I'm in Love with a Church Girl

Based on the life story of Galley Molina, a former Northern California cocaine dealer who converted to Christianity in prison, the movie has all the elements of a compelling "testimony." It's the tale of how a criminal turned to the Lord. As a ministry tool in evangelical churches, this movie will no doubt be successful in sparking conversation about the power of God, and how no one is too sinful to be saved. Christian audiences looking for a movie with an inspirational story about the redemptive power of believing will be pleased with the production values, the recognizable cast, and the overt religious messages.

Secular audiences, however, will not be pleased with this movie. It's overlong (two hours) and overly sentimental, with Job-like disasters befalling and testing Miles (first his mother dies, then his beloved Vanessa lands in a coma after an accident, and then the DEA rounds up and arrests his crew). The acting is fine, but the dialogue is heavy-handed in its mission to preach and is formulaic, amateurish, and unbelievable. Even if you already read the Bible and attend church regularly, this sermonizing story may not resonate as a film but more as a Sunday School lesson.