Starring: Alex Kendrick, Shari Rigby, Aryn Wright Thompson, Priscilla C.Shirer, Cameron Arnett, Jack Sterner, Denise Armstrong
Distributor: Sony Pictures
Runtime: 121 mins. Reviewed in Aug 2019
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“We shall Overcome” has become something of an anthem. And, when it is founded on faith and commitment, the title ‘Overcomer’ has initial spiritual vigour about it.
For over a decade, the Kendrick brothers, based in Georgia, have been making faith-based films which have been extraordinarily successful in the United States, generally appearing on the top box-office list the week that the film opens – which is, in fact, the case for Overcomer which came in at third with over $8 million in receipts. Obviously, the Kendrick brothers touch the faith-nerve in their target audience (this can be vividly seen in enthusiastic blog responses to the film in the IMDb – “at last a film I can see with my mother”).
Alex Kendrick is co-writer, director and the star of the film. He is a genial screen presence, the average American able to identify with him: age, appearance, manner of speaking, family man. He has a sympathetic wife and two fine children.
Another feature of the Kendrick films is an interest in sport and physical activity. Overcome begins with a basketball game but, unpredictably, moves into the sport of cross-country running. The Harrison family lived in the city of Franklin, a city in some decline, industry moving out, populations moving out. John Harrison, basketball coach at the Christian high school, is losing members of his crack team and the principal asks him to take on cross-country running. There is only one taker, a 15-year-old girl, Hannah Scott (Aryn Wright Thompson), her parents dead of drug incidents, living with her stern grandmother. She has a bit of a stealing problem.
Another feature of the recent Kendrick films is that they are less church-oriented and more focused on individual faith, private prayer, reflection on commitment to Jesus as saviour. This is very strong with the case here, not only for John Harrison who has to reassess his life but also for Hannah, the school principal taking her through chapter 1 of the Letter to the Ephesians, and Hannah learning the love of God as well as forgiveness.
And this is necessary because one of the other central characters is a former runner, Thomas Hill (Cameron Arnett in a very sympathetic performance) who is hospitalised with diabetes and is blind. And, he has re-discovered God.
There is humour in the screenplay. There is a great deal of sentiment in the screenplay – especially in what seems to be coincidence but might be called divine Providence. Which means that the film is satisfying entertainment for the target audience, a sincere focus on faith and prayer, characters that can be identified with, sports interest and competition (and, no real spoiler, victory), tensions leading to forgiveness and reconciliation. Obviously, a gospel parable.
And this is to warn that this is definitely not a film for atheists and, especially, those who think that there should be no sentiment, let alone sentimentality, in the movies, can be warned off!
During the final credits there are lots of mentions of the name Kendrick, which means that the whole family is involved in good-deed movie-making.
Peter Malone MSC is an Associate of the Australian Catholic Office for Film and Broadcasting.
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