What kind of person are you? Not your job or whether you’re married, but something deeper. A high school basketball coach at a Christian school in Georgia (Alex Kendrick) faces hardship when the town's factory closes down, leading to significant enrollment and salary cuts for him and his wife, who also works at the school (Shari Rigby). The principal then asks him to lead the cross-country team—a squad consisting of just one girl with asthma (Aryn Wright-Thompson) living with her grandmother. “Overcomer” (2019) is a Christian drama from the creators of “War Room” (2015), a film that unexpectedly became a huge success and considered very inspirational, especially given its small budget of only $3 million. This new movie had a slightly larger budget of $5 million, but it doesn’t have quite the same impact. Still, it's a worthwhile drama with some meaningful Christian messages that feel grounded in reality. I connected with several of these themes, like questioning your life choices and dealing with the consequences of having a father who isn’t around much. Other important ideas are also explored well: how vital a strong marriage is to a stable family; it's possible to change at any point in life; the importance of asking for forgiveness and offering it; and the ease with which people can put on an act of faith, essentially being hypocritical. People who genuinely try to live according to their beliefs will find these elements familiar. Others might dismiss them as insincere—they’re completely mistaken. The performances from some of the minor characters aren't quite up to Hollywood standards, but that’s common for smaller independent films. The main actors do a good job though. Cameron Arnett is particularly impressive in his role as a blind hospital patient and running mentor. Was the coach’s meeting with him just a convenient coincidence or something arranged by a higher power? The film has a runtime of 1 hour, 59 minutes and was filmed in Columbus & Albany, Georgia, including some shots of Nashville. GRADE: B

Source on TMDB