I normally don't review movies since I don't even own a television(LOL). However, this movie was provided at no charge by Booksneeze in exchange for an honest review. Since my husband and I are always looking for evangelistic movies to show at area parks, I decided to preview this movie.
The back cover reads...Leaders are not chosen, they are called. Inspired by a true story. Richard Kelly is a black college graduate forced to serve probation at an all-white seminary after the 1965 Watts riots. Richard is encouraged by the seminary president, Alan Beckett, to break the color line. Richard nears his breaking point when he meets Samuel, an elderly janitor who lives in the basement of his dormitory. As Samuel guides Richard through the trials of racism and the personal life that haunts him, Richard undergoes a transformation that forces him to choose between his dreams and his destiny.
Sounds good, but if you have never heard of Richard Kelly you might get lost. I had to explain most of it to my daughter, and she is very bright. It just didn't seem to flow from scene to scene very well. Maybe it's the point of view we are coming from. If we watch a supposedly christian movie, we expect and are looking for the gospel. Maybe she got lost because she was waiting for and trying to find a connection to the gospel.
Personally, I think I'm in a minority because I LIKE preachy movies. Unfortunately, this movie was not preachy at all. This movie could have been so great if they would have showed HOW and WHEN Richard decided to pursue the call of God and become a preacher. It does have some good parts like when the dean found out the millionaire benefactor decided to pull his money not because of a black student, but because they were no longer teaching the bible as truth in the seminary classrooms.
Bottom line: We won't be showing this movie at any area parks.