FOR THE GLORY

US, 2012, 105 minutes, Colour.
Jason Burkey, Chelsea Casagrande.
Directed by Donald Leow.

For the Glory is the story of Kurt Kuykendall, an Olympic soccer champion.

The film is one of those that can be described as ‘inspirational’. It comes from Christian film makers who are committed to tell the story of Kurt, the difficulties with his family, his attempts to play college basketball, his transition to soccer and his success as well as his religious experience, meeting a young woman, Sherry, going to her church, learning to pray and to commit himself to God and for the glory of God.

The film shows an earnest boy, with an ambitious father and an alcoholic mother. His older brother, in an institution, dies and his mother is inconsolable in her grief, looking down on her younger son. He is a good sport’s athlete, has a good friend, Robbie, and does his best.

The film then moves to showing Kurt as an older teenager, going to college, becoming a member of a fraternity, but being strong-willed and determined in his practice for his basketball team. However, the coach considers that he does not have the talent for the team and cuts him. While this is devastating for him, his friends suggest that he come with them to help out and play soccer. After a false start, he finds he is very successful as a goalie and continues to play.

He impresses a coach, is promoted to further playing, is seen by a talent scout for the Olympic team, auditions, is injured, but makes a comeback.

The family had moved to Washington, DC from California and his father gets an important job ‘on the hill’. He wants his son to have an internship there, is busy filming his son and his sports activities, then severe with his son and trying to urge him to get alternate basketball college acceptance. He is against soccer.

The film shows Kurt’s shyness but also his attraction towards Sherry, going to her church, eventually aksing her to go out with him. When he brings her home, his parents are against the marriage but the couple take a strong stand against the parents and do marry.
With the film becomes more inspirational, it goes on to show Kurt’s hard work, renewed practice, his playing, and his later career in coaching and his being inducted into the hall of fame.

During the final credits, there are scenes of testimonies of faith by both Kurt and Sherry, consolidating the faith dimension of the film.
The film’s treatment is of the popular kind, especially for biographical films on television. While Jason Burkey is good in the central role. He had appeared as the boyfriend in October Baby. However, some of the acting leaves a lot to be desired, especially the actors who portray Kurt’s parents.

1. A sports film? A family film? American dreams and achievement? A religion and faith film? Inspiring?

2. The film-makers and the Christian perspective? Religion and church experiences? The final testimonies?

3. The title, achievement, the Glory of God, the texts quoted, the spirit of the film?

4. The 1960s and seventies, American family life, school and college, home pressures? The fraternities? Basketball, soccer? The bars, the church…?

5. The basketball sequences? Entertaining and interesting? Skills? The soccer sequences, practice, Kurt and his skills as a goalie? The matches and competition?

6. Kurt as a boy, the death of his brother, with his friend camping on the front lawn, his mother’s drunken and hostile reaction, his father and his concern? The mother and her continued drinking? Her bitterness? The father, his concern, yet his expectations?

7. Kurt, as a boy, his friends, play, the bonds with them?

8. The teenage Kurt, move from California to Washington? His father, going up of the world, the job, the office, the contacts and phone calls, his ambitions,
being busy? The mother, greater affluence and the house? Her continued drinking, dislike of Kurt? Kurt at college, playing basketball, his intensity?

9. Kurt’s father, his expectations, continually with the camera, the mother looking down on her son?

10. Kurt, his playing, his failure in the match and his father’s explaining it to him? The interview with the coach, his being cut off from the team? Further
plans, the possibilities to go to other schools, his work ethic and intense practice and being fit? His father and the contacts, pushing him, ridiculing the idea of soccer?

11. His friends, their support, drinks and the bar, the jokes, soccer, his helping out, the first half and his failure, his father seeing this, leaving and discussed?
The second half and his success? The encounters with Bruce in the bar, Sherry and her being Bruce’s girlfriend? The awkwardness?

12. The coach, his looking at Kurt playing, his toughness? The audition, the coach’s choice, the rejection of Bruce and his being upset? Bruce and Sherry breaking up?

13. The continued antagonism of his parents, going to church with Sherry, talking with her, the meetings, his shyness, eventually going out?

14. The Olympic scout, tryouts, his injury?

15. The engagement, taking Sherry to dinner with his parents, the tensions at the table, the critique? Kurt walking out and taking Sherry with him?

16. Kurt’s recovery, training and exercise with Sherry? His trying again?

17. The wedding, his parents being present, some moments of reconciliation?

18. Kurt’s achievement, his later career, the long marriage to Sherry, the final testimonies?