| Facing the Giants | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Alex Kendrick |
| Produced by | Stephen Kendrick Alex Kendrick David Nixon |
| Written by | Alex Kendrick Stephen Kendrick |
| Starring | Alex Kendrick Shannen Fields Tracy Goode James Blackwell Bailey Cave Jim McBride Jason McLeod |
| Music by | Mark Willard |
| Studio | Sherwood Pictures |
| Distributed by | Samuel Goldwyn Films |
| Release date(s) |
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| Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Facing the Giants is a 2006 American Christian drama film directed by and starring Alex Kendrick. The supporting cast was composed of volunteers from Sherwood Baptist Church, and it is the second film that Sherwood Pictures have done. Shot in Albany, Georgia, the film relates an underdog story about American football from a Christian worldview.
The film was released to DVD in early 2007 and made its television debut on September 21, 2008, on Trinity Broadcasting Network.
Contents |
Plot [edit]
In 2003, Grant Taylor (Alex Kendrick) a high school football coach with a mediocre record. After several poor seasons, the Shiloh Eagles are considering replacing him as head coach. This is not the only problem Taylor is facing; his car is breaking down, the players' fathers are trying to get him fired, and he discovers that he is the reason that his wife Brooke cannot become pregnant.
He creates a new coaching philosophy and decides to praise God, no matter what the result. At the same time he guides and urges each one of his players to give the maximum effort, and motivates them to believe they can win under God's guidance. From that point on, he loses only one game but eventually goes on to win the state championship. His prayers for children are also answered. Two years later, Grant and his wife have children of their own.
Cast [edit]
- Alex Kendrick as Grant Taylor
- Shannen Fields as Brooke Taylor
- James Blackwell as Matt Prater
- Bailey Cave as David Childers
- Steve Williams as Larry Childers
- Tracy Goode as Brady Owens
- Jim McBride as Bobby Lee Duke
- Tommy McBride as Jonathan Weston
- Jason McLeod as Brock Kelley
- Chris Willis as J.T. Hawkins Jr.
- Ray Wood as Mr. Bridges
- Erin Bethea as Alicia Houston
Production [edit]
The movie was shot on high definition digital video tape (using the Panasonic Varicam) and transferred to film.[1] Using real high school football teams, the football action sequences were shot by the film's director of photography, Bob Scott, who is a veteran cinematographer for NFL Films. Another NFL Films technician, Rob Whitehurst, recorded the movie's sound. Filming started in April 27th 2004.
Soundtrack [edit]
| Facing the Giants: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | |
|---|---|
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| Film score | |
| Released | October 3, 2006 |
| Genre | Christian |
Official listing [edit]
- Come Together - Third Day
- Voice of Truth - Casting Crowns
- Facing the Giants Theme (Score) - Mark Willard
- I'm Finding You - Bebo Norman
- The Deathcrawl (Score) - Mark Willard
- Completely - Ana Laura
- A Gift from God (Score) - Mark Willard & Alex Kendrick
- Come on Back to Me - Mac Powell
- Never Give Up on Me - Josh Bates
- The Fight (Score) - Mark Willard
- With You - Mark Willard
- Attempting the Impossible (Score) - Mark Willard & Alex Kendrick
Reception [edit]
Reception [edit]
The film received mostly negative reviews from mainstream critics.[2] The film received a score of 13% on Rotten tomatoes based on 4 reviews.[3]
Box office [edit]
In its first weekend, the film opened on 441 screens nationwide in the United States.[4] Despite such a small number of theaters, the film opened in twelfth place with $1,343,537. Only three films in the top ten released that weekend grossed more per theater. For such a small budget of $100,000, the film ultimately was shown in over 1,000 theaters and grossed a total of $10,178,331.[4] The film opened in South Korea on April 16, 2010, eventually grossing $64,828. The worldwide total (as of June 20, 2010) for the movie stands at $10,243,159. DVD sales have also been strong, with 2.3 million units sold in 57 countries.
Rating controversy [edit]
In May 2006, the producers of Facing the Giants received notice from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) that the film would be receiving a "Parental Guidance Suggested" rating, or PG rating.[5] The Drudge Report picked up the story on June 8, 2006, which sparked a controversy alleging that the film was being given a "PG" rating solely because of its religious theme. The New York Times, Good Morning America, Fox News, and many talk radio programs covered this story.[6]
According to the film's producers, they were told the motion picture received a PG rating because of its strong religious themes and because it elevated one religion over another.[5] However, MPAA later explained that Facing the Giants contains football violence and also deals with the mature topics of infertility and depression.
The Kendrick brothers expected the PG rating because of the movie's mature themes and did not appeal the board's rating.[6]
References [edit]
- ^ "Internet Movie Database". Facing the Giants. Retrieved September 7, 2007.
- ^ http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/facingthegiants
- ^ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/facing_the_giants/
- ^ a b "Facing the Giants". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
- ^ a b "Film Rating Upsets Christian Groups". ABC News. Retrieved September 7, 2007.
- ^ a b "Facing the Giants MPAA Ratings Controversy". Carmel Entertainment Group. Retrieved September 7, 2007.
External links [edit]
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Simple English Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Facing the Giants |
- Official website
- Facing the Giants at the Internet Movie Database
- Facing the Giants at AllRovi
- Facing the Giants at Box Office Mojo
- Facing the Giants at Rotten Tomatoes
- Facing the Giants on Facebook
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