GOD'S NOT DEAD (2014)

TYPE	FEATURE FILM
MPAA RATING	PG
RUNTIME	1hr 53mins.
GENRES	DRAMA, COMEDY
KEYWORDS	2010S, CHRISTIANITY, COLLEGE,CONFLICT, COURAGE, FAITH,PHILOSOPHICAL, PROFESSOR,RELIGION, STUDENT
STATUS	RELEASED
US RELEASE DATE	03/21/2014

Theatrical released poster
Directed by	Harold Cronk
Produced by	Michael Scott Russell Wolfe Anna Zielinski
Written by	Cary Solomon Chuck Konzelman
Based on	God's Not Dead by Rice Broocks
Starring	Kevin Sorbo Shane Harper David A.R. White Dean Cain Newsboys Willie Robertson Korie Robertson
Music by	Will Musser
Cinematography	Brian Shanley
Editing by	Vance Null
Studio	Pure Flix Entertainment Red Entertainment Group
Distributed by	Pure Flix Entertainment
Release dates	March 21, 2014
Running time	113 minutes [1]
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$2 million[2]
Box office	$33,213,504[3]

Plot[edit]

Josh Wheaton (Shane Harper), a devout Christian and freshman college student, enrolls in a philosophy class taught by a dogmatic and argumentative atheist. Professor Radisson (Kevin Sorbo) demands that all of his students must sign a declaration that "God is dead" in order to get a passing grade. Faced with a choice between passing the class and betraying his beliefs, Josh refuses. As Josh is the only student in the class to do so, the professor strikes a bargain: Josh must defend his position that "God's not dead" in a series of debates with him, with the class members ultimately deciding who wins. If Josh loses, he flunks. When Josh accepts the challenge, he gets more than he bargained for — jeopardizing his faith, his academic future, and even his relationships.^[5]

Cast[edit]

• Shane Harper as Josh Wheaton
• Kevin Sorbo as Professor Radisson
• David A.R. White as Pastor Dave
• Trisha LaFache as Amy Ryan
• Hadeel Sittu as Ayisha
• Marco Khan as Misrab
• Cory Oliver as Mina
• Dean Cain as Mark
• Jim Gleason as Ward Wheaton
• Benjamin Ochieng as Reverend Jude
• Cassidy Gifford as Kara
• Paul Kwo as Martin Yip

The film also includes cameos by Christian pop rock band Newsboys, and Willie and Korie Robertson from the television series Duck Dynasty.

Production[edit]

The film was shot in Baton Rouge, Louisiana from October to November 2012. A concert appearance of the Newsboys was filmed inHouston, Texas.^[6]

Russell Wolfe, the CEO of Pure Flix Entertainment, stated that the "inspiration behind the setting of the movie dates back a few years ago. I was in a meeting at Pinnacle Forum and Alan Sears from Alliance Defending Freedom, was speaking. He was speaking about a young girl who was asked to do some things that went against her faith and got in trouble for not doing them. That story put my jaw on the floor and made me think about how many students go to college as a Christian and how few stay a Christian after they finish their four years. It was that story that inspired me to set the movie on a college campus."^[7]

Reception[edit]

Critical reception[edit]

A number of sources have cited the film's similarities to a popular urban legend. The basic premise of a Christian student debating an atheist professor and winning in front of the class has been the subject of at least two popular legends and a popular Chick tract.^[8][9][10]

The film has been panned by critics, currently holding a score of 16/100 on Metacritic indicating 'Overwhelming Dislike' based on 5 critics, and an 18% favorable rating on Rotten Tomatoes. ^[11][12] Writing for The A.V. Club, Todd VanDerWerff gave the film a D-, saying "Even by the rather lax standards of the Christian film industry, God's Not Dead is a disaster. It's an uninspired amble past a variety of Christian-email-forward bogeymen that feels far too long at just 113 minutes".^[13] Reviewer Scott Foundas of Variety wrote "...even grading on a generous curve, this strident melodrama about the insidious efforts of America's university system to silence true believers on campus is about as subtle as a stack of Bibles falling on your head...".^[14] Steve Pulaski of Influx Magazine, however, was less critical of the film, giving it a C+ and stating "God's Not Dead has issues, many of them easy to spot and heavily distracting. However, it's surprisingly effective in terms of message, acting, and insight, which are three fields Christian cinema seems to struggle with the most".^[15]

Christian appraisal[edit]

The Alliance Defending Freedom, American Heritage Girls, Faith Driven Consumer, Denison Forum on Truth and Culture, Trevecca Nazarene University, The Dove Foundationand Ratio Christi have all endorsed the film.^[16]

I believe Christians should go see this movie because it will strengthen their faith and help them question situations about how they stood up or backed down for their faith. It will also encourage them to share their faith more.

—Alliance Defending Freedom^[17]

Dave Hartline of The American Catholic gave God's Not Dead a positive review and hoped that other films like it "will follow".^[18] Some Christian youth groups are colliding in theMethodist, Catholic, and Baptist traditions to watch God's Not Dead together, which have resulted in screenings of the film selling out.^[19][20][21]

However, evangelical Michael Gerson was highly critical of the film and its message, writing "The main problem with “God’s Not Dead” is not its cosmology or ethics but its anthropology. It assumes that human beings are made out of cardboard. Academics are arrogant and cruel. Liberal bloggers are preening and snarky (well, maybe the movie has a point here). Unbelievers disbelieve because of personal demons. It is characterization by caricature."^[22] John Mulderig echoed similar concerns in his review for the Catholic News Service, stating: "There might be the kernel of an intriguing documentary buried within director Harold Cronk's stacked-deck drama, given the extent of real-life academic hostility toward religion. But even faith-filled moviegoers will sense the claustrophobia of the echo chamber within which this largely unrealistic picture unfolds."^[23]

Commercial performance[edit]

In its first weekend of release, the film earned $8.6 million domestically from just 780 theaters, causing Entertainment Weekly's Adam Markovitz to refer to it as "The biggest surprise of the weekend...". In addition, the film added 398 additional theaters (almost 52% increase) after its 2nd week. ^[24]

Trailer : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt8Wd7CEg4U