Cast: Alex Kendrick, Shannen Fields, Chris Willis
Director: Alex Kendrick

Before I even start let me say I did not want to see this movie. It is a religious film, made by a very small company for a very small budget and I simply hate Christian films where the actors could be stand-ins for Romero's next Zombie film.
They so seldom show real emotion, almost no talent is displayed and the quality of the film and the cinematography is usually abysmal at best.
So, Patti drug me off to see this at the Regal City Centre Stadium 16 in Stockton. Great theater, nice employees and real clean. But I just don't understand one thing; you walk in the front door and directly in front of you is "Critics Corner". Now silly me would expect a 'Corner' to actually be -on- a corner and not in the center. Why not just call it "Critics Center"?
Well, that is why they make the big bucks and I am just a movie reviewer. Now, on to our main feature…
"Facing the Giants" is something of a shock in American cinema today. It is a film with Christian values running all over the place, morality, prayer, and no drugs, sex, murder, or so many of the other things that happen in school today.
Dealing with the coach of a Christian high school team coming into his sixth year without a winning season, who is worried about his job and his marriage and turns his team and his school around by simply accepting that God should be in control.
Grant Taylor is faced with some terrifying realities in his life; the inability to father children, a home that is falling apart and the fear that his wife will leave him for a better life all weigh on his shoulders.
It is not until he finally breaks his own will and accepts that God should be the true master of his life that he is able to start bringing changes about, to his team, his school and his marriage.
The movie touched so many differing emotions, ranging from sadness to elation and at the same time tried to fill the viewer with faith and a stronger belief in the love of God and Christ.
Oops. I said the "G" and the "C" word without using them has cuss words. Which is exactly what Facing the Giants did. Finally, a film that made an attempt to show God as a loving father who actually does know what is best for us and show Jesus Christ in a sympathetic manner without turning Him into a wuss.
While it is an excellent family film, it is also filled with enough drama for adults and older teens to accept and be entertained while the humor will leave everyone laughing, from the younger set to the senior.
And it is also a 'sports film' which might encourage the jocks to come out and watch and maybe leave with an open mind.
The message of the film is simple; God loves us, and we need to always do our best and trust Him to take care of the other stuff. And last but not least, we have to quit blaming the bad on Him and taking all the credit ourselves for the good. "Praise Him in good or bad" was the expression used.
Let's be honest, I review probably three hundred movies and videos a year and it is not very often you find a low budget film almost entirely made up of amateurs that is this well done, well written or well acted.
And yes, I am well aware that this movie as well as this review is going to upset a lot of people. Folks don't like to be reminded about God or Jesus in a positive manner. Even for people who claim to be 'Christian' they often like to make sure their 'light' is safely hidden under that bushel so as not to offend other. And this movie stands a good chance of offending a lot of people. Atheists, most agnostics, Gnostics, Islamic and Jewish folks among others, will feel that this movie is 'preachy' and is trying to push a 'lifestyle' on other.
Yea, so? First, you got any idea how many Christians are offended every week by the same garbage that is spewed from Hollywood in the form of 'entertainment'?
"Lifestyles" that offend us are promoted and shoved in the face of the believer on a constant basis and in almost every 'mainstream' film where they show up, Christians are depicted as being inbred, stupid, hypocritical people who care nothing about the rest of the world.
You think that does not offend us? But if we want 'entertainment' we have to simply sit back and take it like good little sheep.
Facing the Giants does not do that. It does not insult any other group, religion or people. It does not attempt to make negative remarks about anyone, it just tries to build up the body of Christ and His followers as well are send a message of God's love to countless others.
Even as a message to Hollywood and producers and directors who don't agree with the theme of the film it says that America is ready for a film with morality in it. A film that does not seek to use the most base of human attitudes and desires to get a laugh of a tear.
A movie does not have to be T&A, and dirty jokes to succeed.
It just has to be good.