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"GOD'S NOT DEAD: A LIGHT IN DARKNESS"
(2018) (David A.R. White, John Corbett) (PG)


At-A-Glace Content Summary

Alcohol/Drugs Moderate
Blood/Gross Stuff Mild
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude Heavy
Frightening/Tense Scenes Moderate
Gun/Weapons Minor
Imitative Behavior Moderate
Jump Scenes Minor
Music (Scary/Tense) Moderate
Music (Inappropriate) None
Profanity None
Sex/Nudity Minor
Smoking None
Tense Family Scenes Heavy
Topics to Talk About Heavy
Violence Moderate


QUICK TAKE:
Drama: A preacher must not only contend with his church burning down, but also the public university where it's located trying to use eminent domain to take their land.
PLOT:
Reverend Dave Hill (DAVID A.R. WHITE) is the pastor of St. James Church, a community pillar in Hope Springs, Arkansas where it's stood for a century and a half. But Dave's jailing for contempt of court over refusing to release transcripts of his sermons has drawn unwanted attention via protests to Hadley University, the public school that came along after the church and ultimately surrounded it. Things go from bad to worse when one of the students, Adam Richerston (MIKE C. MANNING) -- who's upset that his girlfriend, Keaton Young (SAMANTHA BOSCARINO), has dumped him for mocking Christianity despite her having some serious doubts about her faith -- throws a brick through a basement window and runs off without anyone identifying him.

Dave's new church associate, Reverend Jude Mbaye (BENJAMIN A. ONYANGO), not realizing a gas line has been accidentally broken, ends up mortally wounded from the resultant explosion. Seeing this as their opportunity to get rid of the church, the university's board of directors votes to take the now condemned church's land through eminent domain, something that doesn't sit well with the school's chancellor, Tom Ellsworth (TED McGINLEY), who's a personal friend to Dave.

When he realizes they're serious, Dave reaches out to his long-estranged, social justice lawyer brother, Pearce (JOHN CORBETT), for help. Unlike his sibling or Josh Wheaton (SHANE HARPER) who dropped out of law school to run the church's Harbor House program, Pearce gave up religion long ago, but agrees to help Dave simply because that's what older brothers are supposed to do.

As they set out to come up with a legal strategy to fight the university, and as Dave becomes friendlier with Meg Harvey (JENNIFER TAYLOR) who runs a local soup kitchen, tensions rise between the church's supporters and those who want a religious institution off a public university's grounds.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
If they're fans of the first two films in this series they probably will.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG
For thematic elements including some violence and suggestive material.


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