Healing River

The producers put an awful lot of resources into Healing River and it showed on screen. I respect their choices on some edgier issues they allowed- not typical for a Christian film. Our lives are full of unlikely circumstances and pain- and this movie tracks with a few that make you ask hard questions about God. Too many Christian films wrap everything up with a nice little bow way too easily. I find it was a good exploration of redemption, probably beyond what most people could comprehend. It may open some eyes and hearts. The Catholic angle was interesting to me, but never in genuine conflict with my Protestant faith. I think the production was good- interesting camera angle choices by Director and effective, creative lighting throughout. The acting is very strong across the board, with a couple of standouts being the "mom", the "addict" and the "girlfriend." They did a lot of heavy-lifting, with powerful (when needed) and subtle (often missing from this genre) performances throughout. The music could have been stronger in some pivotal scenes, but I'm a Nashville guy and I set the bar very high. This is worth the watch to take your mind and faith for a walk. If you're not a Christian- all the more reason to get your mind working. This movie presents simple truths in the midst of hard situations.