Two stars BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

It’s very difficult to pull off a truly compelling ‘I found Jesus’ movie that isn’t a bit schmaltzy. This is an overall well enough done movie that tells an interesting(and true) story that is reassuring to believers (I am one) but doesn’t do ‘quite’ enough to push the unsure, agnostic or atheist over the Jesus Goal Line. That said, it’s an ok film, well done acting, good characters with a good story.

In short: Crisis happens, wife finds God, husband reporter atheist husband not ok with this, they have distance, he investigates the facts of the resurrection. No spoiler alert needed, it’s a feel good movie… nobody is smote or turns into a pillar of Morton’s and they do live ‘happily ever after.’

Having read the original book (quite good) and seen the film, the true investigation into the most pivotal moment in all of mankind to a Christian is laid out well in the book and given barely above ‘box score’ details of the facts that convince real life reporter Lee Strobel to share the faith journey his wife arrived at before him. This story could have been dead-bang excellent had it been a documentary that spend more time on Strobel’s faith findings, ones that REALLY happened and REALLY took him to extensive investigations with Real experts.

Here’s where the woke dollop comes into play. Mind you, it probably doesn’t matter to Jesus… but the woman who averts a crisis for the Stobel’s (both in the movie and in real life) was a nurse named “Linda”. In the movie her character is essentially the all knowing, wise, harbinger of The Way, her film name is Alfie Davis (played by L. Scott Caldwell.) While the race of the real life Linda/Alfie is not found online, one suspects that she is black-casted in this “magic negro,” all knowing, steady, wise, Godly ‘compass north point’ role. (I could be wrong but I doubt it.) The same token casting for Strobel’s editor (actor Frankie Faison) as the growling, no nonsense Chicago Tribune boss. (According to the National Association of Black Journalists there were a total of 11 black top editors at daily newspapers at the close of 2015. (The story takes place around 1980.)

An ‘ok’ movie with a good message that lacks octane compared to what it could have been. Buy the book, which is quite good.