Rudy, Remember the Titans, Facing the Giants and Woodlawn: If you liked all of these movies, you are sure to like the new film release, Greater.
Plot summary
According to the film’s website, the based-on-a-true-story movie goes like this: “Brandon Burlsworth is perhaps the greatest walk-on in the history of college football. Brandon dreamed of playing for the Arkansas Razorbacks, but was told he wasn’t good enough to play Division I ball. Undeterred, Brandon took a risk and walked on in 1994. Written off by fellow teammates and coaches, Brandon displayed dogged determination in the face of staggering odds. The awkward kid who once was an embarrassment to his teammates and an annoyance to his coaches, ended up becoming the most respected player in the history of the program, changing the lives of all he touched.”
Positive elements
Americans love an underdog story, and you can’t get any more of an underdog than this. Whether you are a football fan or not, you will love Brandon Burlsworth the person, his perseverance and character. While some skeptics and non-believers might view the film as weak in places, the message of the movie and quality of cinematography and acting were better than the normal faith-based film. This movie also features character development that will challenge and inspire.
Negative elements
There are at least two instances of bad language, in a football practice setting. In one scene, drinking alcohol is shown. Also, for those who are a bit film-snobbish and only want to see award-winning, artistic films, they might skip this one.
Spiritual content
The greatest strength of the movie is the message and that it’s based on a true story. Through Greater, we are forced to think about issues like sin, faith, repentance, doubt, fear, struggles and overcoming. The movie also has a character that represents doubt or lies from the devil, and it faces those questions head on.
Overall
I am a bit of a pushover or “sucker” for sports movies. From Hoosiers to Rocky to Rudy, nothing quite floats my boat like sports movies. That being said, I am not a huge fan of the SEC football conference (in fact, I have some “SEC Envy” of which I need to repent), but this Oklahoma football fan was still able to enjoy fully the movie and recommend it with a whole heart. If you want to see it in the theatre, though, you might hurry, because it was a limited release movie. You will be glad you saw it.
Rating: 3 out of 4 stars