WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
Directed by Jon Gunn (“Mercy Streets“, “The Week“), the film takes us into the lives of 12 different individuals whose lives are about to intersect, beginning with a pastor, Matthew (Ted McGinley) whose initial encounter with a cross-carrying street preacher (Delroy Lindo) sparks a newfound reminder of what it is to have faith and to ask yourself, “do you believe?” in regard to God and the cross. From that point, a ripple effect is created that brings him into the life of a young girl living on the streets, Maggie (Madison Pettis), whom he feels compelled to help. While this encounter occurs, similar moments of God-inspired, life-questioning moments happen to a homeless mother, Samantha (Mira Sorvino) and her daughter Lily (Makenzie Moss) being given needed aid by a stranger, Joe (Brian Bosworth), a nurse Elena (Valerie Dominguez) confronting the cynical, doubting attitude of a resident physician, Dr. Farell (Sean Astin), a paramedic Bobby (Liam Matthews) whose beliefs end up in the crosshairs of a local lawyer Lacey (Andrea Logan White), a reluctant street thug, Pretty Boy (Shwayze), finding himself having second thoughts about a life of crime with his elder brother, an older couple, J.D. & Teri (Lee Majors & Cybill Shepherd), suffering a great personal loss, finding a second chance, and finally, Carlos (Joseph Julian Soria) and Lacey (Alexa PenaVega), devoid of hope in their lives, meeting in a crucial moment of decision. Brought together by more than just mere chance, all of their lives will be touched by the same question and their journeys to faith become much more real than ever expected.
It has often been the case, sadly, that many of the past faith-based efforts brought to screen do not have the benefit of even a modest budget, much less good advertising or even truly solid acting. This is no slam against the efforts themselves, it’s just a fact demonstrated all too often in the genre. And, this is also not to take away from the primary focus, which is the message of God, faith, and salvation through Christ. Being that “Do You Believe?” is from the producers of last year’s surprisingly solid indie “God’s Not Dead“, the film manages to keep that level of talent and skill in play here, delivering a strong Christian message in a potent and very emotion-filled way. How the stories of all the characters intersect is quite an exercise and could have easily sunk into confusion and chaos. Instead, the flow works well here, and you find yourself being willing to go along with this ensemble as they all reach their own decisions about God, Jesus, and belief through the unexpected and divinely appointed situations presented. Seeing such a veteran cast was very refreshing and allows the viewer to enjoy the film more than they might have otherwise. Plus, newcomer Moss is crazy adorable! The actual visual look of the film is solid, again surpassing some of the other genre efforts in the past. It is unfortunate that the film will probably be dismissed as silly by some, too “preachy” by others, and perhaps even cliché, but if you are willing to go in with at least an open mind and heart, you might just find yourself honestly asking the question this film’s title provides.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
