Why does the movie Courageous work?


       I saw courageous last night with my wife Laura and several friends.  After an endless stream of previews it started. I knew it would be over two hours long, and though I had heard it was an excellent movie, I had some misgivings. As a Christian and as a Pastor, I was concerned that somehow despite all the good things I had heard, the movie would come across as low budget; with poor acting…in a word I was thinking, will this be cheesy?  


Why the concern for the cheese factor?   

Because those who oppose the message of hope found in Jesus Christ, often mock and deride solid morals; they assume that believers are hopelessly lost in a time warp, and deep down want the world to resemble the 50’s instead of the times we now live in.  If then, a cinematic offering appears to lack depth, or reality or whatever critics feel a movie needs to be relevant, they attack! And to be sure many critics have attacked Courageous, on everything from its length, to the message, to the multiple sub plots. 


Funny thing is some critics like it! More than that viewers love it!  Opening on just over 1,100 screens in select areas, it finished fourth in box office receipts, and earned 8.8 million dollars over this past weekend!  

Exit polls have discovered that it is receiving an A+ rating, a very rare mark to achieve! 

The movie cost one million to produce, one million to promote, and already a million people have seen it! Compare that budget to the average of 41 million or more to make most movies.


Why has Courageous been such a hit?


It’s an excellent movie! Well written, with a compelling script, where real life issues are addressed.  My uncertainties within minutes gave way to gratitude that the Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany Georgia, dared to believe that they could make the foray into mainstream cinema with a positive message, and gain an audience! 

They have, and the movie Courageous works because there is a strong remnant of people in this country who believe in God, who pray, who trust in Him to make sense of their lives, they believe in a God who is not remote, but near!  


The critics will criticize, yet for the vast majority of people who take their seat in a darkened theater in select areas…there will be gratitude, because Courageous works!

Check out the trailer, and plan to see Courageous! 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

In Honor of Peter Marshall.

Home!

Back to the Future!