Facing the Giants, a David vs. Goliath Christian football allegory, is a simple movie about simple faith. And football.
It’s not quite about the competing Southern religions of football and Christian fundamentalism. But this indie film, written, directed, produced and starring members of a Georgia church, does suggest that there are things in life more important than winning at sports.
Co-writer-director Alex Kendrick stars as Grant Taylor, an underpaid, underappreciated and unsuccessful coach at Shiloh Christian Academy. He and his wife (Shannen Fields) struggle with a rattletrap of a car and a house that needs work, all on his $24,000-a-year salary. The work has to be a calling for Grant, because he’s certainly not making enough to justify the aggravation.
He’s losing on the field and isn’t able to father a child at home. And now the parents at the school are pushing to have him replaced as coach.
“Lord, if you want me to do something else, show me,” he pleads in prayer.
The movie goes 20 minutes before religion enters into it, as Grant’s crisis of confidence and faith makes him rethink his approach to the game. The Bible provides metaphors for life lessons and football commitment, and point-blank instruction to, for instance, the aspiring place kicker (Bailey Cave) who must “choose the narrow way” to put the ball between the goal posts.
We’re headed, of course, to a “big game” finale. The “bad guys” will wear black and the Red Sea will part — or the kicker will split the goalposts. It’s hard not to seem trite when you’re working from a sports-movie formula, even with the Bible as source material.
The wholesomeness of the message and the movie’s cast make it feel 1950s retro. It’s worth pointing out that these underdogs are apparently from an all-white Christian school in the deep South (with a token black assistant coach), another 1950s touch.
Kendrick is competent at each of the hats he wears in this production, and his triple-billing no doubt cut costs. The filmmakers raised $100,000 and thanks to Samuel L. Goldwyn, are getting their movie onto 400 screens, not a bad outreach return on their investment. It’s better than, for instance, your typical “Billy Graham Presents” movie.
But for all that, you would still have to be pretty devout to find anything about it surprising, or inspiring.
