Courageous (film)
Encyclopedia
Courageous is an independent
Christian
drama film
produced by Sherwood Pictures
and was released to theaters on September 30, 2011. It is the fourth film by Sherwood Pictures, the creators of Flywheel
, Facing the Giants
, and Fireproof
. Filming in Albany, Georgia
concluded in June 2010. The film was marketed by Provident Films, which also marketed their previous films.
The film was directed by Alex Kendrick
, who co-wrote its screenplay with his brother Stephen Kendrick
. Kendrick also stars in the film, along with Ken Bevel
, Kevin Downes
, and former running-back Tony Stallings. About half of the cast and crew were volunteers from Sherwood Baptist Church
, while the remainder were brought on through invitation-only auditions.
The film was produced with a budget of $2 million, but on its opening weekend it grossed $2 million in pre-sales alone and grossed $9.1 million total for the weekend. The film opened to mixed reviews from critics, but a rare A+ CinemaScore
rating from filmgoers.
, attempts to stop drug smuggling in the city, the sheriff urges his deputies to spend time with their families based on statistics that fatherless children are several times more likely than those with fathers to turn to lives of crime. Among his deputies are Adam Mitchell (Alex Kendrick
), Nathan Hayes (Ken Bevel
), Shane Fuller (Kevin Downes
), and rookie David Thomson (Ben Davies). Mitchell adores his young daughter but is distanced from his teenage son. Hayes never knew his biological father but would risk his life to save his children; however, his teenage daughter resents him for the strict rules he has set for her dating life. Fuller is divorced, as were his parents before him, and must share joint custody of his son. The group also befriends Javier Martinez (Robert Amaya), an immigrant struggling to provide for his family, and Mitchell arranges a job for him.
One day, Mitchell's daughter is killed by a drunk driver, devastating Mitchell and his family. After extensive research into the Bible
over the next six weeks, Mitchell creates an elaborate "Resolution" to honor God in every aspect of his family; Mitchell, Hayes, Fuller, Thomson, and Martinez take the vow in a formal ceremony by Hayes's adoptive father. Mitchell rebuilds a relationship with his son and attains catharsis
by slowly dancing at a site where he had previously refused to dance with his daughter. Hayes mends his relationship with his daughter and presents her with a purity ring
that she is to wear until marriage; he also visits the grave of his biological father. Fuller improves his relationship with his son. Thomson, who is revealed to have fathered a child in college and deserted the child after the mother's refusal to have an abortion, contacts the mother and asks to have a relationship with his daughter. Meanwhile, Martinez's employer offers him a promotion on the condition that he reports false information regarding incoming crates. After Martinez refuses to be dishonest, his boss reveals that the request was a test of Martinez's integrity. Martinez is promoted and his financial problems are resolved.
Mitchell and Hayes discover that Fuller has been stealing drugs from the evidence room at the police station to sell on the street. Mitchell is forced to report the corruption, leading to Fuller's arrest and separating Fuller from his son. Mitchell later visits Fuller in jail, where Fuller takes responsibility for his actions and begs Mitchell to act as a father figure to his son.
Hayes and Thomson unknowingly confront the leader of the drug ring they have been eradicating, resulting in a gun battle. As the gang attempts to take a young girl hostage, Mitchell and other policemen arrive as additional support. As the girl's father rescues her, Mitchell, Hayes, and Thomson subdue the gang members. One of the gang members is Derrick (David Howze), a teenager Hayes had earlier prohibited from dating his daughter; Derrick attributes his decisions to his lack of a family.
At a Father's Day
church service, the men present the resolution and Mitchell urges the fathers in the congregation to influence their families for God. Mitchell is shown running in a 5K
race with his son and Fuller's son. Hayes is shown reading the Bible with an imprisoned Derrick. Thomson is shown meeting his daughter for the first time. The film ends with a portion of Joshua 24:15: "...[C]hoose you this day whom you will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
, Jim McBride and Stephen Kendrick
. Sherwood Pictures stated that "After much prayer, creative brainstorming, more prayer, wise counsel, and still more prayer, Sherwood Pictures is ready to move ahead with their fourth motion picture." Before the announcement, the filmmakers launched TheNextSherwoodMovie.com, which contained teasers for Courageous. At the time the announcement, the Kendrick brothers stated that they had completed "about 80 percent of the plot", and they had planned to finish the script by the end of 2009.
, with Kirk Cameron
being the notable exception with his lead role in Fireproof. For Courageous, however, the producers expanded their search for acting talent
. Roughly half of the cast are volunteers from the church, but the other half were through invitation-only audition sessions. The lead roles in the film are played by Alex Kendrick
and Ken Bevel
, both of whom have appeared in past Sherwood Pictures productions. Kevin Downes
, who has appeared in various other films, will play the role of Shane Fuller. Ben Davies, a student athlete at the University of Georgia
, will play the role of David Thomson. Tony Stallings, former running back
and winner of Animal Planet
's King of the Jungle reality show, is making his film debut.
However, the actors are still volunteers. The film would have likely cost several times more if it had used professional assistance. Director Alex Kendrick said, "With volunteers no one is watching the clock and we're all in it together."
and Dougherty County, Georgia
area. Some scenes were shot in the Dougherty County Jail. More than 170 media outlets, such as Inside Edition
, visited the set. The Duggar family from TLC
's 19 Kids and Counting were extras during a father-son 5K race
. Jim Bob Duggar
and seven of his ten sons joined hundreds of other fathers and sons in filming the scene. Their involvement in the film was shown on 19 Kids and Counting in "Duggars go Hollywood". The Duggar daughters acted as extras in a funeral scene at Sherwood Baptist Church
that involved several police officers in uniform.
In order to enhance the quality of the film, the production crew is using a new camera technology, "Red One", by the Red Digital Cinema Camera Company. Kendrick estimated the production budget would exceed $1 million — double that of Fireproof. The final budget has been reported at $2 million.
rated the film PG-13 for "some violence and drug content". That rating was surrendered a few days later, but was later reinstated. Courageous is the first film by Sherwood Pictures to receive a PG-13 rating.
band Casting Crowns
released a song titled "Courageous" to promote the film with a video featuring scenes from it.
Tony Dungy
, a Super Bowl
-winning football coach, mentioned the film in an article he wrote about fatherhood for USA Today
. He said, "As men, we could all take a lesson from [the fathers in Courageous] and ask ourselves, 'What can I do today to be a more involved dad?'"
, beating out The Lion King 3D
, Moneyball
, Dolphin Tale and Drive
.
After its opening weekend, Entertainment Weekly
wrote, "...Courageous is the real success story of the weekend...Courageous earned a strong $8.8 million, outdoing the $6.8 million opening of Sherwood’s 2008 picture Fireproof
, which became the highest-grossing independent film that year with $33.5 million total. Shown in 1,161 theaters (yet, notably, just one theater in Manhattan
), Courageous earned the best per theater average of any wide release with a robust $7,580." Courageous beat out all three Hollywood movies which opened on the same weekend: 50/50, What's Your Number?
, and Dream House
, which were produced with budgets of $8 million, $20 million, and $50 million, respectively. According to Box Office Mojo
, its opening weekend ranks fifth all-time among Christian movies, behind The Passion of the Christ
and the three Chronicles of Narnia
films.
As of November 9, 2011, the film has grossed $30,366,661, over 15 times its budget.
After the Kendrick brothers' previous films went either the direct-to-DVD route or a television premiere, the movie will start a international theatrical rollout beginning November 10 in Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand. The movie debuted at #18 in Argentina, #16 in Australia and #21 in New Zealand, with weekend opening grosses of $19,536, $107,781, and $10,529 respectively. The movie will expand to Mexico on November 25 and even more countries in 2012.
. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes
reports that 37% of 17 critics have given the film a positive review, with a rating average of 5 out of 10.
Roger Moore of the Orlando Sentinel
, gave the film a mediocre review, saying "the film travels far beyond its dramatic climax, aiming for an altar call finale." Kam Williams of NewsBlaze gave the film four stars, saying the film was a "moving, modern parable not to be missed by anyone who's always wondering why they don't make wholesome movies with uplifting messages anymore." Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter
said Courageous demonstrated the Kendrick brothers' "growing expertise as filmmakers with its skillful blending of moving drama, subtle comedy and several impressive action sequences, including a well-staged foot chase and a harrowing shootout between the cops and bad guys." Hannah Goodwyn of the Christian Broadcasting Network
rated Courageous 3 out of 5, saying "Courageous biblical message is clear and good. Unfortunately, its delivery is weakened by some rookie acting and excessive dialogue." Adam R. Holz of Focus on the Family
Plugged In Online said Courageous has "A compelling story line with plenty of action and just the right amount of humor. The Film underscores the importance of fatherhood...plus I like how it creatively weaves in the Gospel. I am happily giving Courageous 4.5 shiny badges out of 5 for family friendliness."
and Blu-ray on January 17, 2012.
, "Rite of Passage" by Jim McBride, and a film novelization by Randy Alcorn
were also released.
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
produced by Sherwood Pictures
Sherwood Pictures
Sherwood Pictures is an American Christian film production company in Albany, Georgia, United States. It is unusual among production companies in that it is a ministry of a local church, Sherwood Baptist Church. The company uses mostly volunteers in their productions...
and was released to theaters on September 30, 2011. It is the fourth film by Sherwood Pictures, the creators of Flywheel
Flywheel (film)
Flywheel is an American Christian drama film about a car salesman who intentionally overcharges his customers until reaching a turning point in his life where he decides to end his shady business practices and become a Christian. Alex Kendrick both directed the film and starred in the lead role,...
, Facing the Giants
Facing the Giants
- Official listing :# Come Together - Third Day# Voice of Truth - Casting Crowns# Facing the Giants Theme - Mark Willard# I'm Finding You - Bebo Norman# The Deathcrawl - Mark Willard# Completely - Ana Laura...
, and Fireproof
Fireproof (film)
Fireproof is a 2008 American Christian drama film released by Samuel Goldwyn Films and Affirm Films , directed by Alex Kendrick, who co-wrote and co-produced it with Stephen Kendrick...
. Filming in Albany, Georgia
Albany, Georgia
Albany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area and the southwest part of the state. The population was 77,434 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the...
concluded in June 2010. The film was marketed by Provident Films, which also marketed their previous films.
The film was directed by Alex Kendrick
Alex Kendrick
Alex Kendrick is an associate pastor at Sherwood Baptist Church, in Albany, Georgia. He has been in Albany since 1999. He oversees the movie outreach for the church, which includes Sherwood Pictures, the movie-creating entity that produced Flywheel , Facing the Giants , Fireproof , and Courageous ....
, who co-wrote its screenplay with his brother Stephen Kendrick
Stephen Kendrick
Stephen Kendrick is an American film writer and producer, co-writer of the book The Love Dare with brother Alex Kendrick, and senior associate pastor at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia.- Filmography :- External links :* *...
. Kendrick also stars in the film, along with Ken Bevel
Ken Bevel
Ken Bevel is a former American Marine Corps officer, pastor and actor who co-starred in the 2008 film Fireproof and the 2011 film Courageous. Like many actors in the films, his work was performed on a voluntary basis. In Fireproof, Bevel portrayed firefighter Michael Simmons, and portrays police...
, Kevin Downes
Kevin Downes
Kevin Downes is an American actor, writer, producer and director. Downes grew up in Visalia, 3 hours north of Los Angeles. Most of the Christian films he participated in were shot there....
, and former running-back Tony Stallings. About half of the cast and crew were volunteers from Sherwood Baptist Church
Sherwood Baptist Church
Sherwood Baptist Church is a Baptist megachurch in Whispering Pines, a subdivision of Albany, Georgia, with over 2,000 attendants, however this number places it among the smallest of referenced "megachurches".- History :...
, while the remainder were brought on through invitation-only auditions.
The film was produced with a budget of $2 million, but on its opening weekend it grossed $2 million in pre-sales alone and grossed $9.1 million total for the weekend. The film opened to mixed reviews from critics, but a rare A+ CinemaScore
CinemaScore
CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data.-Background:...
rating from filmgoers.
Plot
As the police force of Albany, GeorgiaAlbany, Georgia
Albany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area and the southwest part of the state. The population was 77,434 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the...
, attempts to stop drug smuggling in the city, the sheriff urges his deputies to spend time with their families based on statistics that fatherless children are several times more likely than those with fathers to turn to lives of crime. Among his deputies are Adam Mitchell (Alex Kendrick
Alex Kendrick
Alex Kendrick is an associate pastor at Sherwood Baptist Church, in Albany, Georgia. He has been in Albany since 1999. He oversees the movie outreach for the church, which includes Sherwood Pictures, the movie-creating entity that produced Flywheel , Facing the Giants , Fireproof , and Courageous ....
), Nathan Hayes (Ken Bevel
Ken Bevel
Ken Bevel is a former American Marine Corps officer, pastor and actor who co-starred in the 2008 film Fireproof and the 2011 film Courageous. Like many actors in the films, his work was performed on a voluntary basis. In Fireproof, Bevel portrayed firefighter Michael Simmons, and portrays police...
), Shane Fuller (Kevin Downes
Kevin Downes
Kevin Downes is an American actor, writer, producer and director. Downes grew up in Visalia, 3 hours north of Los Angeles. Most of the Christian films he participated in were shot there....
), and rookie David Thomson (Ben Davies). Mitchell adores his young daughter but is distanced from his teenage son. Hayes never knew his biological father but would risk his life to save his children; however, his teenage daughter resents him for the strict rules he has set for her dating life. Fuller is divorced, as were his parents before him, and must share joint custody of his son. The group also befriends Javier Martinez (Robert Amaya), an immigrant struggling to provide for his family, and Mitchell arranges a job for him.
One day, Mitchell's daughter is killed by a drunk driver, devastating Mitchell and his family. After extensive research into the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
over the next six weeks, Mitchell creates an elaborate "Resolution" to honor God in every aspect of his family; Mitchell, Hayes, Fuller, Thomson, and Martinez take the vow in a formal ceremony by Hayes's adoptive father. Mitchell rebuilds a relationship with his son and attains catharsis
Catharsis
Catharsis or katharsis is a Greek word meaning "cleansing" or "purging". It is derived from the verb καθαίρειν, kathairein, "to purify, purge," and it is related to the adjective καθαρός, katharos, "pure or clean."-Dramatic uses:...
by slowly dancing at a site where he had previously refused to dance with his daughter. Hayes mends his relationship with his daughter and presents her with a purity ring
Purity ring
Purity rings are worn as a sign of chastity. The practice originated in the United States in the 1990s among Christian-affiliated sexual abstinence groups....
that she is to wear until marriage; he also visits the grave of his biological father. Fuller improves his relationship with his son. Thomson, who is revealed to have fathered a child in college and deserted the child after the mother's refusal to have an abortion, contacts the mother and asks to have a relationship with his daughter. Meanwhile, Martinez's employer offers him a promotion on the condition that he reports false information regarding incoming crates. After Martinez refuses to be dishonest, his boss reveals that the request was a test of Martinez's integrity. Martinez is promoted and his financial problems are resolved.
Mitchell and Hayes discover that Fuller has been stealing drugs from the evidence room at the police station to sell on the street. Mitchell is forced to report the corruption, leading to Fuller's arrest and separating Fuller from his son. Mitchell later visits Fuller in jail, where Fuller takes responsibility for his actions and begs Mitchell to act as a father figure to his son.
Hayes and Thomson unknowingly confront the leader of the drug ring they have been eradicating, resulting in a gun battle. As the gang attempts to take a young girl hostage, Mitchell and other policemen arrive as additional support. As the girl's father rescues her, Mitchell, Hayes, and Thomson subdue the gang members. One of the gang members is Derrick (David Howze), a teenager Hayes had earlier prohibited from dating his daughter; Derrick attributes his decisions to his lack of a family.
At a Father's Day
Father's Day
Father's Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June but it is also celebrated widely on other days...
church service, the men present the resolution and Mitchell urges the fathers in the congregation to influence their families for God. Mitchell is shown running in a 5K
5000 metres
The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...
race with his son and Fuller's son. Hayes is shown reading the Bible with an imprisoned Derrick. Thomson is shown meeting his daughter for the first time. The film ends with a portion of Joshua 24:15: "...[C]hoose you this day whom you will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
Cast
- Alex KendrickAlex KendrickAlex Kendrick is an associate pastor at Sherwood Baptist Church, in Albany, Georgia. He has been in Albany since 1999. He oversees the movie outreach for the church, which includes Sherwood Pictures, the movie-creating entity that produced Flywheel , Facing the Giants , Fireproof , and Courageous ....
as Adam Mitchell - Ken BevelKen BevelKen Bevel is a former American Marine Corps officer, pastor and actor who co-starred in the 2008 film Fireproof and the 2011 film Courageous. Like many actors in the films, his work was performed on a voluntary basis. In Fireproof, Bevel portrayed firefighter Michael Simmons, and portrays police...
as Nathan Hayes - Kevin DownesKevin DownesKevin Downes is an American actor, writer, producer and director. Downes grew up in Visalia, 3 hours north of Los Angeles. Most of the Christian films he participated in were shot there....
as Shane Fuller - Ben Davies as David Thomson
- Renee Jewell as Victoria Mitchell
- Elanor Brown as Kayla Hayes
- Robert Amaya as Javier Martinez
- Angelita Nelson as Carmen Martinez
- David Howze as Derrick
- Tony 'T.C.' Stallings as T.J.
- Ed Litton as Pastor Rogers
Announcement
The title and plot of Courageous were announced on November 15, 2009 by Alex Kendrick, Michael CattMichael Catt
Michael Catt is a producer, author and Senior Pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church since 1989. He was an executive producer for the 2008 film, Fireproof. He is an author and has written several books and booklets...
, Jim McBride and Stephen Kendrick
Stephen Kendrick
Stephen Kendrick is an American film writer and producer, co-writer of the book The Love Dare with brother Alex Kendrick, and senior associate pastor at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia.- Filmography :- External links :* *...
. Sherwood Pictures stated that "After much prayer, creative brainstorming, more prayer, wise counsel, and still more prayer, Sherwood Pictures is ready to move ahead with their fourth motion picture." Before the announcement, the filmmakers launched TheNextSherwoodMovie.com, which contained teasers for Courageous. At the time the announcement, the Kendrick brothers stated that they had completed "about 80 percent of the plot", and they had planned to finish the script by the end of 2009.
Casting
In previous Sherwood Pictures films, almost all of the cast and crew were composed of members of Sherwood Baptist ChurchSherwood Baptist Church
Sherwood Baptist Church is a Baptist megachurch in Whispering Pines, a subdivision of Albany, Georgia, with over 2,000 attendants, however this number places it among the smallest of referenced "megachurches".- History :...
, with Kirk Cameron
Kirk Cameron
Kirk Thomas Cameron is an American actor best known for his role as Mike Seaver on the television situation comedy Growing Pains , as well as several other television and film appearances as a child actor...
being the notable exception with his lead role in Fireproof. For Courageous, however, the producers expanded their search for acting talent
Casting (performing arts)
In the performing arts, casting is a pre-production process for selecting a cast of actors, dancers, singers, models and other talent for a live or recorded performance.-Casting process:...
. Roughly half of the cast are volunteers from the church, but the other half were through invitation-only audition sessions. The lead roles in the film are played by Alex Kendrick
Alex Kendrick
Alex Kendrick is an associate pastor at Sherwood Baptist Church, in Albany, Georgia. He has been in Albany since 1999. He oversees the movie outreach for the church, which includes Sherwood Pictures, the movie-creating entity that produced Flywheel , Facing the Giants , Fireproof , and Courageous ....
and Ken Bevel
Ken Bevel
Ken Bevel is a former American Marine Corps officer, pastor and actor who co-starred in the 2008 film Fireproof and the 2011 film Courageous. Like many actors in the films, his work was performed on a voluntary basis. In Fireproof, Bevel portrayed firefighter Michael Simmons, and portrays police...
, both of whom have appeared in past Sherwood Pictures productions. Kevin Downes
Kevin Downes
Kevin Downes is an American actor, writer, producer and director. Downes grew up in Visalia, 3 hours north of Los Angeles. Most of the Christian films he participated in were shot there....
, who has appeared in various other films, will play the role of Shane Fuller. Ben Davies, a student athlete at the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
, will play the role of David Thomson. Tony Stallings, former running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
and winner of Animal Planet
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
's King of the Jungle reality show, is making his film debut.
However, the actors are still volunteers. The film would have likely cost several times more if it had used professional assistance. Director Alex Kendrick said, "With volunteers no one is watching the clock and we're all in it together."
Filming
Filming of Courageous began on April 26, 2010 and concluded on June 25, 2010. The majority of the film was shot in AlbanyAlbany, Georgia
Albany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area and the southwest part of the state. The population was 77,434 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the...
and Dougherty County, Georgia
Dougherty County, Georgia
Dougherty County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 96,065. The 2009 Census Estimate shows a population of 95,859. It is included in the Albany, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area...
area. Some scenes were shot in the Dougherty County Jail. More than 170 media outlets, such as Inside Edition
Inside Edition
Inside Edition is a thirty-minute American television syndicated news program, first aired on CBS on October 9, 1988. It was originally similar to the programs Hard Copy and A Current Affair, but now more closely resembles a condensed version of breakfast television, exclusively with pre-recorded...
, visited the set. The Duggar family from TLC
TLC (TV channel)
TLC is an American cable TV specialty channel which initially focused on educational content. Since 1991 TLC has been owned by Discovery Communications, the same company that operates the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel, as well as other learning-themed networks...
's 19 Kids and Counting were extras during a father-son 5K race
Road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...
. Jim Bob Duggar
Jim Bob Duggar
James Robert "Jim Bob" Duggar is an American former state legislator, who served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1999 to 2002. He also ran in the Republican Party of Arkansas primary election for the United States Senate in 2002, but lost to Tim Hutchinson...
and seven of his ten sons joined hundreds of other fathers and sons in filming the scene. Their involvement in the film was shown on 19 Kids and Counting in "Duggars go Hollywood". The Duggar daughters acted as extras in a funeral scene at Sherwood Baptist Church
Sherwood Baptist Church
Sherwood Baptist Church is a Baptist megachurch in Whispering Pines, a subdivision of Albany, Georgia, with over 2,000 attendants, however this number places it among the smallest of referenced "megachurches".- History :...
that involved several police officers in uniform.
In order to enhance the quality of the film, the production crew is using a new camera technology, "Red One", by the Red Digital Cinema Camera Company. Kendrick estimated the production budget would exceed $1 million — double that of Fireproof. The final budget has been reported at $2 million.
Rating
In December 2010, the Motion Picture Association of AmericaMotion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
rated the film PG-13 for "some violence and drug content". That rating was surrendered a few days later, but was later reinstated. Courageous is the first film by Sherwood Pictures to receive a PG-13 rating.
Promotion
The contemporary ChristianContemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
band Casting Crowns
Casting Crowns
Casting Crowns is a Grammy Award and Dove Award winning Contemporary Christian/Christian Rock band. Casting Crowns was started in 1999 by youth pastor Mark Hall at First Baptist Church in Downtown Daytona Beach, Florida as part of a youth group. He now serves as a lead vocalist...
released a song titled "Courageous" to promote the film with a video featuring scenes from it.
Tony Dungy
Tony Dungy
Anthony Kevin "Tony" Dungy [DUN-jee] is a former professional American football player and coach in the National Football League. Dungy was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001, and head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2002 to 2008...
, a Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
-winning football coach, mentioned the film in an article he wrote about fatherhood for USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
. He said, "As men, we could all take a lesson from [the fathers in Courageous] and ask ourselves, 'What can I do today to be a more involved dad?'"
Box office
Courageous was released on September 30, 2011 to 1,161 theaters, grossing $3.1 million on its opening day and debuting in fourth place with an actual gross of $9,063,147 for the opening weekend, the best opening of all new movies released that weekend. It sold over $2 million in pre-sale tickets, the most of the weekend on FandangoFandango
Fandango is a lively couple's dance, usually in triple metre, traditionally accompanied by guitars and castanets or hand-clapping . Fandango can both be sung and danced. Sung fandango is usually bipartite: it has an instrumental introduction followed by "variaciones"...
, beating out The Lion King 3D
The Lion King
The Lion King is a 1994 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 32nd feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...
, Moneyball
Moneyball (film)
Moneyball is a 2011 biographical sports drama film directed by Bennett Miller and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The film is based on Michael Lewis' 2003 book of the same name, an account of the Oakland Athletics baseball team's 2002 season and their general manager Billy Beane's attempts to...
, Dolphin Tale and Drive
Drive (2011 film)
Drive is a 2011 American crime neo-noir drama film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, starring Ryan Gosling as the principal character, with Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, and Albert Brooks...
.
After its opening weekend, Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
wrote, "...Courageous is the real success story of the weekend...Courageous earned a strong $8.8 million, outdoing the $6.8 million opening of Sherwood’s 2008 picture Fireproof
Fireproof (film)
Fireproof is a 2008 American Christian drama film released by Samuel Goldwyn Films and Affirm Films , directed by Alex Kendrick, who co-wrote and co-produced it with Stephen Kendrick...
, which became the highest-grossing independent film that year with $33.5 million total. Shown in 1,161 theaters (yet, notably, just one theater in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
), Courageous earned the best per theater average of any wide release with a robust $7,580." Courageous beat out all three Hollywood movies which opened on the same weekend: 50/50, What's Your Number?
What's Your Number?
What's Your Number? is a 2011 romantic comedy film starring Anna Faris and Chris Evans. It is based on Karyn Bosnak's book 20 Times a Lady. The film was released on , 2011.-Cast:* Anna Faris as Ally Darling* Chris Evans as Colin Shea...
, and Dream House
Dream House (film)
Dream House is a 2011 American thriller film directed by Jim Sheridan and starring Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, Naomi Watts, and Marton Csokas...
, which were produced with budgets of $8 million, $20 million, and $50 million, respectively. According to Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is a website that tracks box office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. Brandon Gray started the site in 1999. In 2002, Gray partnered with Sean Saulsbury and they grew the site to nearly two million readers when, in July 2008, the company was purchased by Amazon.com through...
, its opening weekend ranks fifth all-time among Christian movies, behind The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ is a 2004 American drama film directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...
and the three Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia (film series)
The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of English fantasy films from Walden Media that are based on The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of novels written by C. S. Lewis...
films.
As of November 9, 2011, the film has grossed $30,366,661, over 15 times its budget.
After the Kendrick brothers' previous films went either the direct-to-DVD route or a television premiere, the movie will start a international theatrical rollout beginning November 10 in Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand. The movie debuted at #18 in Argentina, #16 in Australia and #21 in New Zealand, with weekend opening grosses of $19,536, $107,781, and $10,529 respectively. The movie will expand to Mexico on November 25 and even more countries in 2012.
Reception
The film received mostly mixed reviews from critics, but has received a rare "A+" rating from moviegoers via CinemaScoreCinemaScore
CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data.-Background:...
. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reports that 37% of 17 critics have given the film a positive review, with a rating average of 5 out of 10.
Roger Moore of the Orlando Sentinel
Orlando Sentinel
The Orlando Sentinel is the primary newspaper of the Orlando, Florida region. It was founded in 1876. The Sentinel is owned by Tribune Company and is overseen by the Chicago Tribune. As of 2005, the Sentinel’s president and publisher was Kathleen Waltz; she announced her resignation in February 2008...
, gave the film a mediocre review, saying "the film travels far beyond its dramatic climax, aiming for an altar call finale." Kam Williams of NewsBlaze gave the film four stars, saying the film was a "moving, modern parable not to be missed by anyone who's always wondering why they don't make wholesome movies with uplifting messages anymore." Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
said Courageous demonstrated the Kendrick brothers' "growing expertise as filmmakers with its skillful blending of moving drama, subtle comedy and several impressive action sequences, including a well-staged foot chase and a harrowing shootout between the cops and bad guys." Hannah Goodwyn of the Christian Broadcasting Network
Christian Broadcasting Network
The Christian Broadcasting Network, or CBN, is a fundamentalist Christian television broadcasting network in the United States. Its headquarters and main studios are in Virginia Beach, Virginia.-Background:...
rated Courageous 3 out of 5, saying "Courageous biblical message is clear and good. Unfortunately, its delivery is weakened by some rookie acting and excessive dialogue." Adam R. Holz of Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family is an American evangelical Christian tax-exempt non-profit organization founded in 1977 by psychologist James Dobson, and is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Focus on the Family is one of a number of evangelical parachurch organizations that rose to prominence in the 1980s...
Plugged In Online said Courageous has "A compelling story line with plenty of action and just the right amount of humor. The Film underscores the importance of fatherhood...plus I like how it creatively weaves in the Gospel. I am happily giving Courageous 4.5 shiny badges out of 5 for family friendliness."
Home video release
The film is set to be released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-ray on January 17, 2012.
Related books
Two film tie-in books were written for Courageous; “The Resolution for Men” by Stephen and Alex Kendrick, and "The Resolution for Women" by Priscilla Shirer. "Courageous Living" by Michael CattMichael Catt
Michael Catt is a producer, author and Senior Pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church since 1989. He was an executive producer for the 2008 film, Fireproof. He is an author and has written several books and booklets...
, "Rite of Passage" by Jim McBride, and a film novelization by Randy Alcorn
Randy Alcorn
Randy Alcorn is an American Protestant author and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries, a non-profit Christian organization dedicated to teaching an eternal viewpoint and helping the needy of the world. He has written several novels, including Deadline, Dominion, and Deception. He received a...
were also released.