I caught this in the middle several years ago, in a local, obscure channel. I remember being fascinated by JS part. This is perhaps, John Schneider's greatest performance of all time. But how did he get involved in this schlock? No one can act in this! It's painful to watch. None of the female leads can (except, perhaps, the homeless girl and the evil old woman, whose home she's brought to).
Let's talk location: the newspaper editor's officed looked like a broom closet. The real estate office? Broom closet with a glass door. The church? A double broom closet with carpet and chairs. The house? Another cheap broom closet. This was filmed in Tujunga. I had the displeasure of being sorta stranded there eons ago. That town is hell on Earth, folks! Think Van Nuys on steroids.
So what is this flick? A straight-to-video VHS production they sell for a $1.99? No one can act here. JS is wasted. Imagine if they'd made this a Hollywood production! Did he give his time for free? I can't wrap my head around it! He was quite good looking here. He was always a goof lookswise back in his Dukes of Hazard and I never watched that "Starsky & Hutch do the boonies" rip off. But boy, did he have presence here. Charisma in droves. Put everyone else's acting to shame.
Everyone else was reciting lines then thinking "I hope I said that right" or "boy! I should have put more effort into that!" and so on. That's why I said: How did JS get involved in this? Everyone is such an amateur (except the 2 aforementioned ladies) it's painful to watch.
Oh and if you're a fan of JS and you're watching for this, he's barely in it. He has a few bits mid-show. One great scene and BAM! Hes gone and pretty much never returns. (Or does he?)
The start was quite shocking. I'm watching 2 actors trying to pretend they can act, they're driving around and then BAM! They just.. they just... I mean. The next scene! Then it's downhill for a while, then Schneider raises the bar each (little) time he appears. This movie is a roller coaster. Back then I gave it a 10, for his performance and the message. Ah, the message. Well, I'm no Christian. I have nothing against those people (actually, I do!) and European-Californians were perfectly well depicted in the beginning as selfish, greedy and uncaring.
That they turn and become kind, caring and helpful puts this flick into the fantasy genre right there. Oh and please do not confuse actor and part: if anyone would be that deluded to think Schneider lives this part... have you seen the crap he's been in since?? The Haves and Haves Not isn't exactly WWJD material. These Hollywood hypocrites don't live up to the standards they set for themselves. Let me backtrack: he set no standard here. He was handed a script and some cash and they bought him to inhabit this drifter character. Nothing more. In fact, he's no Christian: have you not read how he's treated wives and/or girlfriends? A few years back, he was the talk of the town for some scandal involving her (one of them) and him smugly telling people at a party "Do you know who I am?" Uh... I dunno, Legal Blonde version 2.0?
In conclusion 6 stars is very generous. Schneider gets a 10/10 that a piece of scum like him can pull off this role and make you beLIEve he's a good guy is praise-worthy. The production values are about a 4-5/10. The acting from everyone else is a "try again" and "don't quit your day job" 3/10. The movie could have been better, but there's worse. The message, sure, could be a 9/10 if it weren't composed and performed by a bunch of hypocrites.
And how do ya like 'em drifting Xtian apples?!
