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Megan Cottam reviews this inspiring account of a man overcoming his obstacles to follow Christ with steadfast hope and confidence.


More than a moment  

Warning: It takes approximately 6.25 minutes to have your first ugly-mom cry as you watch this movie. It won’t be your last. 

When I sat down to watch Average Joe I was expecting to watch a movie with a decent amount of football scenes, court trials, and fighting of angry crowds for the right to pray in public. I had followed the Supreme Court case Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, the hearing where high school football coach Joe Kennedy was fired for praying on the 50-yard line after each game in a battle over the limits of public prayer. I had read the news and felt well educated on what took place in recent years.  

Instead, I discovered a biographical and inspiring account of a man overcoming his obstacles to follow Christ with steadfast hope and confidence in the face of secular discrimination. 

 

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From the first scene of this film, you are gripped with the emotional upbringing of Joe Kennedy, a troubled foster-care child struggling to find his identity. Using soliloquy effectively, Joe and his wife Amy retell his childhood days with humor, honesty, and genuine emotion, creating multiple layers of empathy for his character. It is not until nearly halfway through the film that the famous Supreme Court hearing comes into view. By laying this groundwork, Average Joe creates an intimate atmosphere for sharing the larger picture of Christian discipleship, interweaving the sacrifices and fruits that coincide with this journey. 

 

Honest view of Christian marriage 

Director Harold Cronk centers the dialogue of Joe and Amy in their living room looking back on their life experience, which also creates an important talking piece about the struggles within their marriage, and the stress that various life events put on it. Joe and Amy share frustration and doubt with one another, own their sins, and battle through some difficult points in their relationship which are healed through their faith.

At one point, Joe must choose what he believes to be God’s will for his life over Amy’s own desires to protect her hard-earned career in a scene which is raw, relatable, and inspires the Christian spouse to more. Nothing is glossed over, and both characters are able to share with humility how they worked through these rough patches in their marriage towards reconciliation. 

 

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Standing up for faith 

Average Joe goes beyond the triumph of one stand-alone court case to show the importance of remaining convicted in Christ, no matter the reaction. In the public sphere, in marriage, in work, and in life, Christ must remain the center of our discernment. Our posture is one of surrender. It is the consistency with which Joe Kennedy lives his life that is compelling and allows for his courage to stand up for faith when his adversaries challenge him.  

This film would make an excellent family movie night for parents with middle- and high-school youth. The movie will foster conversations about freedom of speech and religion, and owning our Christian identities despite pushback and negativity in the secular public sphere. Themes of conversion, forgiveness, civility in disagreement, relationship-building, and surrender to Christ all stand to influence your youth in positive ways as they navigate the modern world. 

 

AverageJoe movie poster

 

Grab your popcorn and prepare your hearts for an emotional and inspirational account of a Christian fulfilling his vocation. You won’t be disappointed!  

Average Joe is in theaters beginning Friday, October 11, 2024. Tickets are available online.

 

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Copyright 2024 Megan Cottam
Images: courtesy of Fathom Events, all rights reserved.