Oct. 10, 2005
 
RUTHERFORD ON FILM
 
‘The Gospel’ Delivers Positive Musical, Philosophical Entertainment, Message -- Despite Predictable Prodigal along the Way; Grab Your Church Group, Dance Them into the Film
 
By Tony Rutherford
Huntington News Network Writer
 
Huntington, WV (HNN) --- Hoping to entice a portion of the audience that made Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of Christ,” a ‘sleeper’ hit, “The Gospel” utilizes foot tapping, hand clapping, Christian contemporary music to tell of a man’s struggles with a call to preach and the riches of secular mega-stardom.
 
Not ducking the always present temptations between Christian beliefs, lifestyle and flawed believers, “The Gospel” lets the pop music and “Sister Act/Fighting Temptations” styled choir renditions of “Put Your Hands Together,” “I Need You to Survive” and “When I Pray” offset most of the occasional dramatic lapses.
 
Essentially, a modern day Prodigal Son adaptation, Bishop Taylor’s (Clifton Taylor) son, who’s studying for the ministry, turns his back on God and his father when his mom passes away during one of his father’s out of town ministry obligations. 15 years later, David Taylor (Boris Kodjoe) stands at the top of the R & B charts and reigns as a megastar. Word of his father’s illness sends the singer back to Atlanta, where he must face family and career choices which he ran from years before. Kodjoe delivers a strong credible performance of a man caught in a pressure cooker between limos, available women, and fame along side his humble musical origins at a small Atlanta church with his saintly father in the pulpit.
 
Director Rob (“Trois,” “Pandora’s Box”) Hardy achieves a hard driven contemporary Christian musical flair with the songs sung by an all star line up of artists ( Maratha Munizzi, Donnie McClurkin Holly Davis-Cater, Kirk Franklin) , which resounds with just what “The Gospel” needs for a leggy box office run. Usually, the combination that brings ticket buyers back time and time again have a relationship between musical popularity (“Saturday Night Fever,” “American Graffiti,” “Grease”) and a complementary feeling good story that must enliven conflict with a mildly philosophical, good guys finish first outcome with a non-too preachy, yet predictable sermon. Essentially, the sins of arrogance , jealousy , pride, and sexual encounters are not depicted as too hellish; in fact the harshly judgmental churchgoers have the most difficulty accepting (and forgiving) the secular entertainer with a hit song about undressing.
 
Family and congregational conflict offers the required taffy without overshadowing the musical accents. In fact, the secular and church conflict remains easily identifiable and courageously tackles the human imperfections of Christians (“you can quote the Bible backwards and forwards but you’re clueless about Jesus’) with dignified realism. When tilting towards the ‘religious,’ it plays less like a “Going My Way” and more like a “The Preacher’s Wife” a.k.a. “The Bishop’s Wife,”
 
The music itself from the gospel praise services generate audience interactivity and rousing feel good excitement; however, the story has loose ends and other circumstances that tie up too neatly, either unintentional or purposeful. Thus, you can anticipate that certain decisions and resolutions remain in the hands of the Almighty when the swing and sway credits roll.
 
Grab the members of your church, singles or Sunday School group and bring them in to a film that teaches and (lightly) preaches the gospel out of the mouths of songsters, thus, it’s an excellent vehicle for reaching those with otherwise closed ears to more direct evangelical invitations.