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“God Bless the Broken Road,” tells the story of a young mother who loses her husband in Afghanistan and struggles to raise their young daughter in his absence. The film combines elements of faith, country music, and stock car racing while paying tribute to those who serve in the United States Military.
From the director of “God’s Not Dead,” comes a new Christian movie to cause tears and joy. Life has a way of testing even the most devoted follower and this movie attempts to offer a reason to keep faith even in the face of tragedy. The characters are easy to understand and empathize with, except for the mother-in-law Patti (Kim Delaney) who is harsh in an already painful situation. Beyond Patti, the only area that needed work was the rather predictable love story, which just did not fit into the plot.
Army Sergeant Hill dies in the war in Afghanistan leaving his wife Amber (Lindsay Pulsipher) to mourn him along with their nine-year-old daughter Bree (Mackenzie Moss). They are active members of their local church until Liam Hill passes away, causing Amber a loss of faith. She leaves the church as her life spirals out of her control. She has to find a job working at a local diner that barely pays her bills. As the bills pile up, Amber fears she will lose her house as the bank threatens foreclosure. Meanwhile, a stock car racer, Cody Jackson (Andrew W. Walker), moves into town to learn a few tricks from the local auto mechanic Joe Cartier (Gary Grubbs). We all know he is there to be a potential suitor for Amber who is not ready to move past the memory of her deceased husband.
This is where the movie disappoints but not too much. While Cody is nice to look at, his plot seems to drop in like a cold stone. He recognizes his interest in Amber but even when together, the potential couple has no chemistry. One scene shows Amber incapable of readying herself for a date with Cody and a few of her church friends show up to assist. The scene should have played out better. Us women who watch chick-flicks relish a makeover scene and expect a haircut, if not a trip to the beauty salon, which was something Amber certainly could not afford. Otherwise, the plot with Cody was just a way to fill up time as the two never become a couple and his main role is to help Bree build a go-cart.
Amber’s faith reaches an all-time low when she loses her house due to a lack of funds. The ramshackle house she is forced to move into worsens her already depressing mood. Again, another chance for a makeover and yet we never see more than the bucket and sponge until the tail end of the movie. Finally, Amber has a much-needed confrontation with God where she begs for understanding and peace. With the anger out of her heart, Amber makes strides to move on with the help of the town, Cody, and a stranger in a wheelchair.
The sweetest part of the story is Bree’s Sunday school plant – a mustard seed growing in the window of her bedroom. Faith, the size of a mustard seed, can move mountains and this movie hopes to move mountains in your heart and it will, but could have been better written with more cohesion. Bree is a sweet little girl with an endearing lisp but her role lacked the sass we expect from children in these movies. Although she did beat up a bully for her best friend, another side story not given enough screen time. “God Bless the Broken Road” is a decent movie but not up to par with “God’s Not Dead.” A better script would have done the movie a world of good. The one line of the movie that works is the main line, the grief and depression Amber feels at the loss of her husband is tangible. Her life as a widow recognizable, but the side stories took away the momentum.
Available on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital), DVD, Digital & On-Demand Dec. 4th
