Going to the movies on a Friday night or throughout the weekend is very much a part of the culture we live in. We ask friends or significant others to join us so we can sit in a theater in silence for a prolonged period of time and then, hopefully, have some educational discussion about the film that was just viewed.
Some movies however, do not make the big screen. These movies are generally released straight to a disc or online file for playback. This lowers costs needed to advertise as well as getting the movie in viewers hands right away.
Among Christian films this is a popular form of release because of the cost and the ability for individuals, small groups and even churches to get the license to show the film in various group settings. A film that will take this method is Jackson’s Run.
The Film
Jackson’s Run is an 85 minute film produced by New Providence Entertainment. Jackson’s Run follows the life of a troubled teen caught for a felony and who has a difficult attitude to break. Pastor Daniels, played by T.C. Stallings, comes along side Jackson Stone and encourages him in faith and making wise decisions.
A lot of Jackson’s troubles are brought about due to the absence of his father in the home. Growing up with a single mother, prone to alcoholic tendencies, also did not help Jackson grow as a mature man as he grew up. Along the story line of the film you are introduced to other characters that have played a roll in the development of the Jackson we come to know in the film.
Without disclose closing too much from the film, the movie is about Jackson’s run at life, his “dash,” and making it count. Jackson has to give God a chance, people forgiveness and reconcile relationships. Jackson suffers from a serious disease which is not necessarily discovered how he got the disease. The illness is not resolved but is controlled.
Interestingly enough, although the title of the movie is about Jackson and his wounds created by the absence of a stable family, Jackson is not the only character in the film with a “soul wound”. In fact, every character in the movie struggles with something because of a deep wound that was created previously. Some, but not all, of those wounds are restored but it makes leaps toward healing relationships that have been broken.
Pros and Cons
While this film is a “Christian film” I felt like it actually lacked in Biblical content. Yes, it does include a pastoral role, does have references to scripture, real world life lessons, and Christian character development, but some of it was presented in a rather cliché way. However, the film did have some very cleaver twists and turns which caught me off guard and were great for the story in its development.
Don’t get me wrong some of the lessons were excellent. One profound moment that I believe shapes Jackson is when he is placed into prison and first meets Pastor Daniels. Another moment is when he talks with a man about the “dash” between the day you are born and the day you die on a tomb stone. The message is to make your dash count.
Another thing that distracted from the overall story of the film was the casting decisions. I believe the message could have come across clearer if some of the actors would have delivered lines better. Interestingly enough though, I actually thought the film did an excellent job setting up real world reactions to various situations and even to the point of someone acting out how they would feel.
It did not help that some of the editing cuts were difficult to sit through as well. From a purely visual aspect I thought the film had some excellent camera angles, depth of field and overall variety throughout the movie. As a producer of video myself, I really appreciated this aspect of the film.
Conclusion
I think New Providence Entertainment is headed in the right direction with this film. The film was very interesting to watch and did cause me to think deeply and brought forth interesting discussion with some of my peers. Jackson’s Run will be released to you on July 15th directly to a Christian book store near you. I give this movie a 3.5 stars out of 5.
