‘Courageous’ opening
By Brent Adams | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
“Courageous,” a film that examines the lives of four police officers, and stresses how important it is for men to embrace the role of father and spiritual head of
household, will open in theaters Friday, Sept. 30.
One of the film’s supporting actors, Tony Stallings, feels like a proud papa.
It was the first feature film for the Southeast member, who plays T.J., a thug who has a run-in with the law. Stallings said that watching the anticipation for the film build worldwide since filming wrapped up in June 2010 has been like waiting for a baby to be born.
“You’re excited when you first find out you’re having a baby, then as you see your wife’s stomach get bigger, that excitement grows. This has been a lot like that.”
Since filming ended, there have been various screenings with clergy members and others, including law enforcement officials—the main characters of the
story are police officers—and there has been a major push by the film’s producers to introduce supporting materials, such as a book, a Bible study and
clothing with the “Courageous” logo and movie message.
“I think the pre-screenings made it real,” Stallings said. “I sat through five of them and it was interesting to watch the reaction of the crowds.”
He added that in each of the screenings, people generally laughed where the movie’s writers intended them to laugh, cried where they intended them to cry and
got angry where they intended them to get angry.
“It’s a rollercoaster ride,” Stallings said. “They did a great job of telling four separate stories and tying them all together to come up with one resolution. It was
really clever.”
He gives that credit to “Courageous” producer and co-writer Stephen Kendrick and director and co-writer Alex Kendrick, the masterminds behind Sherwood
Pictures. It is the Albany, Ga., film production company responsible for Christian films “Flywheel,” “Facing the Giants” and “Fireproof.”
Sherwood Pictures is a ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, and most of the cast members aren’t Hollywood actors, but members of the church.
“It was so much more than just filming a movie,” Stallings said. “We studied our Bibles every morning and prayed. We were ministered to about fatherhood.”
It’s an issue Stallings is passionate about.
“There are a lot of dads out there who are doing the bare minimum,” Stallings said. “But being a dad is so much more than feeding your kids, paying the bills
and maybe going to a few of their games. God calls us to go above and beyond that. He wants us to be the spiritual leaders of our families and to really be
there for our kids. Being a part of this movie really made me take a look at my role as a father, and I hope that’s what all men will take away from this.”