If you are a 'believer' in need of having your faith reinforced by an attractive medium, then this is your movie. Family friendly, violence-free, tranquil 'To-Kill-a-Mockingbird' small-town setting and warm musical score, it's all there. And you will probably not be too distracted by the thin, worn and predictable plot and the inconsistent editing. As far as the acting, perhaps the actors and actresses involved gave as much of their talent as was possible. That I don't really feel qualified to assess. But having been a trial attorney myself, as with every film featuring a criminal trial, I'm interested in whatever nuances the writers will bring not only to the climactic jury delivery (there were, to be sure, some insightful words in that respect), but also to the attorneys' stress, preparation, investigation, planning, questioning, etc. And that is where for me the movie fails, in that in its subtle eagerness to put across its god-centered message, it ignores the gaping insufficiencies in the substance of the trial itself. No defense attorney with a conscience and a capable intellect would ever come to a murder trial as ill-prepared as Modine's character. In the film-makers' defense, it was obvious in several of the courtroom scenes and exchanges, that the novelist and/or scriptwriter did have some legal consultation during the project, but it simply was overborne by the inevitable tendency of artists to create somewhat of an alchemist's solution rather than expend the effort necessary to fashion a more richly atmospheric, suspenseful tale. For the latter, and without the theism, try "The Verdict" starring Paul Newman.
Perhaps my chief 'criticism' of this film, however, is in its deception-by-omission marketing. Certainly there is nothing objectionable about making a family-friendly movie. Many studios do a wonderful job of doing so, and I too have had enough of blood, gore, car chases, superheroes and CGI to last a lifetime. But this film is more than just a vehicle for family entertainment. It is a film that you would expect to see in a church or religious setting, not in a general public distribution. If you are skeptical that this film's central message is advocacy for a theistically-centered life, be mindful near the end of the credits which inform you that for more information about the 'themes' in the movie, visit www.refuge.net. Doing so will dispel any doubt.
Perhaps my chief 'criticism' of this film, however, is in its deception-by-omission marketing. Certainly there is nothing objectionable about making a family-friendly movie. Many studios do a wonderful job of doing so, and I too have had enough of blood, gore, car chases, superheroes and CGI to last a lifetime. But this film is more than just a vehicle for family entertainment. It is a film that you would expect to see in a church or religious setting, not in a general public distribution. If you are skeptical that this film's central message is advocacy for a theistically-centered life, be mindful near the end of the credits which inform you that for more information about the 'themes' in the movie, visit www.refuge.net. Doing so will dispel any doubt.