![]() That’s why any semblance of restraint in a Christian movie is like a drop of rain in the desert. They serve a mostly functional purpose: to disseminate an agenda through unrefined storytelling that is unflatteringly explicit about its conservative ideology. Watch Video: Watch Chrissy Metz in Trailer for Faith-Based True Story 'Breakthrough'įinessing their visual aesthetics, improving the acting quality, or giving the writing a dash of complexity beyond everything being part of God’s plan are not concerns for most productions of this kind. But since the writers, all straight white men (Dowling, plus Jake McEntire and Jason Baumgardner), refrain from even mentioning those targets for right-wing ire, conflict is conveniently avoided. However, if you were to ask these characters what their thoughts are on, say, undocumented immigrants, police brutality, or the LGBTQ+ community, then the conversations might get dicey. Though ranging in level of commitment, every character on screen is a churchgoing person or lives an acceptable lifestyle. The film doesn’t directly attack anyone, because there are no characters in it that step out of line besides the boys’ alcoholic father (Kristoffer Polaha), and even he is given a sensible excuse for his behavior. Still, unlike the abomination that the “God’s Not Dead” franchise has become, which condemns and tacitly wishes death upon those who don’t share in its beliefs, “Run the Race” doesn’t come off as mean-spirited, and that is absolutely deliberate. Once Ginger reveals she is from a wealthy background, their relationship seems to suggest non-believers are not meant to have access to material riches: Zach doubts Jesus, thus poverty and misfortune are what he gets. It’s a testament to the young actors’ genuine on-screen chemistry and nuanced performances - a rarity in Christian films - that their initial flirting and eventual romance is far from mawkish one may even dare say it’s engaging.Īlso Read: Tim Tebow to Host LeBron James-Produced 'Million Dollar Mile' for CBS Jesus talk comes in full force when Zach meets nurse intern Ginger (Kelsey Reinhardt, “Transparent”), who’s not pushy about her faith but makes it known that it defines her life. ![]() An injury, caused by attending a party where beer pong was being played, puts Zach out of commission and on the long road to recovery (physically and spiritually, of course) with the help of his kindhearted brother Dave (Evan Hofer), who suffers from seizures and is a devout believer. Living in the economically depressed town of Bessemer, Fla., Zach - a white teen whose mother died when he was younger - is banking on getting an athletic scholarship to run away from this dying place. All of it is set to rap music and executed with unexpected cinematic flair in fact, the movie’s first act plays as though this were a secular sports movie.Īlso Read: Tim Tebow Faith-Based Film 'Run The Race' Acquired by Roadside Attractions Its kinetic opening sequence is a sharply edited (by Dan O’Brien, “CBGB”) series of shots following high-school quarterback Zach Truett (Tanner Stine, “The Thundermans”), as he scores nearly half a dozen touchdowns on game night to get noticed by a Florida Gators scout. Executive produced by famously Christian retired football player Tim Tebow, “Run the Race” operates differently than most faith-based productions, in the apparent hopes of reaching a younger, wider audience that may or may not be inherently interested in religious entertainment.ĭirected by Chris Dowling (“Where Hope Grows,” “Rock Slyde”), this is unequivocally a message-pushing drama, but one with a subtler touch and more artistic merit than many of its thematically linked predecessors.
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