OVERCOMER

High school basketball coach John Harrison and his team face an uncertain future
when their town's largest manufacturing plant shuts down unexpectedly. As hundreds of
people move away, John reluctantly agrees to coach cross-country, a sport he doesn't even
like. His outlook soon changes when he meets Hannah Scott, an unlikely runner who pushes
herself to the limit. Inspired by the words and prayers of a new friend, John starts to train
Hannah for the biggest race of her young life.

There's about half a movie in Overcomer. The other half or so is a pretty half-hearted
sermon. To call this one merely (faith-based) seems like an understatement, and to call it a
movie feels especially generous. John doesn't even think running is a real sport, and the only
student who tries out is Hannah, a transfer student whose parents are dead, who lives with
her grandmother Barbara , and, who, more pertinent to long-distance running, has asthma.
None of these threads is revolutionary by any measure, but they at least form the foundation
of an actual story.

Through a chance meeting at a hospital, where John is visiting a fellow parishioner with
his church's pastor, the coach just happens to discover Thomas. Through some painfully on-
the-nose dialogue during a later visit, John learns that Thomas, blind and having more health
issues on account of diabetes, is actually Hannah's long-believed dead father.

“Overcomer” has a thoughtful message about forgiveness and religious identity, but as
a movie, it needs some work. Alex Kendrick’s film tells the story of Hannah Scott, a high
school cross-country runner who discovers her faith in the midst of some serious life
challenges and shares an important and relatable message, and there are some very sweet
moments along the way. Arnett especially does an excellent job as Hannah’s father Thomas,
who has been hampered by both physical and psychological ailments. At the same time,
“Overcomer” has some issues that keep that message from coming through clearly. Most of
the first act is spent following coach Harrison as he watches the depletion of his basketball
team, which leads to friction between he and his wife, fellow teacher Amy (Shari Rigby). For
nearly half of the film it feels like Harrison is the protagonist, and when the narrative switches
to Hannah, the film’s path feels unclear. There are also some missteps with the script, such as
an early scene between the coach and his wife that feels too heavy-handed in context, and
though it’s critical to the plot, the introduction of the spiritual content feels very disjointed
and at times preachy. A bit more subtlety and an extra revision or two would have helped
“Overcomer’s” strong parts to flow together more effectively. To its credit, “Overcomer” does
finish with an uplifting third act, but ultimately, it feels like a film with potential that just
needed a steadier hand.

In conclusion Overcomer does exactly what most would expect from a Christian film: It
focuses on curbing any hypocrisies in churchgoing families and demonstrates how to convert
lost souls to followers of Jesus and that's the core message of Overcomer: Our identity isn't
based on our jobs or roles, our talents or passions, no matter how important those things
might seem. Instead, who we are at the deepest level flows from our relationship with our
Savior, whose love and grace shape our true identity as His children.

Submitted by:
Raisie Hannah Marie B. Baricuatro