Thursday, January 17, 2013

The movie "Abel's Field"...and a giveaway winner announced!

**Stacy Ruska...you are the winner!!  Thanks for your comment!**

Not too long ago, I signed up to do some reviews for family-friendly products.  When I saw that there was a chance to review Abel's Field, a family-friendly inspirational movie, I jumped on it!  I was not disappointed!  To give you an idea of what the movie is about, here is the trailer:



Abel's Field is the story of Seth, a high school student who carries the weight of caring for his young twin sisters and providing for them on his own.  His father has abandoned them, and he has no other family or close friends to help him.  Not only does he attend high school during the day, but works two jobs in his spare time.  If that weren't enough, several members of the football team have singled out Seth and continually taunt him and pick fights.  The football coach doesn't want his team to take the blame, so Seth is put to work with Abel, the new janitor/grounds keeper.  Abel is a man who quietly does his work and seems to have secrets he's not ready to share with anyone.  Abel and Seth form a friendship that helps them through a difficult time in both of their lives.

Abel's Field is a PG rated movie. Here is a brief breakdown of some of the elements in the film.
Spiritual: Several times in the movie the pastor of the church Seth attends tries to reach out and help him.  Seth and Abel have more than one spiritual conversation.  Seth looks to Abel to affirm that God and Jesus are real.  Abel is somewhat of a mentor to Seth, but there are many times that Seth helps Abel.

Alcohol: We see Abel go to a bar several times, but never drink alcohol.  We do, however, see other characters in the story drinking and it isn't really discouraged.  When Seth thinks that Abel is obviously a drinker, Abel doesn't promote drinking in any way.

Language/sexuality: There is no bad language whatsoever in the movie.  There are a few incidents with Abel as he goes into a convenience store in which the clerk flirts with him and at times in a suggestive way. 

Violence: Seth gets into more than one fight with the football players at school.  (slight spoiler) Abel loses his temper with Seth and begins to choke him.  One of the football players almost hits Seth and his sisters with his car and Seth grabs an apple and throws it at the truck, shattering the mirror.

Overall, I really enjoyed this film.  This story deals with a lot of intense issues: abandonment, persecution, death, and more.  So it's not one of those happy-go-lucky movies, but it's definitely one that makes you feel for the situation of the characters.  It's about turning to God in the midst of a struggle and exposing yourself to Him.  It's not all hum-drum, though.  There are bits of humor in the story that aren't forced and I definitely smiled and laughed more than once.  One thing I really liked about this movie is that the actors were realistic.  I was thinking to myself, "I wonder if there's someone who's dealing with these same issues in my own town...and how could I help?" Their moments of sadness, torment, joy, and just being a kid in high school were very believeable...and in some movies like this those emotions seem forced.  I wouldn't necessarily recommend this for small children, but teenagers and adults would get a lot out of this movie.  Watching the "behind the scenes" part of the dvd also made me understand and appreciate the film even more. 

**SO....not only did I get to review the movie, but I also get to give away a FREE COPY!!  If you would like a chance to win your own dvd of Abel's Field, just comment on this blog post (not on facebook).  Be sure to leave a way that I can contact you if you're the winner (email address is probably a good way).  Here's an example of what I'm looking for:
Hey Stacey...I'd love a copy of the movie.  It sounds great!  Sally (sally(at)yahoo(dot)com). 
We'll draw names from those who comment on Saturday.  I love giveaways!**

Can't wait to see your comments.  You can be more creative than I was in my example ; ).
God bless,
Stacey

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Stacey, do you know if this movie is on Netflix? I do so enjoy your blog.

The Great Adventure said...

Hi...I'm glad you read the blog...and enjoy it! : ) The movie will not be released until the 22nd of this month, I think. So it may be a little while before it's on Netflix.

Anonymous said...

Oooo, Stacey! This movie looks inspiring! I would love to see it-and own a copy! I'm sure that my husband could use it in his ministry to some soldiers as well. Many soldiers deal with abandonment, death, alcohol problems and anger issues. It may help point some of them to the Lord. Thanks for recommending it! :-)

Love,
Stacy Ruska
stacyruska@yahoo.com

The Great Adventure said...

Thanks for commenting, Stacy! I think this is the kind of movie you could enjoy even more over time. There were things that were pointed out in the bonus features that really made me think about the movie even more and the message it was presenting. I think your husband could definitely use it in his ministry. I'll let you know the outcome of the drawing tomorrow evening! ~Stacey