Saturday, February 1, 2014

Unstoppable- Movie review and Giveaway

Go ahead and admit it.  You wanted to marry Kirk Cameron when you were younger.  You know you did.  Me too.  As a matter of fact, I was pretty upset with him with he married Chelsea ON the show, never mind when he actually married her in real life. Glad to say that he has been happily married to her for many years and has 6 children.

Anyway... that is not really what this post is about.  ;) Yes, Unstoppable stars the beloved Kirk Cameron, but it is not about him.  It is inspired by him.


Written after a life changing loss of a personal friend, Matthew, Unstoppable explores the age old question- Where is God on the midst of pain and suffering? This hour long commentary, voiced by Kirk himself, flashes back and forth between Kirk talking to the audience from a living room like he is speaking to a friend, and dramatized scenes depicting the parts of the creation story he is discussing.  Personally, I could have done without those dramatized scenes, but the commentary was attention holding.

So did he answer the question he set out to?  This is something I have been thinking about for a few days.  I am not sure he did. Honestly, it is not a question I think can be answered, especially in one hour.  By starting at the beginning with the account of Creation, Kirk contends that to answer the question of where is God on the midst of pain and suffering one must first study and understand the very nature of God.  That I agree with and is what I expected the rest of the video to be about.  It seemed to get off track a little from there.  In between Kirk talking about the gospel, two things happen.

One is a dramatized, voiceless, act of both the stories of Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel.  These I could have done without.  Call me old fashioned, but I did not need to see what it might have been like in the garden during the fall and I did not need to see Cain killing Able, blood and all.  The second thing that happens is the unfolding story of Kirk's friend Matthew's death.  The first scene shown is Kirk on a plane and then progresses eventually to Matthew's funeral.  The problem I had was that it is not clear at first where it is headed and for the life of me I could not figure out why we were watching Kirk on an airplane.  Call me slow, maybe.  

Anyway, one thing I really did appreciate was the testimony of Matthew's parents at the end.  They are honest in their grief but point the viewers back to God's love.  A sometimes easy thing to say, but much harder to live in the midst of a tragedy.  It is obvious as well the love of Kirk for this precious family and speaks volumes to me of his compassion.  The video of the funeral was taken at the time without Kirk even knowing why he took it.  I also appreciate the fact that a famous actor is unashamedly Christian and intent on spreading his faith to others.  Kirk Cameron is bold and passionate about God and I commend him for that.  

While I was slightly disappointed in Unstoppable as a whole, I would encourage you to watch it to see what you think.  At the very least it can help pave the way for a discussion within your family of what you believe and where YOU think God is in the midst the tragedies on our lives.  On its premier weeknight showing, Unstoppable sold 260,000 tickets!  Wow, that is impressive!

This movie is recommended for ages 12 and up.  I would abide with that due to the heavy subject matter and the scene of Cain killing Abel.  Yes, those are important things to discuss with our children, but I am just not sure younger kids need to SEE them acted out on media.

And, in case you were wondering, I still like Kirk Cameron as an actor, and I have gotten over the fact that he married someone else! ;)

Just so you know, Unstoppable is produced by Liberty University and therefore starts with a few minute "advertisement" for their school.  If that is something you object to, you can fast forward through that part.  Unstoppable is also clearly from a Christian point of view.  It does not really seek to convince you there is a God, but to help you understand where He is when bad things happen.

I am so excited to be able to give one copy of this movie to one of our readers.  Just fill out the Rafflecopter for your chance to win!

Visit the official website: http://unstoppablethemovie.com

Blessings,



a Rafflecopter giveaway

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.
 Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.


13 comments:

  1. SO thrilled about this giveaway! I would love to win this DVD because not only would this be a fantastic film to share with unsaved family, but I think it deals with a subject we all work through at some point in time.

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  2. I want this movie because I love all of Kirk's movies and you can see the true passion.

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  3. I would like this to see and hear about his views. He is so outspoken it would be nice to see where he stands theologically.

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  4. I have been hoping to watch this one since it was in the theaters! ;) Would love to win!

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  5. I completely agree with what you've said here. While I didn't mind the cinematics, they were sometimes confusing, sometimes just flat out boring, and almost certainly unnecessary in most aspects. I didn't even realize we were watching Cain and Abel for a few minutes.... And I also agree that supporting Kirk is a good idea, and that discussion generated is never a bad thing. :)

    And I'm still LOL at your introduction. PERFECT! :D

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Blessings!

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  6. I have recently found your blog and have made it one of my regular spots to visit on the www! LOL I agree with what Rachael (above) said, this film could be a great tool to share with unsaved family, and maybe help equip us when working through dealing with this subject.
    Thanks for the giveaway!

    Jessica

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  7. I love Kirk Cameron's films and am eager to see how he tackles this subject.

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  8. It tackles a very tough subject matter!

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  9. I lost my fiance due to cancer when he was 33. Sometimes it's hard, but I like to know how others deal with death.

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    1. I am so sorry to hear of your loss!

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    2. Would you please email me?I would love to be in touch with you about this movie!

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  10. sounds like an interesting show, I think I would have been put off by the dramatizations as well.

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Thanks for commenting. I love hearing from you!