Greater

Hard to find a good mivie on Netflix, but this one is a gem!

This is based upon a true story

The story will open with the death of Brandon Burlsworth although we won't see any of the accident he was in. We see the beginnings of funeral arrangements for him and why his brother Marty (Neal McDonough ) cannot understand why this happened.

Brandon Burlsworth (Christopher Severio) had always wanted to be a Arkansas Razorback football player and he had to try harder than most to achieve it even when it was always in doubt, mostly because of his weight. High School Coach Bender (Fredric Lehne) called him a "diamond in the rough" and hoped someone would notice. His brother Marty was 17-yrs older than Brandon and many thought he was Brandon's father. Marty wanted the best for Brandon but really didn't believe Brandon would achieve his dreams.

This really isn't a football story It's a story about determination, faith and trust. Christian undertones dominate this film, but is not preachy. We see a little football, of course, but we mostly see the struggles Brandon went thru at different stages to achieve his dreams and never gave up and always tried to do better. We will see Brandon take a lot of abuse from just about everyone especially from the players he hoped to play with. Some of this will tear at your heart. Oh, and have box of Kleenex handy.

It was nice to see Neal McDonough finally in a good guy role. He is a great, perhaps underrated, actor even though he plays the bad guys a lot. He always gives a very good performance and he did in here. Notables: Nick Searcy as The Farmer who tries to shake Marty's faith and it is fragile at best; Michael Parks as Leo, Brandon and Marty's alcoholic father; Leslie Easterbrook as Brandon and Marthy's adoring mother; and Mark Dobies as Coach Nutt, the coach in Brandon's senior year and he convinces the new coach not to go into a rebuild program and not to give up on this team as things will change.

At the end there will be statements about how Brandon Burlsworth's life impacts many today. This is a very uplifting and impressive story about a young very impressive young man. Christopher Severio has done an excellent job portraying Brandon Burlsworth. Kudos. (9/10)

Violence: Yes. Football scenes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Humor: Yes, at times. Language: No Rating: A

The movie GREATER was better than I ever could've imagined. Chris Severio did an excellent job portraying Brandon, Leslie Easterbrook was amazing at playing Barbara, and Neal McDonough gave his best performance to date as Marty Burlsworth. Nick Searcy is the dark horse of the movie - trying to make Marty (Neal McDonough) doubt his faith in God - allowing this to happen to his brother. Even if you don't like football, this story is one that proves that hard work pays off. More importantly, it is about faith and why bad things happen to good people. You will cry, you will laugh, but most of all, you will leave wanting to be a better person yourself.

I grew up in Harrison and I was so touched by this film. Growing up with the real Marty, I saw a soft spoken and gentle soul. I never knew the hardships of his family dynamics. I cried and laughed through the whole film and was moved that this family opened up to be transparent for the world to see. When leaving the theater, most were crying and saying that they loved it. From a retired high school counselor's view, this is a must see for our youth. The struggles they deal with need to be seen as motivation and not stumbling blocks. This is an encouraging message to all! Brandon not only worked hard academically and athletically, he stood firm in his values and morals. I hope this message resonates loud to the audience to not be afraid of going against what is popular for the greater good.

Have to say I really liked this movie. It is a sad story but a really has a positive message throughout. Even to this day his name lives on and inspires people all over the country. Such a good movie and well worth watching.