Overcome

I kept expecting Colton to realize he can't do enough good works to make things right. He even asked his mom why he was still feeling guilty after all the things he's already fixed. I thought she would tell him he needs to trust in Christ alone. Instead, she told him it takes a while to be able to forgive yourself. We don't have the authority to forgive ourselves. For those with kids in the home, the best part about this movie was an opportunity for teachable moments, mainly teaching what Christianity is and is not. And this ain't it.

I dont think the Apostle Paul would appreciate his name in the tag line. "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." 1 Corinthians 2:2

Colton sees himself as a cool kid who just needed to clean up his act a little but and get some new friends. Paul would tell him to read Galatians.

I've been reviewing several films from Mormon film makers of late and for the most part I've noticed they are markedly better than the run of cinema from the evangelical churches. But in the case of Overcome this could easily have come from an evangelical denomination.

A cast of complete unknowns who've not done any other work are the ensemble for Overcome. In this completely Caucasian town where I counted one black face in a minor bit young Aaron Brown has grown away from the LDS church and he's a charismatic leader of a little group of high school bullies. They even graffiti an LDS temple.

Jaycee Lynn is a young girl who's a bit of a goody goody, but she's primarily focused on athletics, in her case tennis. These two know but really have no use for each other.

But as fate would have it one night, Brown is in a car wreck in a car driven by another one of his crew and the person in the other car in a head on collision was Lynn. Her knee gets wrecked putting her tennis future in jeopardy. As for Brown he nearly dies on the operating table in fact is pronounced and then miraculously comes back.

These things have happened and that they cause a behavioral change is understandable. There's a reference that the bishop makes to St. Paul on the road to Damascus. Well Brown doesn't become an evangelist, but he does start making amends for bad behavior, especially where Lynn is concerned.

This is so typical of Christian evangelical films not what I've come to expect from the LDS. Kids who are way too white bread that you never really believe are all that bad. Usually LDS films concentrate on their people living in the world, but making their own place in it. Here this little town seems to be something unto itself without any of the problems of America creeping in.

In fact it would have been more realistic from their point of view to have ended it with Brown becoming Elder Brown and going on a mission. I've learned enough to know in that world returned missionaries are a prize catch.

All in all Overcome is your typical church film that I would have expected from the Baptists more than the LDS.

This movie is so ridiculously heavy handed and preachy. The dialog is ridiculous. There might have been a line in the movie somewhere that didn't sound completely artificial, but if there was I didn't hear it. It reminded me of a long, low quality public service announcement made by a local government channel. The characters are one-dimensional cardboard cutouts. The actors are not good, but you can't blame them too much, because the material they have to work with is so bad that they never had a chance. The plot must have been written by a home-schooled scriptwriter who imagined what actual high school must be like. There's nothing good about this movie. I know the creators thought they were trying to send a good message, but watching this movie just makes me want to punch someone. Don't waste your time.

The Gospel is not some self-help program where we have to make up for our past. The Gospel is not something we have to do. It is something that has already been done for us.

Overcome (2008) is a drama film directed by B. J. Alexander and starring Aaron Brown and Jaycee Lynn in the lead roles.

It is a movie that draws inspiration from how Saul became Paul in Christian literature.

The main character, Colton, is a rebellious teenager who disregards his parents' advice and the teachings of the Bible.

He is a wild and irresponsible person who enjoys drinking and partying and often ridicules his peers, including Sarah.

Sarah, on the other hand, is a diligent and focused young woman who wants to pursue a career in tennis.

Their lives collide when Colton, drunk after a party, causes a tragic accident that injures Sarah.

This triggers a series of events that lead him to seek redemption.

From then on, Colton embarks on a journey of repentance and forgiveness, not only toward Sarah but also toward everyone he has wronged.

The movie challenges us to reflect on our own choices and actions, and how they affect others. It also explores the moral dilemmas that we may face in life.

Overall, it is a great movie for an afternoon delight!