COURAGEOUS

US, 2011, 129 minutes, Colour.
Alex Kendrick, Ken Bevel, Ben Davies, Kevin Downes, Angelita Nelson, Robert Amaya.
Directed by Alex Kendrick.

An explicitly Christian film with an evangelical background.

Alex and Stephen Kendrick have made four successful commercial religious features. In fact, their last three films opened on the top ten list in the US. The brothers hale from Georgia, have a media ministry from their Church and have proven that their religious films can be commercially successful and find a wider audience than they might at first have thought.

Facing the Giants was a baseball story. Fireproof was about firemen. Courageous is about policemen. The Kendricks tell a tale that fits into a popular genre and then become more open in terms of God language and morals as the films progress. They also advocate pastoral programs which offer help for marriages (Fireproof) and for father-son relationships in Courageous.

Clearly, they are aiming for a niche market, but one which seems to be expanding.

Courageous focuses on four policemen and their family situations. Not all are ideal. There is a white family where the father does not take enough notice of his teenage son. There is a black family where the teenage girl wants to go out unsupervised. A young rookie has neglected his former girlfriend and her daughter. Another man is separated and has visits from his son. There is a fifth family, a Hispanic family, where the father struggles to find work, but has created a loving family environment.

We see the police at work arresting drug dealers. We see the bonds between the friends who are able to confide in each other, have meals together, talk openly about their faith and churchgoing.

Alex Kendrick, co-writer, producer and director, plays the central role of the white policeman and father. When a tragedy strikes his family, he becomes more conscious of how precious time with his children is. This leads him to read the Scriptures and to formulate what he calls a Resolution, a charter for closer father-son relationships. It is pointed out that the statistics indicate that fatherless sons are more especially prone to criminal behaviour. He persuades his colleagues to go through a formal and family ritual (not in a church) to commit themselves to the Resolution.

For dramatic purposes, one of the fathers lapses.

Speaking of dramatic purposes raises a difficulty with many of the explicitly religious films, including Courageous. The earnestness of the film-makers comes through strongly, even in ordinary dialogue which often sounds highminded and dramatically unreal. And, as the films progress, this becomes even more pronounced with the specific religious references. Sympathetic audiences will not notice or will make allowances. Unsympathetic audiences will be tempted to turn off, not wanting to be preached at but wanting a message through drama and action rather than through sermon.

The film does end in church and with a longish sermon, spoken by Alex Kendrick himself. Which means the film ends in an exhortatory manner.

Another difficulty for many audiences (something which may also alienate the unsympathetic) is the way the father-son difficulties are handled. The father studies the Scriptures and finds many a text on the theme – but they are taken as ‘proof-texts’ without looking at them in their context in the book and in the development of attitudes towards God over the many centuries of the biblical centuries. The result is extremely (and sounds exclusively) patriarchal. It is the father who has full responsibility and will act. The wives look on in admiration but are not included in the commitment. Who will act? ‘I will’ says the father rather than ‘We will’ including his wife.

The motivation is strong. Intentions are admirable. But preaching and proselytising films work more on the converted than not. They would work better, not necessarily being less explicit, but relying on the drama for communicating the message and meaning.

1. The work of the Kendrick brothers? Their target audience? Their films based on belief, Christian perspective, evangelical, preaching?

2. The issue of drama and explicit religious messages, the messages dominating the drama? Or the drama communicating the message? The films as parables for preaching? The impact on the evangelical audience, in the United States? Worldwide audiences?

3. The importance of the faith background, in the state of Georgia, the church of the Kendrick brothers and the mission of preaching, media? Middle America? Embracing all the races? An acknowledgment of the Lord Jesus, providence, God’s presence? The nature of prayer? The proclamation and affirmation of faith – how much deep interior religious experience?

4. The use of the genres to engage the audience, the police and their activities, the gangs, chases? Continuing the genre material while the audience becomes engaged with characters, identifying with the characters and issues, prepared to accept the message?

5. The introduction of humour, Adam’s phone call to his chief, ‘Love ya...’?

6. The father and son theme, the statistics offered about fatherless families and crime? Examples and gangs? The fathers and children in the film, Adam and his son, Nathan and his parents, his own children? Javier and his children? David and the denial of his daughter? Shane and his divorce, his bond with Tyler? Derrick and his membership of the gangs – and Adam reclaiming him? Adam identifying his own role with his son, greater realisations, the personalising of the issues, Adam and his Scripture reading, his discussions with his wife, with his son, the formulation of the Resolution? The decision to hold the ceremony, everybody present, the pastor? Fidelity to the Resolution? The final sequence in the church – and the patriarchal nature of the Resolution, the father being responsible for all?

7. The introduction to the film, Nathan, the hijacking of his car, his chase, holding on, his injuries, the baby in the car? His going to Georgia for a better life for his children? His police background? The change? His reputation, joining the squad, David as his partner, the young rookie, the pursuit of the drug dealers, the chase, running, David making mistakes, not finding the address? The reprimand? Nathan at home, his relationship with his wife? His daughter and her being a young teenager, her attraction towards Derrick? His rules? Forbidding her outings with Derrick? The bonds and the discussion, the drawing on God language, faith, church-going? His participation in the Resolution? His own mentor being present? Jay and the meal at the restaurant, bonding with her? The issue of Shane, the entrapment? The finale? His finding Derrick, the pursuit and arrest of the drug dealers, his sense of obligation towards Derrick? An African American, for African American audiences?

8. Adam, Alex Kendrick taking the role, embodying the screenplay and the direction? His love for Victoria? Love for Dylan, for Emmy? Dylan and his running, Adam refusing to run? Being stern with his son, forbidding him to go out? Allowing Emmy to go to the party? Her dancing on her father’s shoes? His friendship with Shane? His work in the office? In action, the chase, the running, catching the criminals? The bonds with the men, the meals together at home? Men’s business? The news of Emmy’s death, his grief, the funeral, his realisation that he had not bonded with Dylan? His running with him? Reading the Scriptures, formulating the Resolution, persuading the others to participate, the pastor and the discussions about grief, the pastor at the ritual? Going running with Dylan? The realisation that Shane was stealing, the entrapment? Visiting him in jail? Promising to look after Tyler? His preaching the final sermon in the church? The emphasis on fathers and the ‘I will’ in dealing with family problems?

9. Shane, at work, the background of his divorce, partnering Adam, participating in the chase, the visits with Tyler, the men’s dinners and talk, the Resolution and his participation? Taking the drugs, the setup, his being caught, going to jail? Adam visiting him, his wanting Adam to care for Tyler? Adam’s reassurance?

10. Javier, Hispanic, the family, his wife and children, the temporary work, his being let go, his wife’s upset? His reliance on God and prayer? Going to be hired? Being too late? Shane and his explaining Javier to Adam – Adam calling out as Javier watched, the shed, paying him, the irony that it was the wrong Javier? Javier and his wife, the job, the money? Adam getting him a permanent job, his prospering, promoted? The bosses and the test about his honesty, his prayer, integrity, passing the test? With the Resolution? His participating in the pursuit of the druggies, his being asked to impersonate a hardened criminal – the touch of comedy, Derrick’s fear in the back of the car?

11. David, the young rookie, college background, his failing the test with Nathan, bonding with Nathan, with the group, the truth a his life, the story about his girlfriend, the birth of his daughter, participating in the Resolution? Contacting the girlfriend, the letter, sending the money, confessing the truth, his visit? The letter and the pledge?

12. The initial carjacking, the thief and his connection with the drug dealers, the kids and their selling the drugs, the car chases, imprisonment? Derrick and his being bashed for an initiation? His being drawn in on the big job? His meeting Jay, the attraction to her, Nathan’s telling him to go away? The police, the gun, stopping the car, the shooting, his hiding? The others being chased, the arrest? His being arrested, in the back of the car with Javier? In court, his future?

13. Each of the men and their future, the climax with the sermon, the emphasis on fathers, the wives smiling their support? A moral film – and morale for American fathers?