MRM: Rather to be Chosen- Backscreen

Director- Daniel Knudsen

Writer- Mark Knudsen

Alex Shelby- Jared Withrow

John Grame- Tim Kaiser

Kayla Long- Kristina Kaylen

Clay Dorcette- Nathan Jacobson

Michelle Long- Jessica Koloian

This is the beginning of a slightly different type of review that I’ll be doing every so often on the blog called “Backscreen”. Much like a backstage tour of a show or play, this will be a Backscreen look at films to give you a new point of view for how you watch movies. WARNING! These post will be quite a bit longer than my average reviews because I want you to real get to know the film and those who made it possible. “Rather to be Chosen” is Daniel Knudsen’s fourth film, to be released February 2017. I’m not supposed to give any spoilers in this review or I shall incur the wrath of the director. So, let me just give you a taste of what it will be like and a personal perspective from the actors as we step behind the screen.

Daniel Knudsen

First off, this man is incredibly talented and a really great guy to hang around with. I was able to talk with him for quite some time last week and really enjoyed our conversation. I asked him some things about his upcoming release R2BC, (“Rather to be Chosen”), being as ambiguous as possible, of course. Daniel is the director, however, he acts in the movie as well.

Me: I know this film is named after a verse, but did the movie come from the name or was it named after you had created the story? 

Daniel: The title is from Proverbs 22:1 but the story idea for “Rather to be Chosen” actually came first. We got the idea for an undercover boss, romantic drama and as we developed the theme we decided on the title.

Me: Do you act in all of your films?

Daniel: I try to do a little Alfred Hitchcock cameo in every movie. With all the responsibilities of directing, this opportunity to play a small role was perfect. 

Daniel is an 11 year veteran of filmmaking. With this kind of experience, I wanted to know why he started making films to begin with.

Me: What first inspired you to become a filmmaker?

Daniel: I believe it was a dream God planted in my heart because I always wanted to do it.

Me: What is something you’ve always wanted to be asked, but never have been?

Daniel: QUESTION: What is the best way for filmmakers to nurture their stamina to complete the daunting race of making a feature film? ANSWER: Journal. Keep a written record of the journey God has brought you on. That way you have something to refer back to when you go through the highs and lows. A friend encouraged me to do this while I was working on Creed of Gold and looking back I am so glad they did. I’ve seen answers to prayer and other important details of God’s handiwork in my life that I otherwise might have missed.

Nathan Jacobson

You may remember Nathan from last week’s review of a film he directed, “Wanted”. With Nathan being as active in this industry as he is, I don’t think I can avoid frequenting him in these reviews. However, I will try to use a different picture of him every time. Not only is he a skilled director, but this man is a dedicated actor. I was able to gain some insight into his character for this film in an interview with Nathan.

Nathan: Something I did to portray Clay’s character arc was visually depicting his mental and emotional state through his wardrobe. If you watch closely, you’ll notice that he progressively becomes more and more disheveled; he loses the jacket, then the vest, then the tie, and so forth. He only wears a jacket and tie in court because it’s mandatory, but still keeps it loose and unkempt. Doing things like that is more effective than having a character express themselves directly through words, so I was grateful that Daniel gave me the liberty to play with that. It also helped me make each scene feel more distinct and told me much of what my character was supposed to be feeling at any particular point in the story.

I had to ask if the freehandedness of Knudsen’s directing was more of a blessing or a curse to the film at-large. Nathan had some thought provoking comments on that line.

Nathan: Well, there’s no yes or no answer to that. It’s a case-by-case basis with any actor, because every person is different, and therefore should be directed to match them individually. What you’re asking about is a whole conversation in itself that involves a pretty enormous amount of filmmaking perspective and philosophy, and every director and actor probably looks at it differently.

Me: Would you say that actors are like children and directors are like parents? Or would you say that actors are like horses, powerful and independent, but directors are like husbandmen who reign the horses in and keep them under control?

Nathan: That is a very interesting question. I would say neither. There’s an immense variety in what you can find between one actor and the next, and one director and the next. Each relationship will have different dynamics. I think the key is remembering who has what responsibility, then owning and delivering on that responsibility. 

Kristina Kaylen

Kristina is actually Daniel’s sister and a co-founder of Crystal Creek Media. She and Daniel make a powerful team on whatever project they set their minds to; “Rather to be Chosen”, is no exception to that. Kristina was a major part of this film, not only as an actress, but as a BTS photographer and makeup artist. This review, to me was all about the actors and actresses’ relationships with the characters; so, I asked Kristina how she related to her character, Kayla, in this film.

Kristina: One aspect of Kayla’s character that I really liked was her genuine love for her sister. Since I have sisters, I felt that I could really relate to Kayla’s character in that way. It was neat to play a role that had a strong sisterly bond in the story. Even though Kayla and Michelle’s viewpoints were different, they both were on the same team.

Kristina had a personal relationship with her character. She knew Kayla like she knew herself, making it easy to translate her character to the audience.

Me: If there was one thing about your character, (a line, a scene, or a character trait), that you would want the viewers to remember, what would it be?

Kristina: Kayla is jaded from life’s troubles and it plays into her personality. Ron talks about how people can build you up or tear you down. This is essentially what Kayla is struggling with the entire time: her identity and letting life’s circumstances determine her character and personality. We have to find our identity in something greater than people’s opinions of us.

Tim Kaiser

Tim has several film credits to his name, though he did not become active in the Christian film world until 2010. Tim plays the role of John Grame in this film, spiritual, father-figure to Alex Shelby.

Tim: There wasn’t a backstory in the script for my character of John Grame so I invented one. I envisioned that John and Mr. Shelby (Alex’s Dad) were the best of friends from their freshman year of college. With the death of his close friends it was his mission to mentor Alex. Also, John is very strong in his faith and has strong moral convictions.

After learning that he essentially built his character from scratch, I ask Tim what he took away from this character: what part of John Grame had become part of Tim Kaiser.

Tim: I was blessed to study Proverbs 22:1 “A good name is Rather to be Chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.” I did some “soul searching” and connected with John in his quest to leave his mark on Alex. I think that this desire is true for all of us: to encourage others in our world, to be a blessing.

Me: What was your favorite scene in the film?

Tim: I have a scene with Alex (Jared Withrow) at his apartment that was a great filming experience for me. Also, just acting with Patricia Mauceri; she did daytime TV for many years, so just being on set with her was an amazing blessing.

Okay, this last question was my favorite, mostly because I didn’t have to do anything, I simply asked Tim what question he would like to be asked, and then had him answer is as well.

Tim: QUESTION: Have you enjoyed the journey and are you having fun? ANSWER: YES, walking with God on the actor’s road has been AMAZING! “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.“ Proverbs 3:5-6

Jared Withrow

When I heard Jared Withrow say that he had been acting in films since 2008 I was not surprised. His acting bespeaks experience and a well developed method for depecting characters. But, when he told me that this film was his first appearence in a lead role for a feature, I was blown away. For his first time in the spotlight of a feature film, he excelled. I talked with Jared for a while; there were some things I had to know.

Me: What was special about the character of Alex to you? What area of his life and personality could you relate to most?

Jared: Alex Shelby is a young guy with the weight of the world thrust upon his shoulders and he has to figure everything out as quickly as possible or lose everthing. The important lesson to be learned from that situation is who he surrounds himself with and who he decides to listen to for wisdom.

I canrelate to Alex in the sense that he would rather be focusing on his art work than running a business. I grew up doodling and drawing on anything I could and that’s what I tapped into for this role.

Me: What is something you personally learned from playing this character?

Jared: He puts everything on the line to defend a person he believes to be innocent; which ultimately brings him the success he needs, and I think that’s another principle that carries over into real life. Treat people right and everything else will fall into place.

A major factor in the success of Jared’s portrayal of the Alex Shelby was his great supporting actors like Nathan Jacobson and Tim Kaiser. It was visibly evident in the film how well they all played off one another.

Me: What was your relationship with your support cast and how did that effect Alex’s relationships with their characters?

 Jared: I thoroughly enjoyed working with the actors on this film. I had worked with Tim before in an acting class and we had been wanting to work on a project together so this provided that opportunity, and it added an ease in the relationship his character had with mine. I met Nathan for the first time after filming had already started and we clicked right away. Our first day together on set we had a strong camaraderie and were goofing off as if we’d been friends for years. 

 I ended my interview with asking Jared what vision he had, as far as acting is concerned. His answer aligned perfectly with what many of the others I’ve spoken with have said, and reveals the true purpose of this up and coming actor.

Jared: My goal is to be a part of storytelling that impacts the viewer in a positive way. I want to grow and keep learning how to bring a character to life and portray such characters in a way that will resonate and endure with audiences.

Summary

These characters aren’t just names to the actors, they are real people, with real lives, and the dedication of these actors is what brings this story to life. Tim Kaiser made a character out of practically nothing but a script. Nathan Jacobson developed a personality and transformation for his character with imagery and wardobe. Kristina Kaylen pulled from her personal experience to create a truly believable character. Jared Withrow melded his own personality into the essence of his character and lived through Alex Shelby. These actors are more than actors, they are artist who have created immortal characters. Props to the team behind this film. The locations were spot-on, the cinematography was brilliant, and the score moved the story where it needed to go. Applause is due to Daniel Knudsen for bringing it all together and sticking it out with this project to the end. I endorse this film and it’s creators. I stand behind it’s message and encourage you to go and see it whenever it becomes available. Be keeping up with “Rather to be Chosen” and Crystal Creek Media on Facebook for more updates on the release date for this film and infomation about future projects from this film team. Also, be sure to visit CCM’s website by clicking here for more information about their other film projects.

As always, thanks for reading.

–the anonymous novelist

MRM: Wanted

Hello everyone! Welcome to Movie Review Monday! Today I’m reviewing “Wanted”, a short film by Roundtable Productions. This film has won many awards, which is no great wonder if you have seen it before. It’s a beautiful telling of a powerful and much needed story. Enjoy the review as I take you behind the scenes of “Wanted”.

Story:

The story of “Wanted” is a struggle often overlooked: belonging. How does a foster child with a difficult past overcome the feelings of being discarded and abandoned to accept the love of a family? What does it mean to be wanted? That’s exactly what Luke Farnsworth discovers in this 20 minute short film.  The story wins major points with me because of the recap in Luke’s mind at the end of it. As the story is happening before your eyes, you don’t really grasp the significance of anything that is being done. But, in retrospect, when everything comes together, the viewer realizes the gravity of it all and the impact it has upon this young man. “Wanted” was a feature-length story told in a 20 minute short film and it was stunning.

Interviews:

Nathan Jacobson

This is Nathan, the director of “Wanted” and a relatively new face to the filmmaking scene, having only been around 3 years. However, Nathan is possibly the most ambitious, young filmmaker in the realm today. Early last week I had a conversation with Jacobson about his career in filmmaking and was astounded at some of the statements he made.

 

Me: Having been around the industry for 3 years, you must have been a part of several film projects. What are some of the other projects you have worked on?

Nathan: At the time of this interview I’ve been involved with 33 film projects thus far, which have ranged from narrative features and shorts, to commercial spots and promos, to editing event videos and demo reels.

After learning about what Nathan does and how aggressive a filmmaker he is, I wanted to get inside of his mind. So, I asked Nathan what his drive was. Why did he get up in the mornings and decide, “today is a day to inspire”? He had a few things to say.

“My goal in film is to simply help tell great stories; stories that are crafted with beauty, communicated with truth, and laced with artistic creativity. I want everything I do to be in collaboration with a team, to be filled with purpose, and to inspire its audience to something bigger than themselves.

My ministry as a Christian is found wherever God has me, with those He has placed in my life. Everything for which God has made me is ultimately about relationships, whether it be with Him, or my family, the people with whom I create, or anyone else. My ministry is not in my work; it’s in people.”

Stacey Bradshaw

Stacey Bradshaw has been around the Christian film scene since 2010 and has become a well-known face around the block. Bradshaw was inspired as a child to become an actress and in her own words, described her inspiration in this way:

“I grew up watching classic movies from the 1940’s and 1950’s, and that’s what really lit the spark in me to pursue acting. I was so in love with the old movies and those actors of yesteryear, and wanted to be involved in making films.”

Stacey is a great example of a young, aspiring actress working her way up the ladder. She did not wake up one morning to find that she was an actress. She first worked in other roles on the film set, behind the scenes. Then, after two years of working behind the cameras, she was offered a speaking role in her first film, “The Wednesday Morning Breakfast Club”.

Rusty Martin

Rusty plays the part of a 17-year-old foster child who was abandoned by his father and mother at a very young age. Days before he turns 18 and free of the foster system, he is brought to the home of a young family where he learns what it means to be wanted. Rusty has been acting in films since he was 9-years-old, but it wasn’t until his role in the movie “Courageous”, that his acting career really took off. The biggest question in all of my interviews this time around was “Why did you want to be a part of this film?”, this is what Rusty had to say:

“I have worked in the past with neglected and abused children in the foster care system through an organization called Royal Family Kids. During my time there I had a special place in my heart grow for these children, and “Wanted” seemed to be a way I could educate the world on the struggles these kids face on a day-to-day basis.”

I wanted to find out more about how Martin’s experience with these hurting children helped in his attempt to tell their stories. So, I asked him about the preparation that went into portraying his character in the film

“I prepared for the role primarily by understanding the script. Nathan and his fellow writers were very specific in certain areas, so I set out to understand them. I then sat down and had a heartfelt discussion with Nathan about Luke’s background and what his character was supposed to accomplish in the film. Once I had an understanding of Luke’s motives I took on some of the traits I saw in the children I had worked with and applied them to Luke.”

Eliya Hurt

Since her film debut as Anna in the movie “Polycarp”, Eliya Hurt has become one of the most well-known young actresses in Christian film. Eliya and Rusty play opposite roles from each other in “Polycarp” and “Wanted”. In “Polycarp”, Eliya played the part of a foster child of sorts and Rusty’s character was the one who helped her transition from feelings of abandonment to belonging. In “Wanted”, the two switch places. I asked Eliya if it helped her to play her role in “Wanted”, to have been on the other side of the spectrum. She said this:

“Playing a similar role in “Polycarp” actually did help. I could better understand the way it felt for him to be the one coming into a family he’d never met before, trying to trust everyone and love them back.”

Eliya, along with the others with whom I talked, share the experience of feeling like one big family on screen and off. The spirit of this set was so family-centered that everything about it was conducive to portraying a loving family on screen. As far as hopes, dreams, and goals go, this young woman is not simply focused on her acting aspirations.

“I would deifintely like to be in more films, but right now I’m just working on finishing school. I also really love working with children and would like to do overseas missions as well.”

To these actors, it’s not about being the best, being famous or wealthy. They’re not just acting. That passion, that drive you see in their characters is the real them. Just to prove how real and genuine they are, I did something a bit different.

Quick-fire Round!

This was the time of the interviews where most of the cast probably thought I was crazy, but I wanted you to get to know the fun side of them as well as the serious. The rules of this little game were that I would ask a series of questions, which they would answer with the shortest answers possible in the quickest amount of time possible.

1- If you had to describe yourself in 5 words, what would they be?

Stacey: Short, sweet, shy, sappy, sincere.

Rusty: Fun, courageous, motivated, old soul, Christian.

Eliya: Energetic, fun, common-sense, goofy, happy.

Nathan: Christian, ambitious, dreamer, driven, crazy.

2- What color would you describe your personality as being?

Stacey: Pink.

Rusty: Blue.

Eliya: Pink all the way.

Nathan: I have no idea, but I’ll say green because it’s my favorite color.

3. If a vegetarian eats another vegetarian, is it cannibalism?

Stacey: Yes. It would be cannibalism.

Rusty: Yes. Indeed.

Eliya: Of course

Nathan: Definitely.

Me: Would it still be cannibalism if one of the vegetarians was a rabbit?

Stacey: Yes. Meat is involved either way.

Nathan: No… Unless they’re both rabbits.

4. Without looking it up, who was the 5th president of the United States?

Stacey: John Quincy Adams?

Rusty: Thomas Jefferson?

Eliya: Umm…Oh! John Adams?

Nathan: I think it was James Monroe.

Recap:

These aren’t just actors, they are real people. But, they are not just ordinary people; they have a purpose and a mission. Through the film “Wanted”, God has used their talents to portray the message of how He saves. God seeks us out where we are. He will not abandon us or forsake us. He takes care of us, looks after us, and gives us a new family where we belong: where we are wanted. In every element you feel the hurt of this young main character. You hear his mourning in the score; you feel his tears in the cinematography; and you sense his soul in the acting. This film is a powerful story of the lost and the broken finding their way back to where they are wanted and loved. I encourage you to support it, support these actors and help widen the outreach of their message for Christ.

If you’d like to purchase “Wanted”, you can do so by clicking here. Also, the pictures are lniks to the actors and actresses IMDB pages, be sure to check them out.

As always, thanks for reading.

—the anonymous novelist

 

 

 

Never Again

Commitment. It’s difficult to keep commitments, especially ones made to yourself. We are fallible beings. We are susceptible to all evils in some way. Humans sin: to believe anything else is simply sinful. To prove my point about commitment… It took me 2 weeks to write this post. 

Never again is a promise. It’s more than just words, it’s a solemn vow, though too often broken and belittled. We laugh our commitments to scorn. Every time we break them, “we the hypocrites” commit to keep them in future, as if the repetition of words will solve our sinful nature.

Never again: It’s a promise I’ve never kept. With how many times I’ve said it after dusting myself off from falling, you’d think it would mean more to me. But, in reality, the more you say it, the less it means to you. How many times can you say never before it starts loosing it’s significance?

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

–2 Peter 1:4

This verse helps with the hurt of letting go of the wheel and the crash and burn we experience so many times. It tells us that we are not automatically partakers of the divine nature, escaping the corruption in the world through lust. It is something we have to work for. We are given the exceeding great and precious promises, that by them we might be partakers. It is the intention of God that we trust His promises and by them become partakers of the divine nature. But, we have to trust and believe the promises.

First we have to know them. As the song goes: “You can’t stand on promises of you don’t know what they are.”. It’s imperative that we stay inside of the Word, hide it in our hearts, write it on our doors and upon our foreheads. Let the words of God be always before our eyes and in our minds. By them, we can stand, having a divine nature and escaping the corruption of lust in the world.

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you
faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

–Jude 1:24-25

This is my favorite passage for broken times. In the moments when I’ve messed up so bad that I hate myself and feel unlovable, it soothes the pain by telling me that the God who loves me in spite of myself can keep me from falling. Sometimes I wonder why I fall… Is it simply to teach myself how to get back up again? Or, maybe, do I fall to teach myself not to fall? The end of every Christian is totally conformity to the image of God, but life slows us down sometimes, we slip, we fall, we fail. That’s why we need to trust the one who never fails, who can keep us from falling.

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

–1 Peter 5:7

The solution to falling: repent and leave it at the alter. Trust the one who can keep you from falling. Give God your problems and let Him solve them. Only then can you truly say to your sin, “Never again”.

As always, thanks for reading.

—the anonymous novelist 

To Those Who Fear Death

There are many kinds of fears we can feel at the thought of death. Sure, there are many ways to die, and everyone eventually will die; but there are different reasons that people fear death.

There are some people who fear death because they fear what comes after. There are some who fear death because they don’t want to leave the earth yet. There are those who fear death because they are afraid for others who may never hear of God’s love if they aren’t there to tell them. If you don’t fear death for yourself, or for others, you are secure in your salvation, your eternity is certain, but you believe God saved just you. God didn’t save you to sit. God saved you to share. Some Christian are doing nothing for the kingdom, they don’t fear death because neither life nor death will matter to them…

Let me tell you something: if you don’t fear death, some Christians wish God would just give it to you. If you aren’t actively serving Christ with your life, you may be saved, but you are not a Christian.

Christian means “Christ-like”, or “little Christ”. To be a Christian is to be like Christ. If you claim to be a Christian, but are not afraid for people who will spend eternity in Hell if someone doesn’t tell them the gospel, you are not like Christ. Saved is what you are, Christian is what you do. Christianity is an occupation, not just a designation. 

Be like Christ. Fear death for others, but not for yourself. Be secure in who you are, but fear death for a lost world.

As always, thanks for reading.

–the anonymous novelist

Why Isn’t It Working?

Forgiveness.

Why is it that even after we ask for forgiveness we still feel so dirty inside? Why is it that we don’t always feel like we’ve been forgiven, even with all of the promises of scripture?
Sometimes it’s hard for us to let go of our disappointment from our own failures, even after we accept God’s forgiveness. Often we use forgiveness as a way to ease our consciences and not as a fresh start for our lives. We treat the forgiveness of God like a get out of jail free card, using it to get out of trouble, but riding the same path straight toward it again and again. It’s a game to us, to our heart, which acts in much the same way as the One Ring in “Lord of the Rings”. It’s never satisfied until it’s back in the hand of it’s master: evil.

I often find myself not feeling truly forgiven because I’ve never truly repented, nor have I even forgiven myself. It’s in times like these that I have to check myself. Am I reading a few verses before bed, or am I really taking time to study the Word of God. Am I praying just at meals or when I verbally and mentally think about God during the day, or am I intentional wearing a spirit of prayer and specifically praying for things at length.

Does my heart seek after God, or am I just going along to get along? When I slip and fall, do I ask God for a consciences clearing forgiveness, or a deep rooted, spirit-altering forgiveness that actually changes who I am? Who am I? A sinner who happens to be a Christian, or a Christian who happens to sin?

Forgiveness. Do I ever really accept it? In order to be forgiven, you have to do three things.

1. Ask: all you have to do is ask for the free gift of God. He wants to forgive you, but will not force forgiveness upon you.
2. Accept: you can’t just ask God to forgive you, then never forgive yourself. If you can’t accept the forgiveness of God for your sins, you cannot be forgiven.
3. Act: true forgiveness is evidenced in our actions. When we accept God’s forgiveness, we realize that what we did was wrong, and we turn from it, promising to try never and do it again. Forgiveness shows up in our everyday lives.

If you truly want forgiveness, you have to be willing to walk away from that sin, that vice, that addiction and toward a brighter, more righteous life. Temptation to do evil comes from within us, and the more we live for ourselves, the more we fall into sin and selfish living. God can and will forgive you from that, but you have to ask Him, accept it, and act it out in your life. Forgiveness changes people. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a change.

As always, thanks for reading.

—the anonymous novelist

Providence

 A love story that spans over 40 years, contained within a silent film: Providence.

This dynamic mode of filmmaking delivers a uniquely styled experience to its audience. One of the largest appeals of the silent film is that it is almost completely focused on the story. In the beginning we see the early stages of our two main characters: Rachel and Mitchell. My hat goes off to the actor and actress who played these roles; it takes a tremendous amount of talent to act without the use of vocal inflection or style and these two kids do it like pros.

Emily Knapp introduces us to the character of Rachel in a captivating way. The young actress is lovable and cheery in the face of difficult circumstances and you feel for young Rachel’s plight right off.  Yet, even though Knapp has a sparkling personality off screen as well as on, she also has the ability to draw you into the hardship of Rachel’s life. This opening ten minutes is a critical time of the film where the characters need to be established and the strong performance of Emily Knapp does just that.

Taking the proverbial stage bold and brilliantly, Chase Anderson steps up into the role of young Mitchell and totally knocks it out of the park. This kid has got some serious talent for the screen, it was easy to put myself in his character as the young boy was taunted and teased for being a nerd and a Christian. Chase really takes the story up a notch and sets the stage for what happens next in the life of his character. 

When I heard that Stacey Bradshaw was going to star in Providence, I knew it was going to be good. Her name brings with it professionalism and class everywhere she goes in Christian film. Having sculpted an impressive resume of acting, casting, and producing films, Stacey has the experience and level of talent to bring her character to life. And I am segregating the stages of life for the two main characters into different roles, mostly because the portrayals, though they mesh well, are distinctively different from each other. Bradshaw gives us a more diverse range of Rachel’s emotions and troubles, gaining empathy and relatability with the audience from start to finish.  

The big story for this film was Josh Allen, a new Christian actor who makes his career debut in Providence: his first feature film. Though Josh hasn’t had the kind of experience in acting that Stacey has, his character melds well with hers. There is not a professionalism gap that we see so often in Christian films, where one leading actor or actress will be far more advanced in talent than another. Allen shows that he has an incredible gift for acting to begin with such a difficult role and dominate it. His portrayal of teen Mitchell takes the story down a different path that leads to love, loss, and God. 

The story again makes a large jump forward as Juli Tapken takes up the role of our leading lady Rachel. Tapken is an actress with the unique ability to cause the audience to feel what her character is feeling. The sheer depth of emotion that she poured into her character is astounding, and gives the story that much more depth. Handling rejection, insecurity, loneliness, and fear, Tapken brings the story around full circle from where it began, to where it will end. She comes off of the heels of Bradshaw’s performance with such ease that you hardly notice the years in between.

Rich Swingle… What can I say? The man is a genius. I have seen him in many roles, I must say this is my favorite. As the character of Mitchell matures into a godly man and pastor of a small congregation, Rich moves his character from a nervous young man, to a bold leader. His role is very emotional, as the trend of the movie seems to be, and I think that they chose the perfect man to play it. The funny thing is, he and Josh Allen are already so much alike in mannerism that you could easily believe they were younger and older versions of one another.

SUMMARY OF ACTING:

Though there were many character transitions, they were seamlessly done and perfectly placed. The selection of actors for roles was done in such a way as each of the actors was enough like the others that it did not distract to have the appearance of the main characters change drastically. In my opinion, the acting was spot on; even without voices these actors worked their way into your heart.

STORY SUMMARY:

It was an interesting and pleasantly suprising turn of events that though you knew what would happen all along, it didn’t turn out how you thought it would. The road to get to the end point was certainly not how you envisioned it to be. Many films set themselves up to dissapoint by causing the audience to wait through a long story for something they knew would happen anyway: Providence was not like this. The music and transitions moved the story in pace and in power with abrupt transitions and modulation. The score helped to keep the audience focused. I’ve seen many a poorly scored film and was fully expecting Providence to drag because of lack of voices, but thanks to the score, this movie felt neither too long, nor too short.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable watch. I would encourage you to get a copy of Providence whenever it is released to DVD. However, AMC theaters will be hosting Providence on select dates in the near future, be watching the listening for it.

We need more God-honoring media, especially visual media. Though Providence did not give an alter call or have a resounding salvation message, it was a good, clean, Christian film that displayed God’s love. His timing is perfect and his ways are sure; God’s will comes to pass in God’s timing.

As always, thanks for reading and check out these people on social, their pictures are the links. Until next time…

—the anonymous novelist

A Little Bit About Me

Well, by show of statistics it seems like posts about writing are my most popular of posts overall, but perhaps that is for the application of writing concepts to our lives as well as the writing information itself. I am a writer, admittedly, I love writing. It’s almost like an addiction, I feel a need to write, an obligation to write. That’s why I began this blog, I figured if I’m going to involuntarily write every day anyway, maybe I should find a use for my words. 

I am rather overtly Christian in my blogging, but I do take for granite the fact that all of my readers may not be Christians. And by Christian I don’t mean some kind of religious nut or cultish freak, I don’t believe in a dead prophet, like many religions do. I believe in a living God. Christianity is the process of becoming like Jesus Christ, the word means Christ-like. For any Atheists out there, to deny the existance of something is to admit the existance of something. If you say you do not believe God exist, you must mean something besides the actual being of God is non-existent. To say that God does not exist is the same as acknowledging that He does. For who would there be to deny the existance of if He did not?

A word to the agnostics: it is illogical to believe that you cannot believe, to believe that there is nothing to believe in. Agnosticism cannot even be considered a religion simply because religion is believing something by faith, agnostics disbelieve by faith, but they believe in self, the trust in this world. 

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God…

-Psalm 14:1

I don’t need to call those who do not believe in God what they are, God has already said that they are fools. Logically they have no grounding to their beliefs for the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth His handiwork. They are without excuse.

How can a person look at all the magnificent complexities of the universe and say that it happened by chance? A Christian comedian made the comment:

If I took apart my Timex Indiglo watch and put all the peices in a bag. Then I shook the bag for… 10 billion years, what would be the odds of me pulling out a watch that was ticking and on time? 

He goes on to say:

And to think of all the complexities of the human body and DNA-, they’ve just in the last few decades discovered DNA, I’ve had it all along. How can you look at the human body and deny the existance of a God.

Like this comedian who uses comedy to share the gospel, I don’t see how anyone in their right minds can look at life and say it came from millions of years of mutations. Kent Hovind, possibly the most popular Creationist there is, said that:

Evolutionists believe that everything came from gases floating around in space. They don’t know what the gases were, but they assume that they were Xenon, Krypton, Amonia, and Methane. And these gases were floating around in nothing until they were ignited by something- they don’t know what; And now we have the humans that we have today. So, essentially, you can believe, “In the beginning God”, or you can believe, “In the beginning gas”.

Bottom line is: nature cries out there is a God, science cries out there is a God, logic cries out there is a God. You can’t escape Him, you can’t deny Him. He loves you.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

-John 3:16

 God sent His Son to earth to die because we had committed sins we could not pay the penalty for. God wanted to be with us so much that He gave Himself for us, died for us. Through the Bible, through history He tells the greatest love story ever told, of how a loving God redeemed mankind from himself and for His own. I know where I stand, I know where I came from. Do you?

As always, thanks for reading, you know the drill, like, comment, follow, and check me out on social.

Twitter, Instagram: @Ejaredallen

I love you all, and until next time…

—the anonymous novelist