Movie Review: The Heart of Man
By Jaerden Willingham
Student Worker, College of Theology
Movies are beloved by many and provide great entertainment for any age and type. Recently, more and more Christian movies have been released and are gaining widespread attention. From “God’s Not Dead” to “The Case for Christ,” the Word is getting out and inspiring people of all ages and reminding them of the love of God.
This has been the case for the movie “The Heart of Man,” released in September 2017 in over 500 theatres. It was an instant hit with audiences and got an average rating of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film is a hybrid feature film and documentary that provides a dramatic retelling of the prodigal son story interspersed with interviews of real people such as William Paul Young, author Dr. Dan Allender and spoken word artist Jackie Hill Perry, on key issues of sin, brokenness, grade and redemption. Shot in Hawaii, this movie illustrates that God’s love is the only way out of a lifetime of sexual brokenness.
While creating this film, it was realized that few people were able to talk directly to Christians in the church today about the core issues of sin, shame and brokenness that so many are dealing with in secret and feel unable to get help for. The filmmakers had a desire to reveal the heart of the god for his children and the truly amazing grace that is provided in Jesus Christ.
Professor Sharpe, one of the screenwriters for the movie reflected, “We believe that if Christians are able to live in the light of that grace, trusting in Christ and in who he says they actually are in him, that it would lead to freedom and transformation that would change the world.”
This unique film, through the use of testimonials, true stories and retelling of the prodigal son, brings people together to understand that they are not alone, and can find freedom in Christ.
The “Heart of Man,” is now available on DVD and Blu-ray for streaming on iTunes and Amazon Prime.
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The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.
