Believe Me (2014)

Desperate, broke, and out of ideas, four college seniors start a fake charity to embezzle money for tuition.

Director:

Will Bakke

Writers:

Michael B. Allen (co-writer), Will Bakke (co-writer)

Stars:

Alex Russell, Zachary Knighton, Johanna Braddy

1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Alex Russell	...	Sam
Zachary Knighton	...	Gabriel
Johanna Braddy	...	Callie
Miles Fisher	...	Pierce
Sinqua Walls	...	Tyler
Max Adler	...	Baker
Nick Offerman	...	Sean
Christopher McDonald	...	Ken
Lecrae	...	Dr. Darnall Malmquist
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kat Alexander	...	Party Attendee
Lauren Ashley	...	Danika
David Christopher	...	Bill
Stephen Dinh	...	Pledge #1 (as Stephen Luc Dinh)
Maria Engler	...	Nurse / Party Attendee / Stage Crew Member / Concert Goer
Ashley Felkner	...	Party Goer (as Ashley Maure)

Storyline

A hedonistic college student poses as a pious televangelist to pay off his tuition, but experiences an acute crisis of conscience when the one girl he truly cares for catches wind of the shady ruse. Sam (Alex Russell) was a student with a scholarship, and not a care in the world when he learned that his financial grant had finally dried up. Desperate to get to law school by any means necessary, he conspires with his three resourceful roommates to start a sham Christian charity, and milk the naive churchgoers for all they're worth. Their plan works like a charm, too; before long Sam and his pals are on a nationwide tour, raking in cash by the barrel. Just when it looks like Sam will have more than enough to pay the bills, however, he starts to fall for his pretty tour manager Callie (Johanna Braddy). When Callie learns that Sam is a fraud his whole future flashes before his eyes, forcing him to make a crucial decision just when it looked like his entire plan was foolproof..

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Taglines:

It's only a sin if you get caught.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some language.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 September 2015 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Верь мне

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Riot Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Nick Offerman spontaneously signed onto the film after the crew found out that he was in Dallas the same day that they were filming the "admissions counselor" scene. His scenes were filmed in a few hours and they parted ways after.

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Connections

References The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

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Soundtracks

Jesus
Written and Performed by GABRIEL
GABRIEL appears courtesy of God
Used by Permission

User Reviews

Refreshing spin on an otherwise tired topic

One criticism I have heard of this film is that it can't seem to make up its mind. Is it for or against Evangelicals? Do the ends really justify the means? What makes you a good person? What makes you a bad person?

Pictures are painted on both sides of the religious fence of both good and evil, just like in real life. Rarely do we find a perfect Christian, or an evil nonbeliever, but rather we live in a reality where often nothing is clear. Therein lies the beauty of the film- that it is authentic. In a world that wants to paint itself black and white, this film lives in the grey and forces the viewer to decide for themselves what is noble in life.

Presenting this question in a way that treats both sides fairly, or unfairly, depending on your leanings, is quite a feat. Furthermore, the fact that the film maintains a predominantly lighthearted tone with some truly zippy humor while presenting thoughtful conversation points results in a truly intriguing and enjoyable film.