The List

At the beginning we get to see the start of a secret council of some sorts. It all looks very promising from the get go. With some supernatural elements thrown in, the mystery gets more interesting by the minute. The main character who seems like a good bloke gets into trouble because of his claim for money he is entitled to (temptation) and other factors. You really empathize with the guy and you want to know what exactly is going on. Normally a person in his situation would have several options. Somehow he does not have those options. In this movie there only seems to be one solution even when it is clear it is not his fault. Out of the blue he encounters characters who talk about church,prayer and God. And they provide the answer for his problem. It should be obvious at a point in the movie what this solution is. Now let me say that there is nothing wrong with this message. Since it always is helpful. But was it really necessary to disguise this message. This religious element actually ruined the viewing experience for me. While the message is good,it's simplicity can't escape the fact that in real life more needs to happen to resolve issues presented in this movie. The mystery that is presented to us never gets solved. In stead you are forced to deal with another topic that essentially has nothing to do with the plot. Don't get fooled because of Malcolm Mcdowell. The once brilliant actor is adequate,but if you watch closely you will see that he is not serious at all. He really must be desperate for money. Otherwise what would posses an actor of his caliber to act in a movie like this.

This movie was a disappointment. VERY bad acting on the part of most all the actors, especially the lead male young character. McDonald wasn't that good either. Very boring most of the way through. Although I liked the spiritual aspect, I figured out the plot ending about half way through; being that prayer was the answer. That scene in the church when he was talking about his great, great, great grandfather gave that away.

Overall, a waste of time except for the spiritual message which I'd always support. I'd just rather see it in a different venue than a low-budget drama.

When his wealthy father dies, "Renny Jacobsen" (Chuck Carrington) is alarmed to discover that he will get very little from the will. Even more surprising is the fact that his father was also a member of a secret society called the "Covenant List of South Carolina" which consists of old families from the Confederacy. Since he is the only male heir from one of these families he is then invited to join. But there is more to this secret society than meets the eye and Renny is about to find out all kinds of disturbing things. Anyway, rather than detail the rest of the story and risk ruining the film for those who haven't seen it I will just say that what struck me most about this movie was that for a Christian movie there wasn't much spirituality and for a thriller there wasn't much suspense. At least I didn't think so. On top of that it started a bit slow and seemed a bit too vague in some places. But other than that I suppose it was watchable and I give it a rating of average.

The film opens in a manner reminiscent of Law and Order: Criminal Intent, with a record of various events surrounding the creation of "The List." The uncertainty of these events and their relation one to another foreshadows the mystery facing a young lawyer as he pursues the inheritance left him by his late father. As he does, he faces a similar series of mysterious events, deadly but seemingly disconnected. The solution to his own mystery lies in an understanding of the events that opened the film. This film chronicles the battle between power wielded by the greedy and merciless and power wielded by good and Godly people who surround the young lawyer. He is caught between forces competing for his soul and, in the face of uncertainty, must make a decision that will determine the course of his life. This is a quiet thriller, reflective of the challenges and choices that each of us faces in our own lives. The story is enhanced by truly outstanding acting on the part of all of the case members. -- LRD

It started out with an interesting premise. I always like Civil War stuff and ancient secret societies. The more the film progressed, the more I realized that this was a B movie at best. In the latter half, it quickly became a C movie, then D, then F, then "I wish that this wasn't a rental so that I could put it in the microwave!" I can't say that the acting in all cases was awful, just most. The writing, however... I never read the book. Maybe the book is well written. The screenplay was written by a 10 year old. It was ridiculously shallow, the dialog drab and uninteresting, the characters about as interesting as a 5 pound bag of fertilizer. I really hated this movie, as did my wife. I am a Christian and I have no problem with movies that promote or support Christianity. This movie did a great disservice to the cause. Awful, terrible, worthless. If you liked it, I strongly recommend Superman 4.