Average Joe

I'm giving this movie a 10 simply because right now it's at a 3.3, and it doesn't deserve that low of a rating. Though I'm a Christian, I will usually avoid these types of movies because they are always unrealistic and horribly acted. Honestly, for a medium budget faith based movie, it's about a 6.5. Joe's young life was filled with abuse, and I felt the movie did a decent job of portraying that without going overboard. I'm sure it was much worse. This is a true story dealing with the hot-button issue of freedom of religion. That's the way I see it anyway. I'm guessing most non-Christians will not like it, but I thought it was well acted, above average, and it's an incredible story of fighting for faith and freedom. I would highly recommend to people who appreciate these values.

Maybe the cast was all they could afford. The plot is pockmarked with huge holes and filled with unnecessary events. If the leads were 10 when the story kick off, chronologically they would be in their 30s when they get married making it impossible to be "empty-nesters" then unless they also started parenting at 10. Not to mention the leads at 30 look 50!

The story incorporates a myriad of unnecessary events which should have been cut short. Maybe 10 mins for that before moving on to his role as coach, subsequent events related to it, his loss of job and the ensuing court trial which is what the movie was supposed to be about. Jumping from foster home to foster home, his life in the military, his love life - losing and gaining, marriage, all unnecessarily occupy a lions share of the already meandering plot. Or it could have started with the trial cutting back for a while to his childhood but only to introduce the character to the audience, and flashbacks of the events that directly led him to this point. There was a multitude of possibilities to not make this movie a yawner.

Having recently been put through the trauma of directors with passion projects like Joker 2 (what a mess, not a musical, not a drama, not a copy like the first and although well acted not a chance of any real emotion, never in my life have a cared less about a stabbing) and as for, and the Matromess with its waste of good talent.

I had the opportunity to watch this grounded, beautiful story of God using a seemingly ordinary person as he does to make real, meaningful changes to other people's lives, the fascist left has been all over this instead of hearing they have preconceived hateful things to say where they should have seen and been moved by someone fighting for everyone to have the right to worship in public they only want to stop and wave their sin in other peoples faces as a right but don't like it when someone chooses not to do the same. I pray for them and hope they can see the error of their ways, decide not to continue along the path of eternal destruction.

It's interesting to note that there are usually critics of movies that don't make sense.

Did they truly consider the plot and context of the story that was presented?

Joe Kennedy is interviewed in the beginning and shares with the audience about some aspects of his life.

It is not always funny and can be painful to see what took place.

It seems that there is significant reason not to change it to fit someone's opinion that may not deal with facts.

I appreciate Mr. Kennedy and his family allowing their story to be told and the legal aspects explained for religious expression in our country. It was difficult for them, and he made the effort to be a fighter because of God influencing him. That is what he said and I believe him.

There are some lighthearted moments. I enjoyed seeing the backstory behind the headlines that I was familiar with.

The football coaching was character training for the team. They supported his example, but he didn't force his prayer on them.

I would hesitate to consider a review that protests so much as if the movie goer can't make his own decision.

It is obvious to me, reading the bad reviews, that some people are more interested in hating Christians and all we stand for than in giving honest opinions based on the merit of the film itself. Christian films have come a long way over the years and I have been right there with them rooting them on! This was one of the best films, Christian or not, that I have seen. It was very creative in the approach to the filmaking and I found the story itself very well presented. The actors did a superb job and I found them engaging and very believable. No matter what your take on the real story, I believe the means the writers and director used to convey the story was refreshing and highly entertaining. I would recommend this movie to anyone regardless of their believe in God.