A surprise to mainstream press was the debut of Sherwood Pictures’latest faith-based film Courageous. CinemaScoregave a rare A+ to the film and Varietyquotes, “Time and again, the pic effectively emphasizes how the deputies arereminded on a daily basis what eventually can happen to at-risk children whodon’t have fathers involved in their lives.”
Directed by filmmaker and screenwriter, Alex Kendrick workedalongside of his brother Stephen Kendrick, Executive producers Dr. Michael Cattand Jim McBride and many volunteers to bring to the big screen the agut-wrenching narrative on the topic of Fatherhood—those heroes who desire tomake a lifelong impact on their children.
Nathan Hayes (Ken Bevel) transfers to the Albany, Georgia policedepartment and makes a lasting impression on his new colleagues the weekendprior to his first day on the job. Hayes is minding his car at the local gasstation. He finishes the fill-up and gets in his car to leave, turns on theengine and sees that his windshield needs a heavy cleaning. He gets out of thecar and goes to get the windshield washer located two islands over. The car is runningand unattended. Hmm! Yep, the truck is hijacked. The thief must whip Hayes’svehicle doing a 180 degree wheelie for the quick get-away and to avoid oncomingtraffic headed for the gas pumps. Hayes is following the action in a state offrenzy. In his attempt to stop the driver, he leaps toward the vehicle to grabonto the steering wheel as the truck is in hurried motion. The thief tries topush him off the car but to no avail. The scuttle continues as they head ontothe main road dodging one car after another. Hayes does everything in his powerto derail the thief. The thief loses control of the vehicle throwing Hayes offinto the ditch and he drives the truck into a tree. A partner in crimefollowing close behind the action rescues the thief and the two escape thescene. Eyewitnesses call police and attempt to tend to Hayes as he is painfullymoving toward his truck. He swings the back door of the vehicle open to see hisbaby was still alive and secured in his car seat. Hayes act of courage to savehis little baby was just the beginning of events that would transpire tochallenge his conviction to be a man of courage.
Nathan and his fellow law enforcement partners, Adam Mitchell(Alex Kendrick), David Thomson (Ben Davies) and Shane Fuller (Kevin Downies)had one calling: to serve and protect their community. The slogan representedtheir daily acts of valor on the job but when their police uniform came off atransformation took place. The courageous father and husband uniform did not transpire.Why? Too much ego and not enough love; but, when tragedy hits the ego mask seemsto slowly disintegrate and the need for love is exposed. On the lighter sideyou’ll enjoy delightful real people humor and a few editing glitches; and, Ifinally know why police officers rarely pull people over for cell phoneinfractions.
Courageous is thejourney of a group of tough guys in hot pursuit to serve and protect; but, alongthe way they learn that courage has to do with being men of integrity and toconfess that honor begins at home.
Karen Pecota
24/7 MOMS film journalist
Movie release in theaters: September 30, 2011