I can still remember when Kirk Cameron and Chelsea Noble (now Chelsea Cameron) fell in love on Growing Pains when their characters were dating. I was just a kid, but I breathlessly read all the details in Tiger Beat, Teen Beat, and every other magazine that covered it.
By now, you may have heard how Kirk gave his life to God and turned his back on mainstream Hollywood to work in faith-based films. And though many years have passed since the Mike Seaver days, Kirk somehow does not age and still has that same boyish charm and crooked grin
Mercy Rule is the latest offering from the Camerons' CamFam Studios (they have three more films in the works), and is available now on DVD. When I interviewed Kirk recently, he said that he and his wife (who have six kids!!!) have a hard time finding movies that they can all watch and enjoy together, and that that is the kind of movie they hoped to create with Mercy Rule. And they have succeeded; I think that kids will enjoy the sports aspect, and adults will be touched by the deeper story that is gong on. There is nothing too intense or mature in this film for little eyes and ears, which is good news!
Kirk plays John, whose family junkyard business is being targeted for a takeover by a shady lobbyist.
Meanwhile, John's young son Cody (Jared Miller) is facing his own problems with his baseball team as he waits for his big moment to shine as a pitcher. As both father and son see their dreams slipping away from them, they will need to decide if they will face their challenges on their own, or learn that they can rely on God, teammates, family, and friends to help pull them through.
As one reviewer (Pastor Rex Holt) said of the film, "Just as Fireproof restores marriages, Mercy Rule strengthens families!" And one way it does that is by including a booklet of family discussion questions and a study guide with the DVD. This is wonderful to have, as it lets you go a little deeper with your kids and spouse. It includes some great quotes from the movie ("Winning is not as important as fighting on the right side."), and covers things like building legacies, fighting envy, taking responsibility, and quitting whining (I need to take a second look at that last one!).
Kirk told me that he made the movie to help rescue families, and to remind himself about what is really important, because today it is so easy to get distracted and not put first things first. My favorite scene in the movie happens when Kirk and Chelsea (who plays John's wife, Maddie) are having a conversation about what "everything" truly means; when we say that we have lost or could lose everything, are we really just talking about material things? And how can we be freed from the despair of this? Mercy Rule will remind you that focusing on faith and family, and having courage and looking out for others are the important things in life, and when we make those our priorities we can believe that will bring a blessing.
Check out the official Mercy Rule website at http://mercyrulemovie.com/.
