Alex Kendrick

Priscilla C. Shirer

Cameron Arnett

Shari Rigby

Aryn Wright-Thompson

Denise Armstrong

Jack Sterner

Caleb Kendrick

Joshua Kendrick

Chuck Hasty

Joseph Curtis Callender

Phil Scoggins

Ashley Garrett

Steve Hullfish

Matthew Kendrick

Ty Benham

Philip Adams

Malcolm Johnson

Anna Elizabeth Kendrick

Trey Reynolds

Bruce Marchiano

Micah Lynn Hanson

Myke Holmes

Rebecca Koon

Jared Staley

Kendrick Cross

Isaiah Coleman

Dave Blamy

Stephen Kendrick

Diamond Morgan

Tina Witherby

Elijah B. Moore

Holly A. Morris

Scotty Curlee

Karen Boles

Cecil Cheves

Heather Whatley

Jason Baruch

Adam Drake

Ben Davies

Joe Ballew

Danyelle Monson

William Young

Les Best

Catherine Kendrick

Cohen Kendrick

Elizabeth Becka

Sam Beman

Robert Thompson

Grant Davidson

Christian Gabriel Anderson

Reggie Williams

Christopher Vega

Tori Hunter

Aaron Burns

Justin Tolley

Paul Mills

Bob Scott

Bill Ebel

Kimberly Helms Stewart

Anna Redmon

Shannon Kendrick

Drama

Overcomer

Kendrick Brothers

United States of America

***WHO are you? (And I don’t mean your occupation or marital status)*** 

A basketball coach at a Georgia Christian school (Alex Kendrick) is devastated when the local factory shuts down and the school loses half its students, along with a decrease in pay for him and his wife, who also works at the school (Shari Rigby). The principal appoints him to coach the cross-country running team, which consists of ONE girl with asthma (Aryn Wright-Thompson) who lives with her grandmother.  

“Overcomer” (2019) is a Christian-themed drama from the maker of “War Room” (2015), one of the most inspiring films ever made and a surprise hit at the box office, which ain’t bad for an indie that only cost $3 million. This one cost $2 million more, but isn’t nearly as potent. Yet it’s still a solid drama with some poignant Christian-themed points that smack of real life. I could relate to several of the points, e.g. feeling like your life was a mistake and the negative fallout of an absent or distant father. 

Some other themes are effectively driven home, like: the importance of the relationship of husband & wife to the health of a home; it’s never too late for redemption; the power of the repentance/forgiveness dynamic; and how easy it is to fall into the pretense of Christian religion, i.e. spiritual hypocrisy. Anyone who sincerely tries to walk with the LORD will relate to these kinds of elements. Meanwhile some non-Christians will likely scoff and find these aspects fake (they couldn’t be more wrong). 

Sure, some of the acting of peripherals might not be of blockbuster caliber, but that’s par for the course in these kinds of indie flicks. But the performances of the main adult players are fine. Speaking of which, Cameron Arnett is outstanding as the blind hospital patient and mentor on long-distance running. Was the coach’s chance meeting with him an eye-rolling coincidence or a divinely-orchestrated encounter?   

The film runs 1 hour, 59 minutes, and was shot in Columbus & Albany, Georgia, with shots of Nashville.

GRADE: B

**Overcomes the "cheesy Christian film" barrier**

Very few films these days are as special as this one. Kendrick gives Christians a story that is almost sure to bring tears of joy.

The quality of Kendrick's films has improved steadily. Looking forward to more - especially those with creative scripts like this one.