Here's a badly acted movie with a terrific story line that makes it well worth seeing.
Facing the Giants (2006)
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Reviews Counted:23
Fresh:2
Rotten:21
Average Rating:4.1/10
Consensus: The tropes of both football and evangelical movies are gracelessly on parade in this banal, insipid drama.
Theatrical Release:Sep 29, 2006 Limited
Box Office: $10,127,352
Synopsis: A high school football coach (played by actor/director Alex Kendrick) uses some unorthodox methods to motivate his team in FACING THE GIANTS. A devoted Christian, the coach turns to God for... A high school football coach (played by actor/director Alex Kendrick) uses some unorthodox methods to motivate his team in FACING THE GIANTS. A devoted Christian, the coach turns to God for inspiration, with amazing results. [More]
Starring: Alex Kendrick, Jim McBride, James Blackwell, Shannen Fields
Starring: Alex Kendrick, Jim McBride, James Blackwell, Shannen Fields, Tracy Goode
Director: Alex Kendrick
Director: Alex Kendrick
Studio: Samuel Goldwyn Films
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Reviews for Facing the Giants
..more a ministry tool than entertainment, but it is an encouraging development in the ongoing struggle against Hollywood hegemony.
Facing the Giants falls victim to the tell-don't-show brand of filmmaking, in which every character always says exactly what he's feeling and every time a character's flaws are pointed out to him, they are immediately corrected.
Would seem sincere enough, but it's just a chain of ludicrous cliches of both the sports and religious variety.
Most of the actors read their lines earnestly but flatly, and Kendrick has done them no favors by pushing them to play broad comedy in some scenes and anguished drama in others.
The religious proselytizing in this football movie is about as subtle as a blindside hit by a 300-pound defensive end.
In a season in which Invincible and Gridiron Gang already have laid claim to the title of inspirational football movie, this looks like an also-ran.
By preaching to the converted so heavy-handedly, the filmmakers fumble an opportunity to reach beyond their target demo of devout churchgoers.
This time, Jesus rather than Burt Reynolds or The Rock gets the credit for leading an underdog team of football players to victory.
When a film is as unintentionally corny as this one, it's anyone's guess as to how many viewers can stomach all the schmaltz for the positive message at the end.
Its feel-good storyline, shopworn message, and bottomless sermonizing would have played better in Sunday school than on the big screen, which is -- let’s face it -- Babylon’s turf.
For it to have any appeal for persons who do not share the movie's beliefs would indeed be miraculous -- it's appallingly bad as anything other than a sermon.
The separation of church and cinema amounts to a long yard at most in this high school football sermon from Georgia-based Baptist pastor Alex Kendrick.
I'm not about to argue with the message, but the delivery system sinks below the level of after-school special, and the acting matches.
If it cannot avoid the clichés of both the sports film and the inspirational film, at least Facing the Giants leavens its message with good humor.
The wholesomeness of the message and the movie's cast make it feel 1950s retro.
... full of praise for God in place of foul language and biblical quotes in place of deeds. It preaches to the converted -- literally.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
| 49% 49% | Taking Woodstock |
| 26% 26% | The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard |
| 47% 47% | The Girl From Monaco |
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