HOMETOWN LEGEND

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Because of: thematic elements

Rated:

I'm not a big fan of football and I don't much care for teen films, but whenever a Christian release comes out I like to give it support. Extreme Days was too catty and silly for my taste, and A Walk to Remember doesn't have as much of an overall God-sense to it. Hometown Legend, on the other hand, does... and it's actually a good film. If you liked Remember the Titans, you'll probably enjoy this one.

The small town of Athens has never been the same since the death of the football coach's son in that final game of the season twelve years before. Rachel was just barely old enough to remember, but she marks that as the downslide of the town. Praying to God that if "You'll do Your part, I'll do mine," she feels certain that Athens is about to awaken. Coach Schuler has returned from retirement to coach the final season, and from all across the state of Alabama come would-be jocks seeking to snatch up the scholarship. For some of them, including Elvis Jackson, it's their last chance to get into college. Plans to close the school down at the end of the season spur on Rachel and her friends to start a rescue mission to raise support for Athens High. But most of the team don't care one way or another. Schuler is up to his whistle in selfish, spoiled teammates each seeking their own advantage. They fail to work together as a team. 

Even Rachel, as Elvis' prayer warrior, is unable to break through the cold wall of determination that keeps him on-edge with fellow players. Football is no longer a game. It's a brutal power struggle in which rivalries run rampant. They're no closer to winning a game than catching a cheetah on foot. Each character goes through a struggle all their own... but can Rachel help Elvis see that there is more to life than winning... and that yes, God is in control, whatever the outcome? In this, Hometown Legend is a great film. It's full of memorable characters, enjoyable humor (some of it almost satire) and great values.

It's nice to see Christian teens portrayed as "normal" people... wearing jeans and laughing over pizza rather than walking around with a somber expression. I also appreciated the fact that the author, didn't give us a pretty party favor ending. Real life doesn't always work out the way we thought it might, yet the film manages to close on a good note. For a football film, it's a good movie and a vast improvement over a lot of Christian films, which are B-class movies. It's not quite as meaningful or powerful as Joshua, which I would give Best Film of the Year without hesitation, but teens will love this one. The film contains some very mild language (mostly slang and non-profanity) and football violence, which includes guys being thrown around, flipped, tossed into fences, and a few fistfights. A boy's neck is broken early-on with a crunch. Some of the coach's "pep talks" are pretty brutal (but well deserved). Rachel sometimes wears form-fitting outfits. Certain scenes are compelling and powerful, and it's cheering to have a film open and close in prayer. It would be a great movie to show to your non-Christian friends. 

Hometown Legend lives up to its name.