Grace of God DVD

Grace of God synopsis: Having lost his faith many years ago, Detective Bill Broadly is called to investigate the disappearance of the local church’s collection plate. As he questions its various church members, rumors swirl as more congregants learn about the theft. When one unexpected church-goer confesses to stealing the funds, the confession resurrects Broadly’s views on God, and helps him see that through faith and belief there really is rebirth and redemption. 99 Minutes // Genre: Family, Inspirational // Rating:  NR (DVD back cover)

My Review: Mixed feelings on this one. The good is that this is a family friendly film, although the marriage problems of the older daughter (Erin Bethea) are not for the very young. Poor decisions have been made by many of the characters, but most appear to be resolved by the end of the film and the characters are better for the changes made. The 2 main characters, Constance (Julia Parker) and Bill (Vincent Duvall), are both good actors and I wish there had been more acknowledgement of them on the DVD cover. John Ratzenberger had a small role, but was given top billing due to name recognition. Lorenzo Lamas was also a great addition to the cast as the janitor and antagonist to the private investigator.

Family friendly and weaves matters of faith effortlessly through-out the story is the positive. While grace is freely given to the thief, and I do understand why, it did seem to fall a bit flat. Some of the story just did not seem to flow right and small things would bother me. Maybe part of the problem was that I correctly identified the thief very early on. But the reactions of people often did not make sense either. I felt like I was missing part of a conversation that would link it together. Goodness knows real people don't always make sense either, but that was not my only issue with the story. There was mention of it being a large church and many people having access to keys to the safe. Yet the sanctuary did not look very big or crowded. The score was also inconsistent with the action at times.

It's an average film. There are too many of my own pet peeves with films in this one, but they were annoyances that may not trouble others. Since I don't want to do "spoilers", I won't elaborate. There is an audience for this film; I have friends who genuinely like it. I can also see it generating discussion about matters of faith. The marketing of "A Story of Easter Traditions" and "Based on the Ten Commandments" is true, but mostly in the broad sense of Christianity. I thought it was pushing it a bit, but I also understand promoting films and trying to reach your niche market.

Purchase through Walmart.com

GIVEAWAY!! To be entered into a random drawing to win a copy of Grace of God, please leave a comment. Contest ends Wed., April 22, 2015 at Noon (CDT)

"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 a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Coming Home For Christmas

Coming Home For Christmas tells the story of the O'Brien family, who were once a close, happy family but a rift was formed when Kate (Carly McKillip) walked out on her sister Melanie’s (Britt McKillop) wedding. The sisters refusal to speak to one another, coupled with the loss of the house due to financial difficulties, are stressful enough, but learning that the house has sold is the final straw for Wendy O’Brien (Amy Jo Johnson). When she tells her good-natured husband, Al (George Canyon), that he needs to take his new puppy and leave, he does. That's when Kate decides to step in.

After meeting the very attractive new owner of her former home and, Kate talks Mike (Ben Hollingsworth) into considering her plan to reconcile her parents. First, though, she has to end her feud with her sister. Will they be having a family Christmas all together for the first time in years? 

The film also stars Jordan McIntosh as Ryan, the son of Mike's best friend who was killed during the war. The role of Ryan's mom, Jill, is played by Vanessa Parise, who directed this movie. As an added treat, the DVD also includes a limited edition Norman Rockwell print!

 

My Review: This is is a heartwarming and fun film that the entire family can sit down and enjoy. I was unfamiliar with the actors involved, but the majority of them are Country music singers from Canada. So, the music in the film is good, and I am glad they incorporated it into the story. I know I usually review faith-based films, so I think I need to mention that is one is not. However, it is family-friendly and clean and one that does cover forgiveness and the importance of family and friends who become like family. There are poignant moments, but also romance and comedy in the mix. It's a good film for your personal dvd library to have on hand to watch with friends and family.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the dvd from Flyby Promotions for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are my own.


GIVEAWAY: FLYBY PROMOTIONS ALSO HAS A COPY TO GIVEAWAY TO ONE OF MY READERS.  TO BE ENTERED INTO A RANDOM DRAWING, LEAVE A COMMENT (preferably in the Blog Comments section) NO LATER THAN 11pm (CST) WEDNESDAY NOV 27. THE WINNER  WILL BE SELECTED ON THANKSGIVING DAY.

You Can Also Buy It Here Online From Walmart