Overcomer movie review: Identity and restoration

Image source: Overcomer movie Facebook page

Director: Alex Kendrick

Producer: Stephen Kendrick

Music composed by: Paul Mills

Screenplay: Alex Kendrick, Stephen Kendrick

Website: https://www.overcomermovie.com/ 

Other Kendrick brothers movies:  Flywheel, Facing the Giants, Fireproof, Courageous,War Room  

This movie begins with a high school basketball game where one team gets so close to winning, but time runs out. What however stands out for me is how the coach (Alex Kendrick) encourages his team who lost by 3 points only. He doesn't focus on the loss but on the opportunity that lay ahead of becoming better next time. 

In another scene, the principal (Priscilla Shirer) of the high school he coaches, requests him to begin coaching cross country. The coach hates cross country and he is at first resistant but soon agrees because the number of coaches in that school had reduced greatly. 

On the first day of cross country tryouts, he goes out to the field and meets just one girl who signed up and guess what, she's got asthma. On the other hand, parents of his basketball team members begin moving their kids to different high schools where they stood a better chance of reciveing a scholarship. 

To add salt to the injury, he gets a 10% pay cut because the school isn't doing too well financially. At this point, he is frustrated and gets into an argument with his wife (Sheri Rigby). But, what strikes me is how the wife goes back to him after cooling off and expresses herself in all vulnerability. This causes him to equally become vulnerable and they reconcile. 

Back to his one cross country team member. Her name is Hannah Scott (Aryn Wright-Thompson) , 15 years old and lives with her grandmother (Denise Armstrong). Her parents are both dead, or so she was told. She has a bad habit of stealing but she is really good at running. In her first competition, she comes in at number 34 but the coach still encourages her that she can do much better. 

One night, while the coach and his wife are doing dishes, their pastor calls in to remind the coach that he was meant to go for hospital ministry with him that evening. Apparently the wife had forgotten to mention. On getting to the hospital, the nurse advises that they can't both get into a certain patient's room - only one at a time. As the coach is waiting outside, he leans on a door which opens immediately into a patient's room.

The coach begins to apologise but the patient insists on him coming in since he doesn't get too many visitors. The patient's name is Thomas Hill(Cameron Arnett). He is suffering from diabetes which cost him his eyesight. After a small chat, the coach gets to discover that Thomas was a cross country runner. Before he leaves, the coach says he will pray for Thomas (a common Christian phrase). 

Days later, the coach goes back to the hospital after recalling that Thomas is an expert in running - at this point he is facing a challenge on how to best train Hannah Scott. Thomas gladly shares his advice but challenges him on defining who he is. The coach begins by saying that he is a basketball coach, a history teacher, a father, a husband and if you like, a white American male. 

The coach asks him, if all he has was stripped away from him, who would he say he is. He finally says, he is a Christian. Thomas tells him that if being a Christian was as important to him as he claimed then it didn't make sense for it to come at the bottom of his list. This got the coach thinking. 

In another scene Thomas shares his story of how he got caught up in drug abuse with his wife who passed away. He tells the coach he had a daughter who he left with her grandmother and by that time she would be around 15 years old. Are you already connecting the dots?

The coach, having connected the dots, shares this with his wife and the school principal. They decide to reunite the two but without Hannah's grandmother's knowledge - a big risk. Yes, you guessed right, Thomas is Hannah's father. Hannah always wanted to meet her father but she had been told that he was dead. When told that he is alive and that she can go see him, she agrees to visit him but this is cut short when after only 2-4 minutes of being in the hospital room, she goes away. After a few days, she goes to see him again, this time requesting to be alone with him. Thomas asks for forgiveness from her and she admits it isn't easy.

During one afternoon as Hannah is preparing to go for practice, the principal meets her and begins to teach her about knowing God. She admits that she doesn't know how to come to God. The principal gladly leads her to Christ and instructs her to go read Ephesians 1&2 after which, she should write down all that God says she is. 

As she reads the Word of God, Hannah's mindset begins to change. She returns all she stole and the biggest one of all is she FORGIVES her dad.On this day she goes to see her dad alone but what she doesn't know is her grandmother got home earlier than usual. Remember the grandmother has no idea that Hannah and her father were re-united. She urges Hannah to tell her where she had spent the past two hours and Hannah shares the whole story. 

Infuriated, the grandmother goes to the coach's house and cautions them never to take Hannah to see her dad again. She also goes to see Thomas in the hospital and urges him to stay away from Hannah. Thomas at this point cries out to God and asks Him to make her useful to his daughter even in his state. 

Around the same time, the coach and his wife ask God for direction since Hannah's grandmother was not pleased at all. On the other hand, Hannah's grandmother asks God to help her forgive Thomas because she was bitter. 

Now, there was a proposal that cross country runners should have ear buds (ear phones) which could play music or any audio file, as they ran. At first the coach thought it was a ridiculous proposal but an idea dropped in his mind and he voted yes. He realised that, Thomas could actually coach his daughter as she ran, through a pre-recorded audio. The coach heads over to the hospital, explains the cross country track to Thomas and he begins recording. 

During the state championship, the coach gives Hannah the ear buds and asks her to press play when the race begins. She does as instructed and there she hears her dad's voice, directing her through the race. He affirms her and encourages her to push on even as her body begins to wear out. You guessed right, she wins the competition by an inch. She is so elated at this point and heads over to the hospital to give her dad the medal. 

Shortly after, the dad dies but Hannah is thankful for the 6 weeks she got to know him. The grandmother also at this point had forgiven him. 

This is a story of identity, restoration, forgiveness and reconciliation. Ephesians 4:32 says

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Overcomer movie will be showing this coming Saturday 14th September at Anga Imax Panari courtesy of Parklands Baptist church.

Movie trailer https://youtu.be/BGyieGVn4P4

Follow updates of feedback about the movie here https://www.facebook.com/OvercomerMovie/

If you have watched, what lessons have you picked out? Drop the comments. If you haven't watched check out the theaters in your country to see where it is showing.