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

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alex Russell	...	Sam
Zachary Knighton	...	Gabriel
Johanna Braddy	...	Callie
Miles Fisher	...	Pierce
Sinqua Walls	...	Tyler
Max Adler	...	Baker
Christopher McDonald	...	Ken
Nick Offerman	...	Sean
Rhett James	...	Yale Stafford
Chester Rushing	...	Cameron
Tracy Smith	...	Macy
Phillip Wolf	...	Brent
Daniel Walker	...	Phil (as Daniel K. Walker)
Lauren Ashley	...	Danika
Lecrae	...	Dr. Darnall Malmquist

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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Plot Keywords:

college | austin texas | university fraternity | lost scholarship | tuition due | 

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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.

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

Hang Me Up To Dry
Written and Performed by Cold War Kids
Courtesy of Downtown Records

User Reviews

Something of a niche movie, even among Christians

I personally really enjoyed Believe Me, but it won't have as much appeal to everybody. Much of the humor in this movie comes from the main characters trying to blend in with Christians, but if you aren't part of this type of Christian culture, some of the jokes won't make as much sense or could completely fly over your head. I'm pretty heavily involved with a college ministry, and so are my friends I watched this with, and most of us thought it was hilarious, largely because things they point out that are totally true about a lot of Christians in their 20s at this point in time, and much of it is ridiculous. However, I could easily see some Christians being offended by some of the humor.

That being said, there are still some points that will be funny to most audiences. Max Adler's character Baker is one of the funnier parts of this movie, and his interactions with Miles Fisher's Pierce are gems. Nick Offerman provides laughs, though his role is a small one. These aren't the only parts that general audiences could find funny, but they are some of the standouts.

One area where this movie separates itself from other Christian movies is that it isn't preachy. Yes, there are messages to be found, but you have to pick them out and think through them for yourself. This is not the type of movie that is designed just to make Christians feel good about themselves after watching it (they actually poke fun at those movies in one scene), but instead it takes a look at some real issues that are present inside modern Christian life, and could definitely be enjoyable for other audiences.

While I do believe most people could find some enjoyment in this movie, I would recommend it most highly to Christians ages 16-30 and those involved in ministries which really target that age group.

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

Box Office

Gross USA:

$23,419

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$23,419

Company Credits

Production Co:

Riot Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Color:

Color