Movie Information
Release Date: February 25, 2011
Director: David G. Evans
Writer: Howard Klausner
Cast: Michael Joiner, Michael Higgenbottom, Joy Parmer Moore, Louis Gossett Jr., Dawntoya Thomason, Rob Erickson, Kiana McDaniel, Taylor Ollins, Cindy Hodge, Chris Thomas, Brayden Negelein, Amisho Baraka, Jessica Maharrey
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 101 minutes
Studio: GraceWorks Pictures
Genre: Drama
Language: English
Country: USA
Budget: $200,000 (estimated)
It’s extremely difficult to move on from the past, and forgive those cause you pain, grief, and despair. It’s even harder when those wounds affect not only you, but your loved ones around you, creating a family of heartache and pain. That’s the story here, of man’s fight with himself, his family and the world that surrounds him. Trapped by mistaken guilt of everyday life, he constantly eats away at his own soul. It’s a powerful message despite it’s delivery from B list actors in an emotional drama jerking for tears.
Bill ‘Mac’ McDonald (Michael Joiner) is in a bind with no place to turn. He’s stuck with his career as a policeman, and frustrated as every chance of a promotion passing him by His wife Sara’s (Joy Parmer Moore) on disability so there’s no income coming from her. They’re son is making it worse due to his failing grades at a private high school he attends and to top it off there was a tragic accident 17 years prior to all this that haunts everyone. Things don’t seem like they can get worst but they surely do.
On the other end Sam Wright (Mike Higgenbottow) appears to be doing quite well for himself. He works at the same police station as Bill and gets the promotion Bill’s being aiming for. So there’s some tension that may occur between the two. He has a beautiful supportive wife and two beautiful daughters. As a part time job he’s a pastor at his local church. He wants to pursue it full-time, but doesn’t have enough money for his minister so that’s his reason for the job with the police. He only comes home to his daughters arguing over a stuffed doll, opposed to Bill coming home finding drug paraphernalia in his son’s pants pocket. Did I mention that Sam is Black and Bill’s white. This matters because Bill is racist. So Bill’s a racist police officer, with a son experimenting with drugs, with no money, a wife who can’t help, and a tragic accident on his conscience. How can it get worse? He’s partnered up with Sam at the police station.
With Bill and Sam partnered up on the job their relationship mixes worst than oil and water. It’s a situation I never want to be a part of. While this is movie has a Christian philosophy to it, it hits a homerun with the message it’s trying display. While some are turned off by such films, it does a great job not trying to shove Bible verses down your throat, but gives you realistic trials and tribulations that everyone can go through, and gives you two perspectives of a life with and without God. With me being a Christian myself, I still learned a lot and I can say everyone will as I did. Unfortunately, one thing it didn’t hit out of the park was the acting. It wasn’t terrible to the point of laughter, but was enough to make you realize it was extremely low budget. That still doesn’t take away from how powerful the message was.
At some point in the movie Bill’s wife Sara wants to involve a counselor in their house hold to possibly bring her family together. Of course, initially Bill’s upset with this because counselor’s cost money and they’re living pay check to pay check. He’s a complete a$$ about it, but I honestly can’t blame him. He’s trying the best he can but still can’t make due. I do respect Sara’s character because she doing everything she can as the glue that holds the family together. As well as the counselor I’m rooting for both characters. There aren’t any characters I dislike but these two are my favorite.
One thing about Christianity is God works in mysterious ways that no human can begin to understand. He will always make a way out of no way if you put him first and have faith. It’s amazing what he does to these two policemen, Bill and Sam that will move you again and again. It’s a brilliant display of what wonderful things can take place if God is the first thing in your life. I could relate to the message on many levels and I’m sure anyone can take a piece from it.
As I stated before the message behind this film was great and should be viewed by all. In no way it is perfect because it still contains acting that needs work, and a corny scene or two. What makes it so interesting are the realistic situations these characters are thrown into, and their reactions that are relatable. If you go into with these expectations, your overall opinion will be greater than mine. I can say that if I witness someone in the future going through these similar events, I will recommend ‘THE GRACE CARD’ to shine some light upon their situation. Still it’s just my opinion