New Hope

Michael (Samuel Davis) is not thrilled about his family's move to New Hope, a small, close-knit southern town. After all, it is his senior year. He is even less enthused about joining the town's high school basketball team, especially when he begins to bump heads with the team's star player, Lucas (Ben Davies). Lucas is fiercely loyal to the memory of his brother Chase -- the victim of a suicide that shook the entire town to its core. To Lucas, Michael is reaping everything Chase left behind -- an insult he refuses to accept. Jasmine (Perry Frost), Chase's longtime girlfriend, still has not found peace a year after his tragic death -- until a chance meeting with Michael. Michael's faith is tested as he endures confrontations with Lucas on and off the basketball court and through his growing fascination with Jasmine. With topics including peer pressure, alcohol, sex, suicide, relationships, and acceptance, New Hope captures the life of the modern teenager. Written by R2 PRODUCTIONS

I really wanted to like this film, but I didn't. The three stars were good, but many of the actors in the adult roles were very wooden when speaking; there were pauses in odd places. The animosity between the 2 male accelerated too quickly and ended so suddenly that it made little sense. The whole storyline just seemed too rushed, especially for the time frame indicated. There were believable moments, but then they would be shattered by little things that I found annoying. Life is messy, so I guess it is to be expected in a film too. This isn't one I want to watch twice to see if I just missed something.