Upcoming Film Deals with Forgiveness, Race, and Grace
Slated to be released Feb. 25, "The Grace Card" is set to stir audiences as it tells the story of everyday people who struggle in their faith, dealing with forgiveness, grace, and race reconciliation.
The upcoming film was directed by David G. Evans, previously an optometrist for 15 years. With minimum experience in directing and writing plays for his home church, Calvary Church in Cordova, Tenn., Evans decided to explore bigger opportunities.
"I just downloaded some software and began writing a screenplay and just began putting together some different characters and story line ideas and that is what eventually gave birth to 'The Grace Card,'" he said.
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Evans took on the film project with the help and support of his church family.
"There were a lot of things we just didn't know how to do, to be quite honest, not having done a project like this before," he admitted.
Luckily, he was teamed up with former Hollywood writer turned Christian Howard Klausner.
The film takes place in Memphis and follows two police officers – one black, the other white – who bring different elements of their life to their jobs. Mac McDonald loses his son in an accident and feels nothing but bitterness and anger toward God and everyone else. He's partnered with Sam Wright, a rising star on the force who happens to be a part-time pastor and a loving family man. He came into the police force to make extra money, given that his leading a small, start-up church wasn't enough to get food on the table for his family. On top of personal problems, the two cops deal with racial tension between them which only makes their jobs on the mean streets of Memphis that much harder.
While some may get race issues from the film, others, Evans said, may take away the element of forgiveness or grace.
"It's so many different themes combined into one story and that's what really makes it unique. It can blend so many people," he noted.
Evans further explained how the film points out the imperfections in the characters, and allows the viewers to see the imperfections in themselves.
"No one's life is perfect," he stressed, "and we all have our trials we go through. It makes it easy to identify with certain characters."
Although the film is not based on a true story, Evan recalls testimonies from viewers about how closely related the stories were to their lives or the life of someone close to them.
"So many people are affected by pride anger and prejudice and eventually those feelings can take ownership of a person," He said.
The Grace Card, an actual tangible card that goes hand- in-hand with the film, reads: "I promise to pray everyday, ask for forgiveness, grant you the same, and be your friend always." Spoken throughout the film, the card is a representation of Ephesians 2:8: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God."
Evans says, "It our job to make sure that people can take this message and the grace card and make a difference in someone's life."
On the Web: http://www.thegracecardmovie.com/
