I was surprised and saddened to read so many comments by Christians that were quite negative, even vitriolic, against this movie, and I wanted to highlight some positive aspects of it that those writers might have missed.
Those Christians who reacted negatively seemed to have two primary complaints: the content of the message, and the quality of the acting/production.
Regarding content, Christians who hated this movie came away with an opposite interpretation of the movie than I did. To quote one criticism, they felt the movie falsely implies God is "all about making our lives better, easier, and more enjoyable." Which they naturally felt was wrong. And I agree, except that I didn't think the movie gave any such impression. They seemed to miss the movie's entire point.
First, the movie is ALLEGORICAL, NOT PREDICTIVE. It wasn't trying to predict that such a series of miracles is likely to happen if we trust in God. It was specifically allegorical with regards to particular Bible events and principles, which are abundantly evident by the names used in the film. The team is the Eagles ("they shall mount up with wings like eagles"); the kicker who wins the game is David, the opposing team is the Giants, and the feat David attempts in order to beat the Giants is impossible. I'm not sure how much more blatant one can get when it comes to allegory.
The Christian critics think the movie says God is a genie who wants to make you successful and comfortable and to satisfy your personal desires. In fact, I felt the movie said EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE. Remember the coach's speech: "So far, all this has been about us – how we can look good, how we can get the glory. The more I read this book, the more I realize life's not about us. We're not here just to get glory, make money, and die. The Bible says that God put us here for him, to honor him... I think that football is just one of the tools we use to honor God... If we win we praise him, and if we lose we praise him. Either way, we honor him with our actions and our attitudes. I resolve to give God everything I've got, and I'll leave the results up to him." In other words, it doesn't say we WILL get what we want. It says God is CAPABLE of doing far beyond what we ask or imagine, when it brings glory to him.
In addition, the criticisms about all the miracles packed into the movie fail to see that not only is the movie allegorical, it is a COMPILATION of Christian principles, all with clear references to Biblical episodes that emphasize those principles, such as: God can do anything; We are called to be strong and courageous in the face of the impossible; God uses weakness for his glory, so it's clear what's being done is by God; Whether what happens is good or bad, we still love and praise God; and, God provides for our needs. (Not always with a new car. But sometimes he does. I saw this personally in a church I attended, where a car was donated, and a raffle held. It went – picked totally randomly in front of everyone – to a church member who really needed it, a single mom who was struggling and her car was failing, and she broke down in tears in front of the congregation giving praise to God.)
Regarding the quality of the film, perhaps a disclaimer would have helped audiences, e.g. "THIS IS NOT A Hollywood FILM." Hollywood almost never supports films with overtly evangelistic messages. All movies are not the same, and can't be compared on equal grounds. It's true these folks weren't professional actors; that should be taken into account. If IMDb is right, this was made with a budget of $10,000. I sat down to watch this, thinking "This is a movie made by the church down the street," not "This better be equivalent to a movie with a $50 million budget." Understanding this, I think it's nothing short of miraculous in its quality and impact. Perhaps they should have tried to set expectations a bit more ahead of time, because the public assumes that anything that shows up in a movie theater is a Hollywood-scale production.
In summary, the Christian critics seem to have wanted the makers to make a different movie – one about having faith through suffering, even when God doesn't give us what we want. Which is indeed another IMPORTANT and COMPLEMENTARY principle in Christianity – but this movie wasn't about that. It's true that believers have suffered throughout history. Sometimes God uses suffering to bring himself glory -- but sometimes God also uses an impossible victory. David DID defeat Goliath, the walls of Jericho DID fall down, and before Peter was martyred, an angel DID loosen his chains and open the prison doors. That is what this movie is about. But this movie also STRONGLY makes the point that the impossible victory is not for the believers' comfort, but for God's glory. Both perspectives are true – sometimes God uses suffering, and sometimes God uses victory, but both are only tools to further his plan. There are other movies that make the complementary point – one that I can think of is "End of the Spear," a true story about missionaries who were killed by the tribe they were trying to reach, only to inspire their families to follow in their steps and see the tribe accept the gospel. But that's not what this movie is intended to be. What it does is remind us that we frequently underestimate God and what he can do through weak and imperfect people like us. Sometimes God DOES do great and impossible things, but only when it brings glory to him.
Those Christians who reacted negatively seemed to have two primary complaints: the content of the message, and the quality of the acting/production.
Regarding content, Christians who hated this movie came away with an opposite interpretation of the movie than I did. To quote one criticism, they felt the movie falsely implies God is "all about making our lives better, easier, and more enjoyable." Which they naturally felt was wrong. And I agree, except that I didn't think the movie gave any such impression. They seemed to miss the movie's entire point.
First, the movie is ALLEGORICAL, NOT PREDICTIVE. It wasn't trying to predict that such a series of miracles is likely to happen if we trust in God. It was specifically allegorical with regards to particular Bible events and principles, which are abundantly evident by the names used in the film. The team is the Eagles ("they shall mount up with wings like eagles"); the kicker who wins the game is David, the opposing team is the Giants, and the feat David attempts in order to beat the Giants is impossible. I'm not sure how much more blatant one can get when it comes to allegory.
The Christian critics think the movie says God is a genie who wants to make you successful and comfortable and to satisfy your personal desires. In fact, I felt the movie said EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE. Remember the coach's speech: "So far, all this has been about us – how we can look good, how we can get the glory. The more I read this book, the more I realize life's not about us. We're not here just to get glory, make money, and die. The Bible says that God put us here for him, to honor him... I think that football is just one of the tools we use to honor God... If we win we praise him, and if we lose we praise him. Either way, we honor him with our actions and our attitudes. I resolve to give God everything I've got, and I'll leave the results up to him." In other words, it doesn't say we WILL get what we want. It says God is CAPABLE of doing far beyond what we ask or imagine, when it brings glory to him.
In addition, the criticisms about all the miracles packed into the movie fail to see that not only is the movie allegorical, it is a COMPILATION of Christian principles, all with clear references to Biblical episodes that emphasize those principles, such as: God can do anything; We are called to be strong and courageous in the face of the impossible; God uses weakness for his glory, so it's clear what's being done is by God; Whether what happens is good or bad, we still love and praise God; and, God provides for our needs. (Not always with a new car. But sometimes he does. I saw this personally in a church I attended, where a car was donated, and a raffle held. It went – picked totally randomly in front of everyone – to a church member who really needed it, a single mom who was struggling and her car was failing, and she broke down in tears in front of the congregation giving praise to God.)
Regarding the quality of the film, perhaps a disclaimer would have helped audiences, e.g. "THIS IS NOT A Hollywood FILM." Hollywood almost never supports films with overtly evangelistic messages. All movies are not the same, and can't be compared on equal grounds. It's true these folks weren't professional actors; that should be taken into account. If IMDb is right, this was made with a budget of $10,000. I sat down to watch this, thinking "This is a movie made by the church down the street," not "This better be equivalent to a movie with a $50 million budget." Understanding this, I think it's nothing short of miraculous in its quality and impact. Perhaps they should have tried to set expectations a bit more ahead of time, because the public assumes that anything that shows up in a movie theater is a Hollywood-scale production.
In summary, the Christian critics seem to have wanted the makers to make a different movie – one about having faith through suffering, even when God doesn't give us what we want. Which is indeed another IMPORTANT and COMPLEMENTARY principle in Christianity – but this movie wasn't about that. It's true that believers have suffered throughout history. Sometimes God uses suffering to bring himself glory -- but sometimes God also uses an impossible victory. David DID defeat Goliath, the walls of Jericho DID fall down, and before Peter was martyred, an angel DID loosen his chains and open the prison doors. That is what this movie is about. But this movie also STRONGLY makes the point that the impossible victory is not for the believers' comfort, but for God's glory. Both perspectives are true – sometimes God uses suffering, and sometimes God uses victory, but both are only tools to further his plan. There are other movies that make the complementary point – one that I can think of is "End of the Spear," a true story about missionaries who were killed by the tribe they were trying to reach, only to inspire their families to follow in their steps and see the tribe accept the gospel. But that's not what this movie is intended to be. What it does is remind us that we frequently underestimate God and what he can do through weak and imperfect people like us. Sometimes God DOES do great and impossible things, but only when it brings glory to him.