Selfie Dad

Made for and by Christians, this dramedy about a dad whose funny social media videos make him an internet celebrity focuses on how it's God, not subscribers, who ultimately matters. Anyone who isn't an evangelical Christian might not understand why Ben's faith is in question when he goes to church and loves his family, but Selfie Dad is about those who just go through the motions of faith without a fervent, daily devotion, like reading the Bible, family prayer, and more.

Michael Jr., a real-life Christian comedian, is definitely believable as a former stand-up comic. His opening bit about running behind a White woman without realizing she's looking behind her in fear has, sadly, never seemed more relevant than it does in 2020. But it's also the funniest bit in the movie. While Michael as Ben has good comic timing, the "UToo" clips that make Ben famous aren't really all that laugh-out-loud funny. It's also kind of unbelievable to think that a professional video editor wouldn't be aware of the internet's premiere video-sharing site or know how to do something as simple as delete a video, but viewers looking for Christian entertainment will be able to shrug off those missteps. As Ben's patient wife, Waingort does a good job of conveying the frustration of having a husband who's there but not present. The tween and teen kids are mostly set dressing, but each helps move the story along. And Ben's young, filled-with-the-spirit colleague Mickey could be construed as a "White savior" (stepping in for the ultimate savior, in this case), because it's through that friendship that Ben discovers that he needs to recommit himself to his religious beliefs. Is this the sort of faith-based movie that will appeal to secular audiences? No, but it's one of the genre's better, less over-the-top dramatic offerings.