Michael's Movie Grade: B
Very conventional storytelling can't ruin an incredible true story.
This movie is the first feature film directed by Joel Smallbone (of the Christian pop-duo For King and Country). For his first film as director, he tells the story of his own family moving to the U.S. from Australia and winding up there without the job his dad was promised in this new country. This movie specifically focuses on his parents and his big sister (Christian singer Rebecca St. James). As well as directing Smallbone also plays his own father in this film.
The true story this film is told is wonderful. It is a very touching story about how a family with all the odds against them survive in a strange new country and without money, thanks to their faith in God and love for each other. Yet it also delves into the difficultly of accepting help because of our own pride. Much of the heart of the movie comes from the father learning this simple but difficult lesson. The Proformances are wonderful all around with Smallbone as the dad standing out. This film also boasts quite a few really well-done emotional moments, especially involving the parents. Much of this is due to how much we truly care about the parents and Rebecca.
However, this movie is told in a very familiar way and there are many times when the film can feel a bit too much like many other movies you have seen. The film is also told in too fast a pace, often hoping from one story point to another. This often lead the supporting characters and even some of the kids in the family to not being very fleshed out. We don't ever feel like we truly get to know some of these characters.
While not perfect this movie does tell a good story and has many emotionally effective scenes.
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