Every major character in the film has something to overcome—the father: his disappearing basketball team, the mother: her desire to change her husband, the young girl: the loss of her father years ago, the girl’s grandmother: her bitterness and the sick man in the hospital: his past. (So not to contain spoilers, I’ve not included the details.)
The story gradually unfolds, and then hits hard, as life often does. The film portrays how each character initially reacts in trying to fix their own problems and addresses that issue realistically. Once they realize they can’t change themselves, they turn to God in prayer. Not just rote or banal, the prayers are heartfelt and touching.
It was applaudable to see dynamic prayer that appealed to God in their moment of need on the big screen. Like life, it often takes a crisis for us to turn to God in prayer, and He listens to the cry of our heart when we are in earnest. We are encouraged in the Word of God to be fervent in prayer and Overcomer demonstrates that.
While much of the plot is inspirational, I thought the film's tracking of the young girl’s life from an awkward, shy and troubled teenager to a confident follower of Christ, the most powerful. Yet, it was also very inspiring how each one of the major characters’ lives are transformed by God. And the music is great too. In the final moments, the film ends with the popular hit song, You’re an Overcomer, which makes you want to stand up and sing along.
While the movie presents godly solutions to our problems, I think anyone facing a crisis can benefit from watching it. The film shows us that God isn’t a genie, answering our every wish, but that He hears us and works His will, if we let Him. It may surprise us at first, but in the long run, it’s for the best. We may not know Him, but we can and the film shows us how and what to do when we don’t know. We can trust God and let Him perform His transforming work in our lives. All of us can learn how to be an Overcomer.
The Word of God points to this truth and encourages us. “With God we will gain the victory, and He will trample down our enemies” (Psalm 108:33). While the psalmist David referred to literal enemies, we can easily substitute our enemies—pride, anger, jealousy, bitterness, selfishness, depression, anxiety and so on. So why not take your family to the movies and let God inspire you to overcome whatever it is that blocks you from knowing Him and tackling the problems of your life. You too can be an Overcomer!
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