Do You Believe?

Until recently, most faith-based movies have had to settle for one or two recognizable actors; this one might boast the most familiar group of established actors ever to appear in a Christian movie. Most of them are listed as associate producers, meaning they'll contractually receive back-end profits (perhaps part of the formula to help these movies attract better ensembles?). In this case, the actors all do their best with the heavy-handed script. If it had focused on the characters' stories of love and compassion (the pastor taking in the pregnant teen, the church janitor helping both the repentant criminal and the homeless single mom, the suicidal couple), it would have been an effective story about God's love. But the political overtones and the subtle race issues make the movie more problematic.

It stumbles the most with the EMT's subplot, which stretches the boundaries of believability by stereotyping atheists, unions, and prosecutors. The messages about race are particularly mixed. Although Pastor Matthew's congregation is multicultural, the movie's central steadfast Christians are all white men, and the people of color almost all end up redeemed but dead. Bottom line? Yes, Do You Believe? has an actual narrative, but if you aren't the kind of person who likes seeing literal sermons (as in, actors playing pastors delivering messages from a pulpit), this isn't the movie for you.