WAR ROOM

US, 2015, 120 minutes, Colour.
Karen Abercrombie, Priscilla C. Shirer, T. C. Stallings.
Directed by Alex Kendrick.

In the last decade, the Kendrick brothers have become very successful filmmakers. The more recent films have appeared on the US box office 10 best on their release and had wide circulation in the United States, especially in church circles. The films have been well received overseas, especially by churches and religious groups. Titles include Facing the Giants, fireproof, Fireproof, Courageous.
The film opens with some Pentagon footage, our expected images of war rooms. But this is simply meant to be a symbol, of our own personal war rooms, our personal struggles and a conflict between good and evil.

The setting for War Room is South Carolina and some extension to Atlanta. While there have been African- American characters in the Kendricks’ films, all the principal characters here are African- American.

There is an old lady, Clara, Karen Abercrombie, whose husband died at the time of the Vietnam war. She has always regretted that there was not a greater peace between herself and her husband at the time of his death, so has made a resolution, something like “payit forward” of contacting a wife who was having marital difficulties and persuade her to look deep within herself, to be prayerful, to belief in Jesus.

This time the wife is Elizabeth, Priscilla C. Shirer, a very successful real estate agent, even employed to sell Clara’s house.She is devoted to her young daughter, loves her husband but he is caught up in his busy salesman work, taking him away from home, getting him involved in some fraudulent aspects of his work, some temptation to his roving eye.

The war room of the title for Clara is a room, a secluded place in her house, where she can retreat, be recollected, pray, contemplate the Scriptures. Elizabeth agrees to listen to Clara and be guided by her, initially finding the praying difficult, but, along with the audience, listening to the wise advice seeing the practice, learning something of how to pray. She cleans out a closet at home and makes that her war room, a small place for prayer, the Scripture texts on the wall, her reading them and reflecting on them – and denouncing Satan, shouting for Satan to get out of her life and relying on the fact that Jesus has already conquered him.

Faced with a crisis, the husband begins to come to his senses, expects his wife to be angry with him but gradually begins to understand what has happened to her, her faith and prayer, and his attempts to follow her lead. Part of the enjoyment of his conversion is his criticism of his little daughter doing rope-jumping but then his entering into it wholeheartedly – and the portrayal of a local rope-jumping competition. No surprise who wins.

This is certainly an evangelical film, with Alex Kendrick, the writer-director, taking on a significant role of the businessman who is challenged to think about his own values, especially that of forgiveness.

The film will serve as an inspiration to its target audience, encouraging them to prayer, instructing them in ways of praying. It also serves as encouragement to married couples for faith to help them in their difficulties. Interestingly, there are very few church scenes in this film. It will have very little appeal to non-believers or secular audiences since it is storytelling for evangelisation and preaching.

1. A faith-film? A film about prayer? A film about God? About Jesus and the answer to prayer?

2. The target audience, the faith-audience, American, African- American? White? For non-American audiences? For non-faith audiences?

3. The work of the Kendrick Brothers, their success in making films, religious success, box-office success in the US? The wide reach for their films? Men of faith, writing, producing, directing, Alex Kendrick and his sympathetic role as the company boss? A scene of understanding and forgiveness?

4. The North Carolina settings, the scenes in Atlanta? Homes, middle-class, comfortable, African- American, white? The pharmaceutical company and its offices? The real estate agency and its offices? School? The rope-jumping rehearsals and competition? The musical score and its religious atmosphere?

5. The focus on African- American characters? In the South? Comfortably-off people? The contrast with the history of the South, even in the 1970s? Not so much emphasis on church and pastors – although the focus on the community centre? The background of the Vietnam war and veterans being killed, the aftermath?

6. The focus on the Jordan family? Centring on Elizabeth? A strong presence, love for her husband, 13 years of marriage, growing exasperation, her love for her daughter yet discovering that she had been too busy to follow what was happening to her daughter? Tony, his pharmaceutical work, his reputation, interactions with the bosses, his travelling in sales, his weariness with his marriage, meeting the woman in Atlanta? The possibility for betrayal? The little girl, sensitive to her parents fighting, her girlfriend and stayovers?

7. The introduction to Clara, at the cemetery, her memories of her husband, dying in the Vietnam war? Her later explanation to Elizabeth, the tensions with her husband before his death, his dying without their being reconciled? The effect on her faith, to reach out to someone else, to save them from the same experience that she had?

8. Clara, selling the house, going to stay with her son – the later revelation that he was a City Manager – befriending Elizabeth, the discussions, the meetings, Elizabeth between faith and non-faith, the image of the hot coffee and the cool coffee and its mediocrity? Clara, her war room, the room for prayer, for scriptural texts? The various meetings with Elizabeth, the discussions about her situation, Clara urging her to faith in Jesus? Clara at home, exuberant, exhilarated about her faith and the experience with Elizabeth?

9. Elizabeth at work, dissatisfied, irritated with Tony, the criticisms, his expecting caustic remarks, the effect on her daughter?

10. Elizabeth being touched by Clara, beginning to pray, clearing out her closet, making her own war room, prayer, the initial effort, subsequent ease, her praying the scriptural texts?

11. Elizabeth raging against the devil, confronting him, inside the house, outside the house, saying that she wanted to save her marriage? Her faith in Jesus who had conquered the devil?

12. The discovery about Tony and his stealing the pharmaceuticals, cooking his books? The interview, his being fired? His coming home, expecting a reaction, Elizabeth being calm, understanding, hoping to manage? His being disconcerted? His consciousness about the past, Elizabeth sending money to her sister and his condemnation of the husband as wastrel? Issues of incomes? His ignoring his daughter? The meeting with the woman at Atlanta, the dinner, her proposition, his hesitation, sick in the toilet, coming home?

13. His confession to Elizabeth, the money, the pharmaceuticals, struggling? His decision to return them, going to the office, the condemnation by the boss who was always critical of him? The background of their shock at his behaviour, summoning him, firing him? The more sympathetic boss, accepting the pharmaceuticals, asking for the money back? Taking two days to consider? Visiting the house, amazed at Tony’s behaviour, not prosecuting him?

14. Elizabeth, the visits to Clara, their both being happy? The retired pastor and his wife, to buy the house, the discovery of the war room, clinching the sale, the daughter texting and Clara knowing the result?

15. Tony, going to the school, his previous criticisms of rope jumping, apologising to his daughter? Her skills, his acrobatic skills seen in the visits to the gym? His joining in, the rehearsals, the competition and their skills and winning?

16. Tony and the offer of the job of director at the community centre, Elizabeth agreeing and his accepting?

17. Clara happy, the spirituality of contact, communication and “pay it forward”? A Christian and prayerful solution to problems finishing in hope?