Mercy Rule

I totally got lost on this movie more than once. I was hoping for it to be a good Christian film which glorifies God. Maybe I zoned out one too many times, but I don't ever recall them honoring God, seeking God, or praising God. Yes, it was clean & wholesome, but I was expecting something along the lines of other Christian films like Fireproof, Flywheel, Facing the Giants, Courageous, God's Not Dead, etc. I realize they are different companies and should be evaluated differently, but I was not a fan of this one at all. The story didn't really seem to be going anywhere and it kind of closed up in one sequence. I love baseball and some of the things in it bothered me as well..(like why he got mad he couldn't do anything in right field, yet never once backed up the first baseman? lol) In general, it got 3 stars because it is a movie based in faith and intentions were good, but I will probably never watch it again.

Mercy Rule is a family values film by the husband and wife Christian team of Kirk Cameron and Chelsea Noble. That it went direct to video speaks volumes about the faith the studios had in this one. In fact Kirk Cameron filmed an introduction to this film that says this is family entertainment.

I do have to say that this does avoid being hit over the head with direct Christianity. Still the message is obvious, if you've got faith you'll come out on top.

In this situation I rather think it was Cameron's eloquence before his town council that saved the day. Not an amen or a hallelujah and nobody spoke in tongues.

Two crises are confronting the family. The first is son Jared Miller having to learn that being on a Little League team requires team work. A lesson hard to enforce I'll admit when they hear about star players and some of the eight figure contracts they have. Still on the field teamwork does count.

The second is Cameron's family business founded by his father and it's a junkyard. Back in the day those folks did not deal with environmental regulations, but Kirk has to. His opponent who is environmental lawyer and activit James Bladon gets to take over businesses and companies due to his encyclopedic knowledge of business regulations. He's a sly one Bladon, his takeovers are all in the name of saving the environment. He's as hateful as any Snidely Whiplash villain from one of those 19th century morality plays.

This may not strictly speaking be a religious right epic, but it sure is an attack on the environmental movement. The reasoning here is the same that makes the same sex couple villains because they deliberately go into a Christian bakery with malice aforethought to put them out of business because they'll refuse to bake a gay cake. Just why Bladon wants to control Cameron's junkyard is never made clear.

Mercy Rule is not religious propaganda, but it's right wing propaganda and pretty heavy handed propaganda at that.

So this film is available on Netflix streaming and I wanted to see a Kirk Cameron movie. I know Cameron is a vocal Evangelical Christian and I was interested to see if this movie was religious based...

Anyway, its far worse than I could imagine. It's basically a rallying call against environmental regulation.

Kirk Cameron's son is on a little league team and he desperately wants to be the team's lockdown pitcher. That's the A plot, and it's more or less harmless.

But the B plot... oh man. Kirk Cameron's family runs a scrap business that's being investigated by the government for it's environmental practices. The way the portray this government "lobbyist" is something you'd see on Fox News. He's this slick, black suit wearing, elitist lawyer, who desperately wants to tear the family business down. Kirk Cameron even says in the film, "You're worse than a corporate raider, you're a civic raider!"

Disgusting anti-environmental propaganda.

Everybody has a miss from time to time and this is one for Kirk Cameron. Really disliked this chopped up, weird movie. What the heck is up with all the strange camera angles and slow motion? I don't need to watch someone fry bacon and make pancakes in slow motion. And the creepy softball coach? Is he mentally sound? Not someone who would have ever been my kids coach! Even those cute kid roles I could not get behind. This is not a fun family movie. It is boring, long & drawn out, political and stinky. I think I watched the whole movie with a look of disgust on my face. What were they thinking??

As a Christian, I'm often a little disappointed by some films that come out labeled as such. Usually the writing is sub-standard and the cast has a handful of people who can act surrounded by folks who have yet to refine the skill.

"Mercy Rule" isn't just a good Christian movie, it's a quality movie in general. Kirk Cameron plays the role of John Miller, a business owner, husband, and father of two. Like any decent American boy, his son, Cody is obsessed with baseball. While the elder Miller sees his business under attack by an environmental lobbyist who is trying to regulate the business into the government control, the younger Miller is fighting to see more playing time on the ball field.

In supporting roles, Tim Hawkins plays Miller's hilarious goof-ball brother, and Bas Rutten is Cody's odd baseball coach. Both bring humor to an otherwise stressful time in the family's life.

While it's entirely plausible that a local government makes a play to take over a recycling center for political reasons, the lobbyist's character is a bit over the top.

If you're looking for a family movie, even one that isn't too preachy, this is a great choice. It's funny, clean, and teaches the importance of family and not giving up. Some of these other reviews here are clearly people angry about Christianity and famous Christians. While they are entitled to their opinion, I doubt they have watched the movie. Right now it's available on Netflix, and it's worth checking out.