THE GRACE CARD

US, 2010, 101 minutes, Colour.
Michael Joiner, Michael Higgenbottom, Joy Parmer Moore, Louis Gossett Jr, Dawntoya Thomason, Rob Erickson.
Directed by David G. Evans.

The Grace Card is an American religious film with commercial release. It was made by Grace Works Pictures in conjunction with Calvary Pictures, based in Memphis, Tennessee. The company was inspired by Sherwood Pictures in Georgia, the company of the Kendrick brothers who made such films as Fireproof and Courageous. This is a ministry of Memphis’s Calvary Church – with Louis Gossett Jr contributing his performance (and yet appeared in religious films like Left Behind 3) and Howard A. Klausner, writer of such films as Space Cowboys. The director of the film is Dr David Evans, an optometrist in Memphis.

The film has a lot in common with Courageous, the 2011 film from the Kendrick brothers, a focus on four police officers struggling with faith.

Michael Joiner portrays a policeman whose young son is accidentally killed by a drug dealer escaping from an arrest. He becomes very bitter, seventeen years pass, he works at the local police station but is too tense and has not received promotions. Things are tense with his wife at home and, especially, with his seventeen-year-old son (Rob Erickson) who is about to drop out of high school.

The optimistic focus of the film is Sam Wright, a fellow policeman (Michael Higgenbottom) who also is a pastor at a local church, needs financial support in order to become a full-time pastor. The church is a very enthusiastic Baptist church, plenty of music and singing. He goes to visit his grandfather, played by Louis Gossett Jr, who offers him good advice, especially about his ministry and about preaching.

The film focuses on providence, finding the proper place where one should be in life. Unfortunately for plotting, there are two huge coincidences at the end of the film which are optimistic but rather undermine the dramatic tension of the film.

In one episode, the two policemen come across a robbery, Mac, the bitter man, shoots and finds he has shot his own son. When the son is in recovery, it appears that he needs a kidney transplant. Of course, the only person who has the right blood type is the minister policeman.

There are a lot of faith themes, problems of evil themes, church themes. There are also racist themes because the minister is an African American and the white officer is bitter against African Americans who were responsible for the death of his son. In a moment of reconciliation, and using the grace card (an alternative to the race card), the criminal who has served his time comes into the church and is reconciled with the distraught father.

Technically the film is very well made, would please the religious audience for which it was intended.

1. The popularity of this kind of religious film in the 21st century in the US? Particular churches and their companies making such films? The niche audience audience?

2. The title, the end with the grace card for reconciliation instead of the bigoted race card?

3. Memphis, the city itself, homes, districts? The police headquarters? The church? The site of crimes? The realism of Memphis? The musical score? The religious hymns and their proclamation?

4. The introduction to Mac, Bill Mc Donald, with his son playing, the accident, the criminal escaping the police, killing the boy? The effect on Mac?

5. The passing of seventeen years? Mac in the police force, his still being tense? Not receiving promotions? The expectations of racism? His relationship with his wife, the bitter life at home? Her supporting her husband but finding it trying? His continued clashes with his son, the son who survived? His age, at school, not doing well, fighting with his father, the difficult meals, wanting to buy a car and his father’s taunts about money? The money paid for his private school education? The discovery that he was going to fail? His mother and the interview with the headmaster? The possibility of repeating – but not at the school? Mac and his being assigned to work with Sam Wright? The tensions and antagonism? The racism? Their working together?

6. Sam Wright, his success as a policeman? His nickname because of his being a preacher? His wife and family, his wife’s support? At church, the hymns, his attempts at preaching? His going to see his grandfather, his father walking out on the family, his grandfather and his support, the bible, the memories of slavery and benign white masters? Freedoms? Sam and his work, promotion? On the job with Mac? Their tense discussions?

7. Sara and her going to the counsellor? Their discussions? The possibility of her husband going – his refusal? His principle of not sharing problems with others? Blake, his discussions with the counsellor? His rudeness towards her? Her strong stances, getting him to talk about himself? The reality of his failing at school, tensions with his father? Her persuading him to do something kind at home – the meal, his asking his father about his work as a policeman, the father’s reaction? The revelation of the truth about the school? The son storming out?

8. Mac, with Sam, going to the scene of the crime, the shooting – and the revelation that it was Blake?

9. The hospital, Sara and her arrival, upset, the counsellor? Mac and his despair? His lack of faith? The health issue, the need for the kidney? The parents not able to give the kidney?

10. Sam, coming across Mac, in church, the discussion? The support, Mac and his admitting his bitterness, yet his love for his son? The discovery that Sam had the right blood type? The operation, its success?

11. The finale in the church, Sam and his preaching, his grandfather arriving? Mac and Sara at the church? Blake in his wheelchair? The criminal and Mac’s memories of him in the court and his defiance? His having served his time, gone to work in Kenya, reform of his life – and wanting to reconcile? Mac and his grace card?

12. The effectiveness of the storytelling – and the dramatising of Christian values?