OVERCOMER

US, 2019, 121 minutes, Colour.
Alex Kendrick, Shari Rigby, Aryn Wright Thompson, Priscilla C.Shirer, Cameron Arnett, Jack Sterner, Denise Armstrong.
Directed by Alex Kendrick.

“We shall Overcome� has become something of an anthem. And, when it is founded on faith and commitment, the title ‘Overcomer’ has initial spiritual vigour about it.

For over a decade, the Kendrick brothers, based in Georgia, have been making faith-based films which have been extraordinarily successful in the United States, generally appearing on the top box-office list the week that the film opens – which is, in fact, the case for Overcomer which came in at third with over $8 million in receipts. Obviously, the Kendrick brothers touch the faith-nerve in their target audience (this can be vividly seen in enthusiastic blog responses to the film in the IMDb – “at last a film I can see with my mother�).

Alex Kendrick is cowriter, director and the star of the film. He is a genial screen presence, the average American able to identify him, age, appearance, manner of speaking, family man. He has a sympathetic wife and two fine children.

Another feature of the Kendrick films is an interest in sport and physical activity. Overcome begins with a basketball game but, unpredictably, moves into the sport of cross-country running. The Harrison family lived in the city of Franklin, a city in some decline, industry moving out, populations moving out. John Harrison, basketball coach at the Christian high school, is losing members of his crack team and the principal asks him to take on cross-country running. There is only one taker, a 15-year-old girl, Hannah Scott (Aryn Wright Thompson), her parents dead of drug incidents, living with her stern grandmother. She has a bit of a stealing problem.

Another feature of the recent Kendrick films is that they are less church-oriented and more focused on individual faith, private prayer, reflection on commitment to Jesus as saviour. This is very strong with the case here, not only for John Harrison who has to reassess his life but also for Hannah, the school principal taking her through chapter 1 of the Letter to the Ephesians, and Hannah learning the love of God as well as forgiveness.

And this is necessary because one of the other central characters is a former runner, Thomas Hill (Cameron Arnett in a very sympathetic performance) who is hospitalised with diabetes and is blind. And, he has re-discovered God.

There is humour in the screenplay. There is a great deal of sentiment in the screenplay – especially in what seems to be coincidence but might be called divine Providence. Which means that the film is satisfying entertainment for the target audience, a sincere focus on faith and prayer, characters that can be identified with, sports interest and competition (and, no real spoiler, victory), tensions leading to forgiveness and reconciliation. Obviously, a gospel parable.

And this is to warn that this is definitely not a film for atheists and, especially, those who think that there should be no sentiment, let alone sentimentality, in the movies, can be warned off!

During the final credits there are lots of mentions of the name Kendrick, which means that the whole family is involved in good-deed moviemaking.

1. A popular faith-based film? American Christian denominations? Christian stories? Faith and prayer? Reaching the target audience?

2. The Georgia settings, the city of Franklin, school, sports arenas, homes, hospitals, the woods and cross-country racing?

3. The musical score, sacred background, hymns?

4. Audiences identifying with the characters and situations? Middle-class Americans? Small towns, families, faith dimensions, mixture of African Americans and whites?

5. The introduction to John Harrison, the basketball match, his son losing, weeping, John as coach, support? His relationship with Amy, his boys? His hopes for his work as a coach?

6. Industry in cities, changing, factories closing, transferring, populations moving? The school, smaller numbers, the role of the coaches, the work of the principal, the suggestion of cross-country racing? John’s reluctance? The introduction to Hannah, seeing her stealing and being chased? Living with her grandmother? The death of her parents? Her running, the only candidate for the course, her asthma? The principal paying for her tuition?

7. John, with the pastor, the hospital visitations, the chance visit to Thomas, Providence in John’s life? Thomas blind, his diabetes, his conversion, his past life, his prayer? The background of his running and his expertise? John visiting again, not having prayed for Thomas, Thomas asking who are you, what are you? John having to rethink his life and priorities? Going home, upset about school, clashing with his wife, the bricks, apology, their love for each other, the sons observing?

8. Thomas and his daughter? Hannah and her story? Connecting the two stories? The dilemma about informing Hannah? The discussions with the principal? Hannah choosing to visit, the awkwardness of the first visit, her wanting to visit again? Not telling her grandmother? Grandmother upset? The grandmother visiting John and Amy and being stern?

9. The principal, strong character, dealing with John, supportive of Hannah and paying her these, present at the races – and the strong sequence where she urges Hannah to study chapter 1 of the Letter to the Ephesians and Hannah makes her list of how God sees her in terms of this chapter?

10. The grandmother, her character, working hard, the suffering of the death of her daughter, hating Thomas, the lie to Hannah, discovering what it happened? Rebuking John and Amy, visiting Thomas in hospital? Going home, her prayer?

11. The scenes of training, the range of students in cross-country? John’s son and his interest, going for the run, winded? Building up some fans for Hannah? Hannah, the gradual improvement, her interest in racing?

12. The issue of the earpiece, the coaches and their vote? John using it, the boys setting the times for the race? The discussion with Thomas, recording his coaching advice?

13. The race itself, Hannah listening, coming to the end, her collapse? The time, the video, her winning? Her visiting Thomas, putting the medal round his neck?

14. The grief at the funeral? The reconciliation after the grandmother watched the race?

15. The postscript, Hannah and her future, her achievement?

16. The Christian dimensions, the God language, the faith language, the Providence or coincidence of Hannah’s story and meeting Thomas, testimony to Jesus in faith, sentiment and feeling?