Hardflip
3/4
Starring: Randy Wayne, John Schneider, Rosanna Arquette, Sean Michael Afable
Rated PG-13 for Mature Thematic Content, and Teen Drug and Alcohol Content
I've never seen a Christian film, and for all the pontificating that the Bible Thumpers do, I was wary of seeing one. I've been told that they're shallow and preachy so I approached "Hardflip" with trepidation. I admit that I was waiting for it to screw up, but to my surprise, it never did. It's no masterpiece, but it does work.
The film is about three people who are broken in their own ways. Caleb (Wayne) is a young skateboarder whose father has never been in the picture and has no friends. His mother Bethany (Arquette) has a drinking problem and is about to lose the house. And Caleb's real father, Jack (Schneider) is a businessman whose pursuit of success has left him without true wealth.
To be honest, I wouldn't have thought this to be a Christian film unless I had known otherwise. The film never preaches (save for one scene, but there's another way to interpret it), and when it presents Christian themes and bible verses, they are the ideas of the characters. The movie may have an agenda, but it hides it well.
The film is about forgiveness, one of the tenets of the Christian faith. Forgiving someone who has wronged you is never easy, and "Hardflip" never pretends that it is. Co-writer/director Johnny Remo approaches the material with surprising depth and maturity. He's also unafraid of taking the film to some dark places.
The acting is effective. Randy Wayne, the film's star is mostly effective, but there are times when he appears stiff. Caleb is a guy whose life is falling apart, and he has no one to turn to except marijuana. Rosanna Arquette is very good as his mother who is struggling to keep her and Caleb's lives afloat, but her health is failing. Jack Schneider gives the best performance in the film as the man who is coming to the realization that he missed out on life and let down the people who needed him. Special mention goes to Jason Dundas, who plays a surprisingly sadistic bully.
Johnny Remo uses restraint when making this movie, and that is something that all will appreciate. He deftly handles the conflicting emotions of the characters and never allows "Hardflip" to turn into an ad for Christianity. Caleb is never told to accept Jesus or anything like that. People he meets have their own beliefs, but they don't force them on young Caleb. Religion almost completely separated from the heart of the movie.
In the end, "Hardflip" works because it presents forgiveness as an idea, not a message. If the Christian Right wants to get people on their side, that's how they should go about it. Pontificating and discriminating are only alienating everyone who is not "one of them."
Starring: Randy Wayne, John Schneider, Rosanna Arquette, Sean Michael Afable
Rated PG-13 for Mature Thematic Content, and Teen Drug and Alcohol Content
I've never seen a Christian film, and for all the pontificating that the Bible Thumpers do, I was wary of seeing one. I've been told that they're shallow and preachy so I approached "Hardflip" with trepidation. I admit that I was waiting for it to screw up, but to my surprise, it never did. It's no masterpiece, but it does work.
The film is about three people who are broken in their own ways. Caleb (Wayne) is a young skateboarder whose father has never been in the picture and has no friends. His mother Bethany (Arquette) has a drinking problem and is about to lose the house. And Caleb's real father, Jack (Schneider) is a businessman whose pursuit of success has left him without true wealth.
To be honest, I wouldn't have thought this to be a Christian film unless I had known otherwise. The film never preaches (save for one scene, but there's another way to interpret it), and when it presents Christian themes and bible verses, they are the ideas of the characters. The movie may have an agenda, but it hides it well.
The film is about forgiveness, one of the tenets of the Christian faith. Forgiving someone who has wronged you is never easy, and "Hardflip" never pretends that it is. Co-writer/director Johnny Remo approaches the material with surprising depth and maturity. He's also unafraid of taking the film to some dark places.
The acting is effective. Randy Wayne, the film's star is mostly effective, but there are times when he appears stiff. Caleb is a guy whose life is falling apart, and he has no one to turn to except marijuana. Rosanna Arquette is very good as his mother who is struggling to keep her and Caleb's lives afloat, but her health is failing. Jack Schneider gives the best performance in the film as the man who is coming to the realization that he missed out on life and let down the people who needed him. Special mention goes to Jason Dundas, who plays a surprisingly sadistic bully.
Johnny Remo uses restraint when making this movie, and that is something that all will appreciate. He deftly handles the conflicting emotions of the characters and never allows "Hardflip" to turn into an ad for Christianity. Caleb is never told to accept Jesus or anything like that. People he meets have their own beliefs, but they don't force them on young Caleb. Religion almost completely separated from the heart of the movie.
In the end, "Hardflip" works because it presents forgiveness as an idea, not a message. If the Christian Right wants to get people on their side, that's how they should go about it. Pontificating and discriminating are only alienating everyone who is not "one of them."
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