SILVER SCREEN EVANGELISATION | KAIROS GLOBAL | MAY 2024

Author: Jyothsna D’Souza

Intro: Jyothsna D’Souza briefly reviews some of the Kendrick brothers’ movies, which are stories of evangelisation as well as uplifting movies for the family.  

The Kendrick brothers are pioneers of Christian evangelisation through faith-based movies. They made their first film, Flywheel in 2003 and have never looked back. Their website aptly proclaims, ‘WE ARE BELIEVERS.’ They describe themselves as filmmakers, authors, speakers, and encouragers.

The hallmark of their films is compelling evangelisation sandwiched between wholesome family entertainment. Every movie is conceived and completed with a lot of prayer.

They testify, ‘We exist to honour Jesus Christ and make his truth and love known among nations through movies, books, curriculum, and speaking. By prayerfully blending engaging stories with doctrinal integrity, we seek to encourage viewers and readers with resources that impact their spiritual lives and strengthen their personal and family relationships.’

Originally from Georgia, US, Shannon, Alex, and Stephen are sons of an ordained minister and schoolteacher. They developed a love for creative arts and scriptures. Alex and Stephen were ordained as ministers. Alex wanted to make a full-length movie, but their church budget could not spare the $20,000 in funds. After weeks of prayer, generous contributions helped make Flywheel a reality. The movie garnered seven film awards including the Gold Crown award for the best screenplay. Their journey continues and their ninth film, The Forge, is expected to hit the theatres in August 2024.

Here is a look at some of their movies, most of which can be rented on Amazon Prime.

Flywheel, 2003 

Rating: PG

Made on a shoestring budget of $20k, this first offering from the Kendrick brothers, will fortify your faith in God and help you do the right thing.

The movie follows the story of Jay Austin, a dishonest, rude, used-car salesman, who sees overcharging and hiding information from clients a part of his business. Dishonesty becomes a part of his life and there is a poignant moment when he puts an empty envelope in the church collection hat. His wife, Judy keeps pointing out his dishonest ways and he overhears his son saying he doesn’t want to be like Austin as he lies to people. 

Strained relationships and a failing business leads him to turn to God in desperation. He gives his heart to Jesus, saying, ‘I’m resolving to let Jesus be the Lord of my life every day.’ and decides to make an honest living, not just by being fair in his dealings. He sets things right with his old customers, but loses his employees. Austin walks the talk by apologising to those he has wronged, and this is what restores broken relationships. As things hit rock bottom financially, he cries out in repentance to the Lord for help and places his faith in God. Judy quotes from scripture, ‘You only have to be still...’ 

God does not disappoint, and his life turns around. His honesty is revealed to the public, and even slander by an ex-employee does not affect his now roaring business.  The message is, God is not a distant onlooker, but one who is intimately and deeply involved in one’s life.  There is the light-hearted humour that keeps you entertained and keeps the movie going. Do watch the movie to know the reference to the flywheel, and its huge serving of faith and hope. A must watch family friendly movie, available for rent on Amazon Prime.

Facing the Giants, 2006 

Rating: PG

A 2006 American Christian sports drama film which tells an underdog story with a Christian worldview. Directed by and starring Alex Kendrick, with volunteers as supporting cast, the huge box-office success is available for rent on Amazon Prime.

If you are a parent who loves sports and would like to inculcate Christian values in your kids, this is the movie for you, a wonderful family bonding session being a plus. If you do not have kids, and are not much into sports, this is a movie for all age groups, so do watch for a faith filled experience. The plot is liberally spiced with humour, making for a great family viewing. Scenes like the death crawl will have sports enthusiasts glued. The evangelisation is, as with all Kendrick films, direct and unapologetic, but it falls seamlessly into the storyline.

As for the plot, Coach Grant Taylor (Alex Kendrick) has three losing streaks, a leaking roof, a car prone to breaking down, and a growing financial struggle. Not being able to have a kid is the last straw on the camel’s back. Broken and disheartened, Grant finds help in his old football coach who gives him the solution. 

Grant turns to God with an impassioned plea, and does not stop with himself, but coaches his unmotivated team on faith. He changes their outlook by exhorting them to follow Jesus Christ. One of Grant's pep talks goes, ‘I want God to bless the team so much, people will talk about what he did. But it means we gotta give him our best in every area. And if we win, we praise him. And if we lose, we praise him.’ This is starkly opposite to the aggressive motivation that coaches use to fire up a team. The team’s faith is contagious and the goodness spreads to the school, and to their homes. This change in attitude and faith in God transforms the team into winners. They now must face the Giants to win the state championship, and one of Grant’s key players is aptly named David. 

What happens next is for you to watch, but as a hint, God is faithful and transforms not just the team but Grant’s life as well.

Fireproof, 2008 budget 

Rating PG

Another offering by the Kendrick brothers, Fireproof is a film with a big heart. Explicitly Christian in its message, Fireproof tackles the complexities and challenges of a near-dead marriage with a strong emphasis on faith. It features Caleb Holt (Kirk Cameron), a brave hearted fire captain, who risks his life to pull out a little girl from an inferno but fails miserably to save his breaking marriage. His wife, Catherine (Erin Bethea), has set her mind on divorce and is being wooed by a young doctor. Caleb has his issues: addicted to adult stuff on his computer, and refusing to sacrifice his ‘boat money’ to pay for Catherine’s parents’ much needed medical equipment, and unwilling to share in chores, he does not come across as a particularly loving husband.

Desperate to save his marriage, Caleb finds help when his father gives him a 40-day Love Dare book, with daily ‘chores’ meant to alter how Catherine sees him… like making coffee and gifting flowers. Catherine however sees right through his half-hearted attempts. Nothing works, as Caleb ignores the Bible teachings written in the book.

 Things change when his father leads him to our Lord’s sacrificial love, suffering and dying for us on the cross. He tells Caleb that unless he accepts God’s selfless love, he cannot give that love to his wife. As Caleb accepts Christ, his own life is transformed, and he is a genuinely changed man. As for Catherine, a lady asks her a pertinent question on whether she can expect faithfulness from the doctor pursuing her when she is still married. Caleb is now a truly changed man and Catherine experiences his genuine love. The defining moment comes when she discovers that it is not the doctor, but her husband who has paid for the bed, wheelchair, and other equipment her parents need, out of his life savings for his boat. By God’s grace, their marriage is now fireproof.

Not one for a marriage encounter retreat? Do watch this movie on Amazon Prime.

Courageous, 2011 

Rating: PG 13

Courageous is another uplifting film from the Kendrick stable you do not want to miss out on, especially if you are a dad. Accidents, violence, and drug-dealing related incidents which come with a police movie, have earned it a PG-13 rating.

The story is about four police officers and their friend, Javier, all of whom struggle with their faith and in their roles as fathers and husbands. Mitchell (Alex Kendrick) is devastated by the loss of his daughter, turns to the Bible, where he finds inspiration to be a better father to his 15-year-old son. He drafts a powerful ‘Resolution’ to honour God in every way in his family.

Together they make a decision that will change all their lives by taking a vow, in the presence of their families, to be courageous fathers and to live out their faith. As they stay true to their resolution, they find God helping them in unexpected ways.  A line in the movie goes, ‘If the fathers did what they were supposed to do, half the junkies on the street would not exist.’

The movie challenges us to evaluate our family relationships and the time we spend to mould and love our children in a Christian way. If you are a father, you will find yourself compelled to relook at how you interact with your children, making Christ the centre of your family and bringing in God’s blessings. If you are not, it still challenges you to get your relationships right by getting your connection with God right first.  

War Room, 2015 

Rating: PG

Tony Jordan (a travelling pharmaceutical salesman) and his wife, Elizabeth Jordan (a realtor) have a cute young daughter named Danielle. On the surface, they come across as a rich, successful family, but things are not as good as they seem. Tony is uncaring, abusive, and not just contemplating cheating on his wife, but is also cheating on his company. 

Elizabeth’s life changes when she meets a rich Clara, a nosy old woman who makes it her business to seemingly interfere in other people’s problems. But she is blessed with a pure heart and a great sense of dry humour. 

As the movie progresses, one’s opinions change as Clara passes on her faith and the power of prayer to her troubled, newly acquired friend. Miss Clara introduces Elizabeth to her ‘War room’, her special closet dedicated for prayer. She tells her, ‘In order to stand up and fight the enemy, you need to get on your knees and pray.’ Elizabeth sets up her own war room, and things begin to change. Her husband’s budding romance ends abruptly. Not everything seems to go well, however, and Tony is fired for cheating on his job. 

God’s ways are different, and hitting rock bottom leads Tony to God. The prayer does not change their friend’s financial situation, but it does something far more important – transforms and brings together a broken family. Tony going up to his ex-bosses with his stolen medical boxes at the risk of being jailed, is a moral high. He does not get his job back, but then this is not a Disney fairy tale. Tony spends his time bonding with his daughter over jump-roping. The competition is a treat for kids to watch. Things do turn better, as Tony finds a job at the community centre enough to make ends meet and have time with his daughter as a bonus. 

A film you can watch and enjoy with your family. Available on Amazon Prime.

Overcomer, 2018 

Rating: PG

Answers the question, ‘What do you allow to define you’ and delves into the value of finding our identity in Jesus Christ. A powerful mix of faith, a twist of humour, and a ton of heart. Coach Harrison’s basketball dreams are crushed by unexpected news, when the shutting down of a manufacturing plant causes his team to relocate. Reeling under challenges facing his family and his team, his life changes when he is called on to coach the lone student struggling with her own journey.

Hannah must contend with her asthma as she trains for cross-country, the only thing she says she is good at. God leads Harrison, her reluctant coach, to her ailing estranged father, Thomas Hill, who is on his deathbed in a hospital. Having lived a depraved life, he has met Jesus and is a changed man. Connecting the dots, Harrison, and his wife help connect with her father, inviting her grandmother’s ire. The movie has a nail-biting climax as Hannah’s father guides her as she runs her cross-country state championship. The funeral scene at the end gives a sense of finality and calm as Hannah’s father has made his peace with God…and his mother-in-law as well.

The film has spiritual insights coming from a broken, repentant man who abandoned family for a life of drugs, who says, ‘Because God loves me, he let me be broken…and I needed to be broken.’ And a poignant moment when Hannah says, ‘I am created by God. He designed me. So I’m not a mistake. His son died for me; just so I could be forgiven.’ The evangelisation is direct yet fits seamlessly into the plot. There is something for everyone, married couples, parents, kids, and teens. 

A must watch with the family! The movie gives us a big dollop of love, hope and faith, with the trademark Kendrick humour. Do watch on Amazon Prime.

Show me the Father documentary film, 2021

Rating PG

A beautifully made, moving documentary about mentoring and the impact of fatherhood, it has real life stories woven through inspirational passages from the Bible.

 No matter what our relationship with our father on earth is, God wants to be our perfect, loving Father. Whether you are a father or a mother, or a mentor, this film will make you realise the gravity of the impact you make on the lives of those you care for, and learn how to give them the love that God gives. 

An important lesson comes from the Kendrick family, on how a father should bless his children. There are real testimonies of Christian men and their relationships with their fathers, and a moving fairy tale story of a man finding out that the biological father he had been searching for has been mentoring him in the Lord for years, is mind boggling. 

A must see for all ages, for everyone may one day be a father…or mother. This film teaches you how. The documentary ends with John 14:8 where Philip asks, ‘Show me the father and we will be satisfied.’ Jesus said ‘Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.’ Indeed, to be like Jesus is to be the perfect Father to your child.

Lifemark, 2022 

Rating: PG-13

If you are pro-life, this one is right up your alley. If you’re not, this may change your perspective. 

Based on a true-life story and brimming with emotion, this inspiring movie may end up saving many, not just from being aborted, but also by helping young girls and women do the right thing. By God’s grace, the decision to save David’s life brings happiness and healing to all those involved. Going through motherhood only to give away her own, life turns a full circle for Melissa when she bonds with her biological son David, and is embraced by his adopted family. David has his own struggles as he grapples with the fact that he is adopted, until God leads him to reunion with his ‘families,’ not just of his birth mother, but also that of his biological father. 

A young girl, who responded to God’s call and went ahead with having a baby, has tremendous repercussions in terms of blessings for David and all the people whose lives he touches. It is a must watch, not just for the uplifting storyline on choosing life, but also for the bountiful lessons in faith embedded throughout the movie. Lifemark is not available for rental on Amazon Prime, but is available on YouTube.