“A great movie, fit for the entire family, and you will walk out feeling uplifted and encouraged in your walk with Christ.� Sounds like a tag line from the Andy Griffith era… but it is the description of a movie that may be playing in your local theatre tonight. Facing the Giants opened on September 29th in 430 theatres across the country, and to be honest, I had barely heard of the movie until some friends suggested I go watch a “new Christian movie� with them. Baffled by the description, reflections of Passion of the Christ came to mind, along with a few recent movies that were supposedly about Christ but instead portrayed situations completely opposite that of the Bible. So I must say that I entered the theatre with a skeptical mind. But when I left my opinions had been proved wrong. Facing the Giants is not only a truly biblical portrayal of the power of Christ, but the story behind it is just as amazing.

The story focuses on the character of Grant Taylor, whose new season as head football coach at Shiloh Academy is starting out in a very grim way. His best player transfers schools, the boys’ fathers want him fired, and his dreams of becoming a father himself are crushed by a visit to the doctor. Sound familiar? The astounding burden of day to day events is often the strongest negative factor in the life of a Christian, and this is a clear theme throughout the movie. Grant Taylor’s search for meaning and purpose is chronicled throughout the film as his relationship with Christ grows and he is able to lift up those around him as a result. Not only will this movie encourage you to step beyond your “comfort zone,� but it truly shows the affect we can have on others when we operate from God’s strength instead of our own.

Not only is this movie an example of how that strength can work in a person’s life, but in the making of the film itself. You might be astounded to learn that the entire movie was the production of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. The senior pastor of the church has lived with the vision of reaching the world from the small town, and needless to say, that can take some creative conduits if one wishes to succeed. As a result, the church began a very unique film-making ministry, and their second project was the creation of this movie. The entire film was written by Alex and Stephen Kendrick, the two brothers who head up the ministry of Sherwood Pictures. The movie stars an all-volunteer cast, including these two associate pastors, the executive pastor, Sunday school teachers, deacons, college students, and other members of Sherwood Baptist. And the most remarkable detail of all is how the movie made it to the big screen. With a $100,000 budget, six weeks of shooting time, and one rented camera, the chances were slim that this movie would reach millions across the country, but God worked just as much behind the film as He did in it. Sherwood Baptist requested to use music by Third Day and Casting Crowns in the film, but approval was contingent upon a viewing of the already completed movie. When Provident Music and Provident Films viewed the film, they immediately took it to Sony executives who loved it and agreed to distribute it nationally. Not only has the film received acclaim for its no-nonsense version of Christianity, but it received immense media attention due to its rating â€" on the label it says “Rated PG for thematic elementsâ€?; those thematic elements are what the review board referred to as “religious content.â€? The negativity that one might expect from such a rating threw the movie into the spotlight; the film made it as high as number 14 in weekend box office earnings since its debut. To date, this $100,000 budget film has made over $4 million… talk about doing the impossible.

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