Facing the Giants

Strong Christian movie. This movie will give you joy, it will make you sit on the edge of your seat wondering what amazing thing God can pull out of the events. Yes it is a movie but it shows Gods love for those who give it all to him. This is a must see movie for the entire family. I saw this movie with my youth group at our church. This movie all had us crying o the floor because it is so true. This movie can help you get your life straight. You can actually relate to this movie you must see it. I know it will change you life for the best by God's intentions.

The movie was well worth my time. I would encourage anyone who is looking for a good uplifting movie to check this one out. the characters are easy to relate to and the underlying story is very heartwarming. If you are having a bad day, or even if you are having a good day, this would be a great film. I left the movie feeling uplifted and full of hope!! The spirit of the movie is a bit reminiscent of "Pay It Forward". One word of warning, although the film does make you laugh in parts, you will need to bring your own box of tissues. After watching the film, I found out that the film was shot with only 1 camera. I honestly did not notice while watching the movie. everyone should be able to find a part of themselves in at least one of the main characters.

Facing The Giants is a "feel good" movie. As I type those words, I can't help but think, "OK, I've just alienated at least half the readers from seeing the movie". A "feel good" movie doesn't have to translate to pure sap. Think Rocky more than Steel Magnolias. Although even that comparison is lacking, because similarities between Giants and Rocky or Rudy or for that matter any other "come from behind" sports movies also come up short. One thing is for sure, no one viewing Giants will miss the Christian content, and that difference alone makes the film unique. But that's not the only thing that sets this film apart. The fact that it was made mostly by volunteer amateurs from Albany, Georgia's Sherwood Baptist Church-for $100,000-is a testimony to what people can do when they passionately believe in something. That alone makes this a truly "inspiring" film! The story focuses on Coach Grant Taylor (played by writer, director, and Sherwood associate pastor Alex Kendrick), whose Shiloh Christian Academy football team hasn't had a winning season in six years. After losing a star player to another team, things are looking down for the Shiloh Eagles, and school board members begin to consider showing Taylor the door. The coach is having a bad year for sure. He drives a beat up car, his house smells like something died, and worst of all-he and wife discover they can't have children of their own. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) board that hands out movie ratings says that it was in fact this pregnancy theme that earned Giants it's PG rating. Don't be concerned by this "adult" topic-it's handled very appropriately for the whole family. On the "family" topic: yes you can the kids. My recommendation would be ages 8 and up, only because younger children may be bored with the football and "personal crisis" themes. But there is no sexual content or profanity, and violence is limited to football tackles. By the way, the football action looks great, thanks to one of the paid crew members, cinematographer Bob Scott. He's worked with the amazing NFL films as well as Friday Night Lights and many others. This is a very good film for the family-I actually think that's what this movie was made for. I can see families going out to eat after the movie and discussing some of the themes (trust in God, respecting your parents). If my son was older, I would be taking him to see it for sure. The movie could truly have a positive impact on kids-as opposed to the mindless entertainment they are often subjected to. As the story unfolds, Taylor reaches a breaking point, and decides that all he can do is trust the Lord for guidance. He tells his team, "If we win, we praise him and if we lose we praise him". Most adults won't be too surprised where the films goes after that-however I think kids in the audience will be delighted-and maybe inspired-by the turn of events. Let me go back to the "pure sap" comment for a moment. Some people may think this film is the definition of "sap" as the story progresses. I didn't see it that way. As a Christian, I have seen God turn around impossible situations-so for me, I was thinking "yeah, God can do that". So does Giants show us that when the chips are down, all we have to do is pray and things change immediately? Alex Kendrick talks about this in an interview with Christianity Today: "That's always the first negative comment we get after our test screenings. I'm not a name-it-and-claim-it guy; I think God does allow us to struggle." However I understand where Kendrick is coming from when he goes on to say, "We ended up with our story for two reasons: Number one, we had seen it happen around us. And number two, it's a movie and we wanted people to leave inspired and encouraged." We had seen it happen around us. Giants is a reflection of that. If you're like me, you will "feel good" at the end of the movie. That's not a bad thing! Go see this movie-and take the kids.

Make no mistake, this is not a polished Hollywood product. All of the actors are novices. The story is neatly packaged, but so what.

The thing that comes out of this film is the people playing the characters are real. I don't mean their performances are necessarily the greatest, but they are real in how they present the material.

There are too few films out there like this that are specifically intended to be for the Christian community. Nothing wrong with that. Films are allowed to imbue the filmmaker's belief's all the time. Funny that is an issue when it comes to Christianity.

Everyone here puts everything they have into this film and it shows. The leads are the better actors, rightfully so, and they bring an air of authenticity to their roles.

For the most part, the games are shot very well. There are instances when the action looks staged, but for the most part it is nicely done. The locations are all authentic south, as well they should be. Everyone has a real southern accent, not overly done Hollywood take on it. The story is not complex and it doesn't take a great sleuth to know all will be right in the end. But then again, that is the intended message; through God all things are possible.

I highly recommend this film to any youth director looking to show a film to their youth.

Facing the Giants boasts no Hollywood stars. Many of the players are locals who were part of the actual true events the story is based on. The acting is fine but nobody will be nominated for an Oscar. The dialog is at times simplistic if not down-right trite. But what Facing the Giants has that so many other films lack these days is a ton of heart and an unapologetic focus on the power Christian values to change the direction of peoples' lives, thereby changing the direction of the organizations they participate in (families, schools, football programs, etc.).

This film was primarily funded and produced by a church in Georgia... completely outside of the grips of Hollywood influences. Like many of the other Kendrick Brothers films, it is a small production with mostly volunteer actors and technical staff. I believe there were only about 6 people total who they had to bring in and pay.

Most people who watch this film (I'm guessing) are already Christians or are at least sympathetic to Christian/traditional Western values. Regardless what your 'beliefs' are, this film demonstrates how these values- when sincerely applied in one's life and brought to bear on troubling situations- can transform mindsets, change circumstances and open doors to amazing experiences and achievements.

People who give this movie a poor rating do so because they are turned off by religion (or at least Christianity) and no amount of money, big-name stars or fancy production will change their minds. Sure this film isn't a cinematic masterpiece by traditional measures. But are your measures traditional? Maybe they shouldn't be.

The big-budget Hollywood film is dead. The formula is failing. Nothing that comes out of Hollywood has any soul anymore because all the people in Hollywood have sold their souls a long time ago. In the 60's, Hollywood turned out many epic religious films such as Ben Hur, The Greatest Story Ever Told and The Ten Commandments. Why are they not making these kinds of films anymore? After all, they are still making war films and westerns and gangster/caper films and 'comedies' (which aren't very funny). Hollywood has been completely and thoroughly morally corrupted evidenced by the absolute absence of any recent product that one could say is morally uplifting whether religion is part of script or not. If Christian religion is part of the script at all, it is factually misrepresented at best and belittled and demonized at worst. At this point, Hollywood is incapable of producing anything that isn't soul-crushing, heart-blackening and mind-numbing. That boat has gone over the falls and there is no turning back. Thank GOD they can't force me to watch their garbage.

Thankfully, today, small, independent films and other media from all over the country and world are being created to fill this void and bring light back into a dark, oppressive, soulless industry. People crave truth and hope... even if on a shoe-string budget. The big wigs in Hollywood are freaking out because they no longer have a stranglehold on "mainstream" entertainment. So, instead of giving the people something better that speaks to their higher nature, they just get more and more base... spending ever increasing amounts of money in an effort to keep pushing the primal buttons of fear, anxiety, jealousy and hate. People are tired of it and they want something better because we were made for something better. Facing the Giants is a small but powerful film that provides something better. It's a "feel-good" movie, a term which has become a pejorative in this context. But since when has "feeling good" from watching a movie become such a bad thing?