he is away, the book catches fire... but we'll have to wait and see if the family makes it back, to learn the good news. Bear Island turns out to be a great name for the island, because a snarling, blood-thirsty bear hangs around there. But first, we see how Mr. Priestley and his family got there. The impromptu trip began calmly. Then… the weather started getting rough, the tiny ship was tossed. If not for the courage of the fearless crew, the "Christine" would be lost...

It's always nice when a disaster movie adds characterization. In this case, the story is about fractured family values. Priestley was a widower who wed beautiful and brainy Andrea Roth (as Teresa Martin). She's beautiful, blonde, a bit younger and incredibly bright. Bratty teenage daughter Genevieve Buechner (as Christy) asks her step-mom, "Is there anything you don't know?" When the men in the cast are incapacitated, Ms. Roth easily takes command. She shows great strength; but, when manly men are around, Roth trips and falls like a helpless lady. The whole point of the disastrous experience appears to be a divine plan to make them somehow form a family. Too bad there wasn't an easier way. Supporting mother Gabrielle Rose (as Hannah) is good, a second family seems poorly edited in, and the bear might scare small children.

**** Courage (2011-06-18) George Erschbamer ~ Andrea Roth, Jason Priestley, Genevieve Buechner, Gabrielle Rose

Predictable

[chiluvr1228 · 3/10 · 10 November 2012]

Watched this last night on GMC. Other than Theresa praying to God to keep them safe from the storm, I don't know how a previous reviewer could call this a "religious themed movie". It is a nice, little family movie to watch on a Saturday night if nothing else is on the TV.

Jason Priestly had very little to do in this movie so if you tuned in to watch him, you will be disappointed.

In typical fashion, the family heads out on their boat to go to Bear Island, telling nobody where they were going and obviously not checking the weather reports. Naturally a storm comes up crashing their boat onto the rocks on Bear Island. Robert is injured so spends much of his time in this movie laying on his back. The mother is brave but not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. Even after they know there is a bear on the island (hence the name Bear Island I guess) they still go traipsing in the woods alone with numerous bear encounters. They should have stayed with the boat, but like most people set out to find help themselves.

The usual schmaltzy type of movie you would find on GMC or The Hallmark Channel. I survived it but wouldn't watch it again. But if you are into family oriented movies this one is safe to watch with the children, unless they are very young as some of the bear scenes might be a little frightening to young kids.

BTW there is no nudity or even partial nudity. Not sure where that came from.

Somewhat Corny Family Adventure Film

[eabra48463 · 4/10 · 25 March 2022]

Widowed man (Priestley) with his second wife (Roth) and daughter from his first marriage take a boat ride and get into a storm, which destroys the craft and puts them in the wilderness for a few days. Bear chases them; second wife turns into survivalist capable of doing just about anything. Bratty daughter learns some lessons in how to behave. It's been done before and better. The film is not terrible, but it's not all that great. The acting is mediocre, writing is mediocre, scenery is beautiful, bear is scary. I'm still trying to figure out how the woman and guy's daughter manage to find heavy weight hiking boots to traipse through the woods after the boat crash. Who wears heavy-duty leather hiking boots on a boat ride? Perhaps this is explained somewhere and I just nodded off at the time.

Preposterous but entertaining nonetheless

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 11 May 2016]

Family in Danger is the top for "Courage," a 2009 Lifetime movie starring Jason Priestley, Andrea Roth, and Genevieve Buechner. Priestley plays a widower named Robert who has remarried Teresa (Roth). He is also an author who has written a book, "How To Date Brainy Women." Naturally his teenage daughter Christy (Buechner) is a resentful brat who doesn't like Teresa.

Robert suggests the family head for Bear Lake in their boat. A huge storm comes up, and Robert disappears. The two women find him, but they have pretty much wrecked the boat, and Robert has an infection in one leg and the other leg is broken. Teresa retrieves their supplies from the boat.

It turns out that Robert is married to Superwoman. She builds fires from cell phone batteries, she makes a stretcher when they have to move Robert, she applies first aid to him. You name it, she does it. I'm surprised she couldn't repair the boat. Give her some gum and I'll bet she could have done it.

Nature in the form of a grizzly bear is their enemy, and the family finds itself trying to escape him.

This movie is completely predictable and somehow, the womens' hair looked pretty good after a storm and roughing it. Jason Priestley basically lies around being sick. I saw him at a restaurant once greeting what were obviously a family of old friends. He seemed very sweet and he's short.

Despite its predictability, I have to say it was entertaining. The acting was nothing special, but Andrea Roth is very likable, as is Priestley. How he didn't lose that infected leg is a miracle.

Third-rate family version of "The Edge"

[Wuchakk · 4/10 · 13 November 2022]

A rising author (Jason Priestly) takes his spoiled daughter and new wife (Genevieve Buechner and Andrea Roth) on a boat trip in Puget Sound, but they shipwreck on an island where there's a grizzly on the loose.

"Courage" (2009) is a family knockoff of "The Edge" (1997) and I was hoping for a worthwhile tv-budget variation but it devolved into eye-rolling dramatics and hammy acting (e.g. The redneck bear hunter).

Everything is here for a quality adventure/survival movie - a solid cast, scenic locations and a real (huge) brown bear. The author angle is good, but Priestly is removed as an active participant fairly early and the focus on the overly good-natured wife and her annoying, weepy stepdaughter can't carry the film. A more imaginative script was needed.

The film runs 1 hour, 35 minutes, and was shot in southwestern British Columbia (town) and an inlet of the Strait of Georgia outside Vancouver (shipwreck scenes).

GRADE: C-

So predictable

[daveburns10 · 10/10 · 10 January 2021]

The best actor is the bear, the storm scene is so bad special effects it's laughable

Freaky Bear Hunts Humans

[richard-lee-morris · 6/10 · 4 September 2017]

The large grizzly bear was a terrific actor with super large teeth. The main actors were credible. The supporting actors were less credible. The plot was interesting to me, with the bear tracking the humans on a remote island located somewhere (undisclosed) in Puget Sound. Part of the interest for me was the location, as I live near Seattle. But honestly the plot themes were contrived. 1. A huge storm made the boat run aground. Since the island was shown as mountainous, it was hard for me to imagine such a storm on Puget Sound. The islands located on Puget Sound are not mountainous (but rugged). The extreme weather that made the boat run aground is not common here in Seattle. 2. I was not aware of grizzly bears living on any islands. The habitat on the islands is very limited -- there are no streams on the islands as shown in the movie. So for me, as a Native of Washington state, the location scenes didn't make sense.

Not good

[fmwongmd · 4/10 · 31 May 2019]

Poorly written, directed predictable story with wooden acting except or Andrea Roth.

A must see movie

[mariofrtoronto-825-999729 · 10/10 · 23 May 2020]

You will absolutely enjoy this film in the comfort of your own home