By REY FLORES
Christmastime is always a time for movie studios to try and cash in on holiday-themed films, hoping to catch some of that Christmas spirit from the public. Often times, Hollywood presents the usual junk with a secular Christmas twist that has nothing to do with the real purpose or meaning of Christmas.
Another trend we have taken notice of here in the movie review world is that there has also been an increase in Christian films, not just at Christmastime, but throughout the year.
The film’s promotional material gives us this synopsis:
“For years, the small town of Grundy, Va., has relied on the Peyton family to provide the highlight of the year — the annual Christmas pageant. When Matthew Peyton (Ryan O’Quinn) inherits the family business, the responsibility of the Christmas pageant also falls on his shoulders. But as financial hardships fall on the town, Matthew finds himself overwhelmed. As his business profits plummet and his workers begin to strike, Matthew is forced to make a decision between selling the family business and canceling the beloved pageant or sticking out hardships despite his rapidly declining popularity in the community.
“Through chance events, Matthew meets Clarence (Issac Ryan Brown), a boy who believes in miracles, and his mother Sharon (Danielle Nicolet). His newfound friends impact Matthew’s life in a way he never thought possible and teach him to believe and give faith a chance.”
So it’s a pretty basic story of a person who is struggling with his life, overwhelmed with problems which seem insurmountable, but he meets someone who will help him understand the power of faith, miracles, and God Himself.
This isn’t rocket science, so it makes it a heartwarming drama complete with the irresistible cute kid with the personality and intellect of a grown-up who helps the troubled guy find the silver lining in the dark cloud he is living under.
Together Matthew Peyton and the little boy Clarence — a nod to Clarence the angel from Frank Capra’s classic It’s a Wonderful Life, given that this little boy acts as something of an angel in this story — figure out what to do, and that is all I can share without revealing too much of the story here.
Actor Ryan O’Quinn — you may recall him from the 1990s television series Beverly Hills 90210 — gives a solid performance as Matthew Peyton. A sign of a good actor is when he can make the transition from television to cinema without coming off as contrived or stiff in his performances.
As an aside, I took note that there are several people who used to be television stars acting in Christian-based films today, like Kirk Cameron, Patricia Heaton, and Kevin Sorbo, to name a few.
Writer, director, and producer Billy Dickson, also a television veteran, has now officially released his first big-screen film with Believe.
Overall, Believe is a feel-good, family-friendly Christmas movie for all ages. It can help us escape from the usual garbage “holiday”-themed movies Hollywood likes to cash in on. I say we instead support Christian-based films like Believe which respect Christmas instead of exploiting it.
Believe opens nationwide on December 2. Watch the trailer at: www.believe.film.
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