Movie Review: Courageous



Alert: Contains Spoilers

I was not really sure how I would feel about Courageous. I had heard good things about it, but thought that it would be more appealing to men – fathers. How wrong I was. I viewed Courageous on blue ray this past week and loved it!

Courageous is an exciting, emotional, and entertaining movie, filled with action scenes, and interspersed with humor. It is the story of five men – four policemen and one Hispanic carpenter -- who realize they need to be better fathers and are determined to do something about it.

The film opens with African American Nathan Thompson pulling into a gas station and pumping gas into his truck. When he turns his back, a gang member steals it and drives off. Nathan catches up to him and a frantic battle for the truck ensues. Nathan latches onto the driver’s side on the truck, dangling from the moving vehicle, grabbing the steering wheel through the window, while fighting off the thief. When he finally regains control of his truck, we discover that his son in the back seat.

Nathan is new to the Atlanta police force and has just transferred from the department in his small home town of Albany. There is much camaraderie among this group of policemen, but there is also a growing drug problem in the community among youth who are fatherless, which presents professional as well as spiritual challenges.

Forty-year-old Adam, father of Dylan, 15, and Emily, 9 is the leader of this group of policemen. While Adam is a hardworking provider for his family, he is not quite up to par when it comes to being a father. He misses his daughter’s music recital and turns down her invitation to dance in public. He refuses to run with his teenage son in the father/son 5k race. There is little communication between father and son. However, Adam begins to rethink his fatherhood responsibilities after his daughter dies in a tragic automobile accident. He decides he wants to be the best father he can be to his remaining child.

After doing some independent research, Adam learns the biblical meaning of fatherhood and what it entails. When he discusses his plan to be a better father with his three co-workers and Javier, they also come to the realization of what they need to do to improve their role as fathers. Their plan has some dramatic results as the men are challenged to be accountable for their actions.

I enjoyed this film immensely and deeply appreciated the meaningful message it offers for fathers today – to step up and be leaders in the faith, faithful lovers of their wives, and protectors of their family – and above all, to put God first above all else.  This was a powerful film!  I give it a rating of five stars.

~ copyright Jean M. Heimann January 2012


Comments

  1. While the over all message was certainly good, as well the movie was generally entertaining; both I and my wife found the movie unrealistic to the point of even being emotionally harmful to someone who is truly struggling in life, while standing up for their family.
    This movie gave the impression on multiple occasions that doing the "right thing" in life will be rewarded here on earth and/or with the support of other Christians. The facts are this often is NOT the reality.

    See my freinds review:
    Courageous; Movie Review

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Comments are moderated and are published at the blogger's discretion.

Blog Archive

Show more

Popular posts from this blog

The Spirituality and Miracles of St. Clare of Assisi

Saint Michael de Sanctis: Patron of Cancer Patients

Saint Gerard of Brogne: Patron of Abbots