Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. - John 15:13
John Paul (Kevin Downes) is about to marry the love of his life Cynthia (Candace Cameron Bure). But while going through the stuff in his garage, he finds some old things of his father, Stephen (Sean McGowan), who had perished in the Vietnam War years ago. Curious about where to find his father, Cynthia finds a letter that was signed "Eddie Adams", and encourages John to try to find answers. What she doesn't know though, is that John finds a piece of evidence and flies across country to see what he can do with it. On his travels, he runs into a crazy hillbilly named Wayne (David A.R. White), who turns out to be the son of Eddie. Both then start to go on a crazy road trip to The Wall (or Vietnam War Memorial) in D.C. to find answers.
Faith of Our Fathers mixes film genres in a sometimes uneven, but mostly satisfying way. A lot of it plays out like a road trip buddy comedy, while some of it gets real serious and makes sure its message of faith shines through. And wisely, as we get closer to the end, the film slows down the pace to get its point across. And the film's messages of the importance of spreading the Gospel, as well as sacrificial love, honesty, and the importance of kindness are all great. There's also a nice example of how God watches over us in any hard situation. And, surprisingly, there's also a lot of great comedy here as well, with many laugh-out-loud moments.
The acting is mostly good. Downes has shown to be very versatile with the roles he's given, from a cop with a secret in Courageous, to a video game-addict/man-boy in Mom's Night Out. In this one, he becomes a kind-hearted character who is both relate-able and interesting (despite lacking a lot of development). Showing even more versatility (and more character development) is White, who pulls off the role of Wayne with solid comedic timing.
The supporting actors are decent. Stephen Baldwin is very solid as the commander, while the actors playing the fathers in the war are also very good. Si Robertson's "cameo" of sorts is hilarious and his personality works as a store clerk. The war scenes, for a low-budget flick, are nicely-done and spot-on. The cinematography is decent, if unspectacular.
On the downside, there were a few flaws. The editing back-and-forth between the past and the present isn't always spot-on. During the final half-hour, one Vietnam War character's surprise return in the present isn't quite aged well professionally. Finally, the two prominent females in the cast are very much underused. Bure isn't given much to do and partially due to that, doesn't quite nail all of her scenes. I still think she did fine for the most part, I just wish she was given a little bit more to do. Also, Christian singer Rebecca St. James doesn't have a lot of time, though she does fine with what she's given. On the other hand, this is primarily a father-son/male-bonding story, so the female actors understandably take a backseat.
Faith of Our Fathers is unique for its genre. It carries all of the strong evangelical messages that accompanies any movie of its kind, but it adds in the suspense and emotional aspects of a war movie. PureFlix Entertainment's third theatrical release is definitely shown to be more distinct than God's Not Dead and Do You Believe?
That being said, for me (and a close friend that also came), there's a lot to like. The film's mix of comedy and almost tear-jerking sensibilities make for a very satisfying way to spend 93 minutes. It has a likable cast. And, as I mentioned before, the messages are both strong and inspiring. The overall production quality isn't amazing, but its not horrible either. And seeing a movie that honors the military for their service is definitely nice.
In the end, Faith of Our Fathers has its flaws, but it's still an extremely entertaining and inspiring movie that's worth the price of admission.
Score: 8.1/10
Content Problems Families Should Be Aware Of:
Language: "Moron" and some other mildly demeaning name-calling.
Adult Content: None
Violence: Faith of Our Fathers earns it PG-13 rating for one scene where two soldiers are shot (we see the entry wounds and their struggling to breathe as a result). One explosion. Guns are shot in a few other scenes, but fog covers up any potential body count. Someone is held at gunpoint (its later revealed to be plastic). Wayne and John get into a slapstick-y fight with two people at a gas station (Wayne is shown to be bleeding a little bit by the end of it).
Drugs/Alcohol: None (that I can remember).
Other: Two hobos steal a car. A little girl sells (supposedly) her Dad's car without his consent. Wayne's actions range from disrespectful, rude, to just plain crazy (but its all played for laughs).
