Went to see this movie today, here are the IMDB stats. This was frankly, a difficult movie for me to watch. There is a theme of family abuse, primarily from the father figure, (Dennis Quaid). People in my circles, cybersecurity, tend to be guarded. We don't talk about ourselves much; but I have traveled a million miles with some of the old guard, done hundreds of events together, and bit by bit you learn about your colleagues; I know I am not the only one that grew up with some degree of abuse. I'm not going to say I had it worse, there is no yardstick. But I almost left during that part of the movie, (well over half); screwed with my psyche.
The movie did show some fair push back with the "repenting father", tain't like you take a happy pill and everything is magically OK. They also plot cheated on the mother, she abandons, leaves the boy with the violent, cruel, dad and in the credits it says boy and mom are pals. OK, but the movie doesn't show it.
One scene was very well done and good for me. The kid is showing some brilliance, making moves, and the pros are all saying "you don't have what it takes", and of course he is doing flashbacks to his father's words. Call it the devil, call it the world, but if you try to climb out of the pit there are always, (sometimes well meaning), people trying to pull and push you back down. Bart, (J Michael Finely), finds his path through A) forgiveness, camaraderie, and remembrance of his father, B) allowing him to write "the" song, C) Amy Grant letting the kid take his shot.
I am glad I stayed. I like the idea of faith based movies, the lessons are important, I need to hear them and learn from them. The message: Christ has forgiven me, therefore I must forgive others is true. The problem, as most people that have tried will tell you, is to have them "stay forgiven", and there is more than one party at work there. It is bit like Atlanta Ga. They've cleaned up from the SamSam ransomware last March, but how whole are they really?
