Run The Race is the latest faith-based film to hit theaters. If you follow my page, you know that I like faith-based films but can be brutally honest in my assessments. You will also know that I don't trust IMDb when it comes to films like this. First of all, you have votes at either end of the spectrum. You get the faith-based voters who will vote everything with a Pollyanna "10." Then you have the dogmatic atheists who will vote anything faith based with a "1" knowing that they have not even seen the film. I wish IMDb required proof that you have seen a film before you can vote. It would be hard to do, but it would increase credibility. IMDb has issues, as well. They are currently showing this film as a 6.5/10 with 119 votes. I have added up those votes and divided by 119. The math says that this film is 7.6, not 6.5. It's hard to argue with math. So, what gives IMDb? I suspect there may be inherent bias against faith-based films at IMDb as well. Or maybe they just can't add. Based on their historical issues in this category, they do not get the benefit of the doubt here. By the way, 7.6/10 is probably a little bit high, but it is not far off. Closer than 6.5 for sure.
Zach Truett (Tanner Stine) is a small town football stud in a town where football is king. Bessemer, Alabama doesn't offer much hope for the future, so Zach and his brother Dave (Evan Hofer) dream of escaping Bessemer one day. Zach's potential football scholarship may hold the key to their future. Dave was a football star as well, until a cheap hit ended football for him and left him with sporadic seizures. The boys live alone in a run down home. Their mother died two years ago. Their father (Kristoffer Polaha) has been absent since the death of their mother, drowning his sorrows in alcohol. The boys are loosely cared for by their nanna, Louise (Frances Fisher), who helps them financially as well as emotionally. Zach tears his ACL during a brawl with rival football players, shattering his hopes of carrying his team to the state championship. His dreams of escaping Bessemer on a football scholarship are shattered with it. A budding relationship with a nurse intern, Ginger (Kelsey Reinhardt) is a bright spot in an otherwise bleak future. But Zach still might find redemption along with his heartache as his world continues to crash down around him.
Two things set this film apart from old-school faith-based films. The acting, which I will get to in a minute, and the writing. Those two elements can carry a film, even when the budget doesn't allow for glitz and glitter. This film was solid on those two elements. I really enjoyed the dialogue, which was often quick and sharp. While the healing aspects of this film move a bit quickly, the dialogue and characters help add some credibility. Change takes time. We only have two hours, so I can accept a bit of reconciliation that seems a bit too easy. Having said that, the film took me through a range of emotions. I laughed and I felt moved. There were a couple of exchanges between characters that were raw, adding depth to the characters and driving the impact of this film home. Excellent script. I was surprised that this was Jake McEntire's first screenplay. He also conceived the story. He was given a helping hand from writers who have a bit more experience, Jason Baumgartner and Chris Dowling. I didn't care much for Baumgartner's Samson. I gave it a 6/10, which I also gave to Dowling's story in Priceless. This film was much better than either of those.
Run The Race had quite a few big name actors. Maybe not quite A-list, but not unknown, either. Mario Van Peebles has a small role as the pastor in this film. Zach's coach is Mykelti Williamson who was famous for his role as Bubba in Forrest Gump. Football players Eddie George and Tim Tebow make cameo appearances in this film. While the cast includes some performances from other faith-based films, the film history is mostly secular. I thought the performances were a reflection of the diverse cast. I particularly enjoyed Stine and Hofer. I grew up with two brothers and understand brotherly bonds. They were completely credible as brothers. I thought they worked well together. Strong casting and writing helped this film overcome a few short-comings.
The MPAA gave Run The Race a family-friendly PG rating. There is talk about death and death in this film. The images aren't entirely disturbing, but the seizure scenes may disturb young viewers. They aren't over the top, so I wouldn't be concerned, personally. This film has a strong faith-based message. I wouldn't limit screening by age. Good for all ages. This film has a run time of one hour, forty-one minutes.
Run The Race is not a "feel good" movie. In fact, it is a bit tragic. That probably added to my enjoyment. The film had a strong dose of real life. It also had a bit of hard-to-swallow change in the characters. But I accept that as part of the film. Great casting and strong writing helped me get past a few character inconsistencies. Most importantly, I felt moved by this film. It was really funny at time, with sharp dialogue that didn't feel hackneyed like so many films today. The performances were also solid. This film is worth seeing, particularly if you like faith films. I am somewhere between 7 and 7.5 on this film, so I will go with 7.5/10.
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