Hoovey

The fact this movie (at this time) is rated less than 6 is misleading. There's only about 1,000 reviews and you can see why they're low by reading the ones who gave it a 1. If you want to see why there's some religion in the movie (and it's not an overwhelming amount of religion like the 1s would have you believe), you can watch the trailer and see why, for a true story, they'd rely on religion.

With that being said, the movie itself I thought was good. It's inspirational and for a book turned movie I thought they did a great job. I've not read the book, but usually when they turn them into movies you feel like something is missing or it goes too fast in parts where it shouldn't. I never got that feeling. Is it a lot like other inspirational movies? Sure. Can it be a little corney at times? Sometimes but not over the top. But overall it was a good movie and if it happened to be on TV when I walked in a room I'd probably sit and watch it again for a bit.

Hoovey is a sweet, feel-good inspirational drama that's full of heart and is easy to like. It's based on the true story of a talented high school basketball player who discovers he has a dangerous brain tumor after collapsing on the court. This isn't so much a story about someone's journey with an illness. It's more of a comeback story from that illness. Dealing with new physical struggles and the possible loss of his big basketball dreams, Hoovey relies on his faith and family to carry him through the storm. Hoovey is a fighter. His whole family are fighters as they work together to overcome the new financial and emotional burdens that arise in the aftermath of the tumor discovery. Given the surprising amount of Disney Channel stars in this cast, this movie felt at times like a deeper Disney Channel movie. It's very family friendly and is full of very likable characters that seem a little too perfect to be true. Cody Linley is like that cool, goofy kid with a smile that brightens up the room and you can't help but like him and the character he plays. Many will enjoy this movie simply for the cast whom they've enjoyed in other projects. With some touching moments and even a little bit of sweet romance, this is a true story worth checking out through this film.

The preaching and the overt evangelizing is kept to a minimum in the film. This is the story of how young basketball protege Cody Linley who after collapsing during a game is discovered to have a brain tumor the size of an orange.

Young Linley was saddled with the nickname Hoovey after as a toddler he got his arm sucked and stuck in a vacuum cleaner. Father Patrick Warburton is a farmer and fireman and mother Alyssa Stoner are a hard working church going couple and their faith helps see them through.

Two other performances of note are Charles Robinson as Linley's high school coach and Brandon Mychal Smith as another basketball prodigy on the team who fears that Linley's handicap will kick in at the wrong time and mess things up for him.

Hoovey is a nice story that can be shown in more places than Christian movie nights.

I liked it. Is it a great movie? No. Some heavy handed music overlays were more distracting than evocative and one could see the ending coming... But it was heartfelt and true.

Yes, it is a faith based movie, so if that alone will rub you the wrong way, give it a pass. (I felt some reviewers were unnecessarily harsh based on the faith aspect vs the content itself.) But if you are a person of faith or open to looking to a power greater than you when the odds are against you (both father and son are filled with self-doubt), I think you will like it.

"It is not what happens to you, it is what you do with it" Eric Elliot.

It is rare to find a great Christian movie which comes in such a high quality. Even though I am tired of watching another movie about the American Dream and sports, this movie is different. It is strongly based on Christian morals and Bible stories such as the story of Job. It is a drama such as KYRIOS could have written it, of a suffering He sometimes allows, of a beautiful family unity and strength of that family, and of course especially of Hoovey.

PROS

+ Very great actors.

+ Excellent camera and images.

+ Wonderful movie, to simply enjoy and lean back.

NEUTRAL

o The 3 men who helped to pull out the car could have made some people scratch their head, but there is nothing biblically speaking that does disallow for something like that to happen today. The movie is very sound and apart from this scene which scratches the limits of orthodoxy, there is absolutely nothing to object which is very, very rare in a Christian movie. No swearing, no transgressions, no questionable endorsements or doctrine.

CONS

• The movie is a bit too much focused on the family and we do not see characters involving their church members, friends or extended family.