Facing The Giants

Moral Rating: Excellent
Primary Audience: Family, Adults, Teens
Genre: Drama, Christian, Sports
Length: 1 hr. 51 min.
Year of Release: 2006
USA Release: September 29, 2006 (limited)

Featuring: James Blackwell, Bailey Cave, Shannen Fields, Tracy Goode, Alex Kendrick, Jim McBride, Tommy McBride, Jason McLeod, Steve Williams, Chris Willis, Ray Wood
Director: Alex Kendrick
Producer: Michael Catt, Tracy Goode, Terry Hemmings, Alex Kendrick, Stephen Kendrick, Jim McBride, David Nixon, Brad Weston
Distributor: Carmel Entertainment Group

“Never give up. Never back down. Never lose faith.”

This movie was fantastic; it is a “must-see” for everyone. It had me hooked from the previews. I knew this was a Christian movie, written and produced by a church group, but I had not expected that even the previews would honor the Lord! That was so awesome; it completely caught me off-guard; and the movie was tremendous. I highly recommend it.

The movie starts with a high school football team that is losing very badly. They are finishing a losing season, and we hear the sports announcer saying that they will have to wait until next year for Coach Taylor to pull it up—as he covers the microphone and murmurs, “That is IF they let him come back next year.”

For Coach Taylor, everything in his life seems to be falling apart. He and his wife Brooke seem to be “barely getting by.” With a total combined income of $30,000/year, their car, along with many of their household appliances are broken or work intermittently; they have been trying for four years to have a baby, and as head coach of a losing football team, the parents and the community as a whole are ready to give up on him. Many want to bring in someone else who could “do the job better” or replace him with the assistant coach. “He’s a good guy and all, but let’s face it; he just can’t do that job…,” seems to be the general attitude. They are even meeting with one of his assistant coaches, trying to get him to align with them to remove Coach Taylor from his position. They want to put the assistant in charge, telling him that he will do a much better job, and that Coach Taylor is simply not cutting it—“He has had six years, after all.” “Students are quitting the team; we are losing booster support. Something has to be done, right?”

Aren’t you so glad that God never gives up on us? People may fail you. Men may turn their back on you; they may betray you. So many times in life, people act just like that group of parents and sponsors—the backbiting, the criticism, the power struggles seem never-ending at times. God does not need man’s help to bring results. As demonstrated in this movie, and throughout the Bible, prayer and faith take care of that matter—leave the results up to God. Imagine if Jeremiah had quit proclaiming the Word because of lack of results. He didn’t, because regardless of the results or lack, and regardless of what man saw, Jeremiah knew that He was exactly where God wanted Him.

As we’ve all had times where those who should have supported, helped or encouraged us have instead turned their backs, betrayed, criticized, or tried to take over, remember this: The Lord has promised never to leave you and never to forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)! He loves you as no one else ever could; He loved you enough to give up everything for you, even His life! When everyone else in the world seems to have turned their back on you, God loves you—and HE will ALWAYS be there. Remember that. HE will never leave you; He will never forsake you; He will never betray you. He will ALWAYS LOVE YOU, and He will always stand by you.

As things seem to be crashing down all around him, Coach Taylor is beginning to question his own abilities, and even asking “What’s God doing.” With everything in his life falling apart, he admits to his wife, “It must be me.” They lay their heads down and cry together as they seem to be, at that moment, completely defeated and without hope. However, there is ALWAYS HOPE IN CHRIST—ALWAYS!

Coach Taylor calls on the Lord, reading and quoting Psalm 18:1-3, and you begin to see a vast difference in his countenance and his demeanor. Giving the matter to the Lord, and trusting the Lord to protect and deliver him from the very pits of life that threaten to engulf them, both Brooke and Coach Taylor continue to trust in the Lord. They call on Him in prayer, pouring over His Word, vowing to trust in HIM no matter what. The Lord begins to strengthen his faith, reminding him that WITH GOD, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!

That sets the scene for the movie. Watching how the Lord works in the lives of each of the characters in this movie is heartwarming, reminding us all that through GOD great things can and DO happen, if we’ll only trust in HIM!

I saw absolutely nothing offensive to mention. There is no violence at all, other than normal football play. I saw nothing of concern in that. One player was hurt in a game and helped off the field. There is no profanity, no sexual situations, and no scantily-clad or half-dressed people in the movie. It was a good, clean family film; and I recommend it for viewers of all ages.

The entire movie is FILLED with moral issues and with opportunities for Biblical discussions—how a situation ought to be handled Biblically; there were many such issues that would be great for youth group studies or any group seeking to draw nearer the Lord or those wanting to learn by example. I understand that there are even Bible study guides that go along with this movie, available for download on the movie Web site — http://facingthegiants.com

I believe that everyone will be able to relate to this movie. It addresses many issues that we have all had to deal with, from a Biblical stand. The movie will bring you from tears to laughter in a matter of seconds and is easily one of the best movies I have seen. I plan to see it again with my daughter over the weekend and encourage anyone who has not seen the movie to do so. I give it two thumbs up and look forward to seeing another production from this church group very soon!

I had planned to see the movie. However, God worked that out through some people in our community and I did not have to make that drive. Through the “Facing the Giants” Booster Club, you can help bring the movie to your community.

Violence: None / Profanity: None / Sex/Nudity: None

~ by Santosh William on October 23, 2007.