By REY FLORES
For the past year and a half since a young man named Mike Brown was gunned down in Ferguson, Mo., race relations in America have been going backwards. It wasn’t so much that the racism grew again in an organic manner, but seems to have been manufactured by the government and the lapdog news media using divisive tactics to better control the American population.
Professional agitators caused civil disobedience in cities where similar incidents happened, when white police officers and African-American youths came to ugly confrontations leading to a few deaths and a lot of rioting and looting.
I can honestly say that while there are isolated incidents where there are racial tensions between people of different races, I guess that about 99 percent of Americans get along with each other regardless of race.
Nevertheless, a timely film like Woodlawn helps us see where our nation once was in terms of racism and the divisions that were all too real. I had the pleasure of watching a screening at the recent Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C.
They say that if we do not learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it. Unfortunately we are repeating some of the history, but hopefully after people watch this terrific film, there’ll be less bad history to repeat.
Woodlawn is a film based on a true story which took place back in the early 1970s in Birmingham, Ala., when a young man named Tony Nathan finds himself in the middle of the storm of mandated school desegregation. The role is played by newcomer Caleb Castille, who seems destined for many more roles in his acting career, given this superb performance.
As in many inspirational films, sports are a powerful analogy for the pursuit of victory we all seek in the game of life. Woodlawn delivers a powerful sports drama as Tony Nathan joins the Woodlawn Colonels high school football team; the players are dealing with their newfound melting pot and deciding if they want to be a winning football team.
Veteran actor Sean Astin, who did a great job in Moms’ Night Out and of course as Frodo’s trusted Hobbit friend Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings, comes through once more as Hank, who believes that he can bring peace to the team by convincing the coach to let him bring the good news of Jesus to the team.
More than 40 players, black and white, give their lives over to the “better way” Hank tells them is possible through following Jesus, and the change is so profound in them that it affects their coach, their school, and their community in ways no one could have imagined.
The Colonels make a run at the state playoffs led by Nathan, who achieves superstar status in Birmingham and attracts the attention of legendary University of Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant (Jon Voight). It’s the miracle, Hank says, of what happens when God shows up.
Director Andy Erwin says: “It is the story about the redemption of a cynic through a reluctant hero with the influence of an unabashed optimist.”
Producer Kevin Downes adds: “It’s a special film that’s really going to touch the lives of many people across the country and around the world. I think it transcends different backgrounds in such a way that it can bring healing. People have separation and brokenness in their lives — and this film can really help people in ways that are unexpected.”
At times like these when the television and Internet scream at us to fight with each other, Woodlawn is telling us to come together and win with Jesus. I like that and given that football season is well under way, it won’t be hard to get the hubby, dad, or the boys to go see a film about following Jesus.
Remember, the more you go to see good Christian films during their opening weekend, the louder it sends a message to the movie industry that we are sick of the sex and violence and prefer films that edify us and do not insult us.
Woodlawn opens October 16 in theaters nationwide. Visit www.woodlawnmovie.com to watch the trailer.
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(Rey Flores reviews books and films for The Wanderer. Contact Rey at reyfloresusa@gmail.com.)
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