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DVD Milltown Pride
 Rating: 6.5 Genres: Drama | Sport Director: Tim Rogers Writers: David Burke Stars: Thomas Sneed, Rebecca Kaser, Ben Ascher |
| Storyline There comes a time when every young man must sever the ties of home to seek his way in the world. For 17-year-old Will Wright, the point of departure comes with the crack of a bat as he makes the cut at Newton Mill. But it’s not going to be an easy road. During the late 1920s in South Carolina, “town folk” rarely set foot on “mill hill.” Young Will has no problem breaking with tradition but his traditionalist father, Ezekiel Wright, explicitly forbids it. Yet Will feels the call to play ball so deep that he leaves home against his father’s wishes and becomes the first “townie” ever to play for Newton. Golden dreams of a baseball career seem within his grasp-if only he can catch the eye of a minor league scout at the league championship. First, he has to survive a summer among the roaring, lint-blanketed world of textile spindles and looms. The clash of cultures is obvious from day one when Pike Spangler, “Big Stick” for the Newton Mill Sluggers, goes out of his way to knock Will down … Written by Anonymous |
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| Plot Keywords: baseball, south carolina, 1920s, christian film, independent film | |
| Details: Country: USA Release Date: 8 April 2011 (USA) |
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4 comments
This is an excellent family film, and I highly recommend it! I was very moved my the film and was challenged in many ways. The characters can be genuinely related to. The struggle of Will is very evident – and strikes a cord with so many people – then and now. The prodigal son storyline is very compelling and challenging as we move through the various decisions and consequences of a young man trying to do things on his own and in his own strength. The gentle encouraging and loving example of those around him is also a challenge as we too come alongside those who might be struggling. The Gospel message is so very clear, though not in-your-face or offensive. This period drama is incredibly true to the times – it is obvious that much time went into the research about locations, costumes, lingo, etc. Though a little over 2 hours, it keeps moving and takes you with it! Congratulations to this film team on a very fine film.
Set between the two world wars,Milltown Pride is a great movie taking a wannabe baseball player from the good side of the tracks across the tracks to play ball for the mill workers team. There he finds his families preconceived notions of mill people are not accurate. But he also finds some of the perceptions true as he succumbs to peer pressure. After hitting bottom, he finally sees himself for what he truly is, he humbles himself before God and finds restoration in those he has harmed.
Some of the dialogue is a bit stilted, but the cinema photography is outstanding. Very similar in theme to the other films by Unusual Films it seems to struggle to meet the high expectations of this viewer, but is still a great family film.
This movie is not worth $5, let alone the $25+ they are asking for it. Stiff, stilted acting or acting more appropriate to a stage performance; a plot that embarrassed rather than uplifted or challenged me as a Christian; and a completely unrealistic view of the South during that era. Every single person in this movie is Caucasian. Many of them have no Southern accent, or a Southern accent that comes and goes at will. There is an empty feeling to this movie– as if there were so many opinions and so many important people to please in the making of it, that all the meaning or depth it could have had just faded away. It feels over-sanitized to the point of sterility. Even the drinking doesn't seem realistic, just silly. Billy Sunday's meeting is pitifully quiet and dull, unlike the real Sunday's vigorous sermons and vocally enthusiastic audience. The other BJU movies had more 'heart' in them; this one is an empty shell, void of suspense or interest, void of spiritual depth– just a tiptoe journey over the surface of Christianity with the issue of drinking tacked on to the gospel.
Unusual Films thinks it has finally warmed audiences to the idea that right-wing, ultra conservative Baptist-style Christianity looks good on the big screen. Boy are they wrong. It has never looked more ludicrous.
Hold on to your pants, folks, because this is legalism at its finest! Summary of story: Circa 1920's, a boy wants to join a nearby baseball team, but his mother is worried that he'll get sucked into the alcohol/party lifestyle of that era (the Prohibition is in full swing). Shortly after the boy joins the baseball team, he meets some new friends and "succumbs" to drinking alcohol to fit in. Tsk tsk!
What follows is pure propaganda. The film shows the main protagonist becoming a raging alcoholic in a matter of days (I kid you not). He's even to the point of tipping back bottles, trying to extract every last drop of vodka/whiskey after just a few days of being exposed to alcohol.
Ironically, the film's director forgets to portray the rest of the alcohol-drinking team in the same negative light. For example, when our protagonist steps up to bat, he is stumbling and passing out from the drinking he did the night before, but when his slushed teammates get to the plate, they do just fine. Oops! Why do these ultra-fundamentalists argue that drinking will automatically ruin a Christian's life, even though it's PLAINLY CLEAR that most of the world drinks and lives to see another day! (just like the "evil" baseball team in this movie)
But there's no arguing here, whatever your rationale might be. Ready or not, this film actually ANTICIPATES your reaction to this nonsense and has a wadful of Bible verses ready to defend its narrowly-interpreted take on tee-totalism. "Can a Christian drink alcohol?" one of the young characters asks a man. Enter: mini-sermon on why taking even a sip of moonshine will ruin your life for good. Plus, you're just being selfish whenever you drink, the movie argues. You're not thinking about "bringing glory to God," preaches one of the characters. If you find this shallow type of reasoning persuasive, then it's your lucky day!–the movie is packed with it. Turn off your brain, open your Bible, and gulp down every word of the preacher!
Now here's something rather odd that I should mention as well. If you've had the privilege of talking to any of the graduates or anyone closely connected to this school, you'll find out that a negative review such as this one is EXACTLY the kind of criticism this university relishes. They would be "ashamed" to receive a high rating from a "secular" movie site that clearly doesn't understand the holy truths they're expounding. "Unusual" Films actually prides itself in being different, peculiar, or even offensive to those outside fundamentalist circles.
Pop it in for a laugh, if you must, but don't expect any serious entertainment/worthwhile instruction, even if you're a smarter, more perceptive Christian than the dufuses that produced this movie. Stay away from this junk.