MOVIE REVIEW 2
The Review
"Facing the Giants," a film directed by Alex Kendrick in 2006, is a must-see for the
whole family. This film concentrates on aspects of life that we can all relate to. We will all
encounter or have encountered "giants" in our lifetimes that are unwilling to go away. If you
watch the entire movie and pay close attention to the cast, this movie walks us through the
process. The main problem in the film is that the protagonists are entangled in life's situations or
circumstances that make them feel afraid.
Grant Taylor, who coaches the high school football team at Shiloh High School, is the
primary character in the film. His six years as a coach have not been particularly fruitful because
he has not been able to win a championship game. The team was hesitant and lacking
confidence after their best player decided to attend another high school; they believed they would
not be able to succeed without this one player. Coach Taylor wasn't just coping with work-
related problems; he was also dealing with personal problems, such as car problems, difficulties
conceiving a child and beginning a family, and housing challenges. In addition, parents and even
his assistant coach were plotting to remove him from his position as coach. The English
Standard Bible Version states that "it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the
spiritual" (1 Corinthians 15:46). This means that when things go wrong in the natural world, it
often indicates that there is a problem within their faith. Let's examine a few of the film's themes
that could be highlighted and further investigated.
The coach and his spouse were having a great deal of difficulty becoming parents. Even
after more than four years of trying, they were unable to become parents. They made the
decision to undergo testing to determine the cause of the issue, and the findings indicated that the
2
MOVIE REVIEW 2
coach was the cause. His wife was so saddened by the news that she wondered if he had given
up on having a kid. She prays to God and never gives up on having the family of her dreams.
His football team is utterly dejected and has given up on ever becoming a successful
squad. When rumors circulate that the coach is losing his job, he prays to God for the fortitude to
bear it and for the inspiration and determination to keep pushing himself and his squad forward.
When God becomes the team's and their lives' primary focus, everything begins to change. They
followed Matthew 6:33, which states, "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and
all these things will be added to you," because, as Scalise (n.d.) states, "the Bible is truth." This
proves that we shall all be blessed by God's grace if we prioritize Him and His will above
anything else.
Therapeutic Implications
The scenario where he told his wife that he was the reason they weren't having children
and the one where the coach and his team are playing and he blindfolds his best player are the
ones where it is clear that more thought is required to assess whether counseling is necessary.
You can see a range of emotions that call for counseling when the coach informs his wife that the
results are in and he is the reason they are childless. Guilt, suffering, and hopelessness are all
palpable. Couples therapy and possibly even grief counseling would have been advised if they
had gone to a psychologist or counselor for treatment. They would have been able to
communicate their feelings and come up with a coping mechanism if they had taken that method.
They did, however, use a biblical counseling methodology. They delved into the Bible and used
it to address the problems they were having. Coach gave his life to God, letting go of it and
allowing God’s will to take place. In the end, it paid off since his wife was able to become
3
MOVIE REVIEW 2
pregnant and establish the family she had always desired. She also turned to God and laid
everything at his feet instead of giving up hope and turn to despair and bitterness.
The team's strongest player, carried himself with little hope and seemed to be dejected
and forlorn. The coach blindfolded him and encouraged him to bear crawl the field blindfolded
while carrying a teammate on his back, and persisted in pushing and pleading with him for a
little more. The athlete lowered his blindfold to see that he had crawled the full football field
when he was no longer able to continue. The player was then told by the coach that he is the
team's strongest player and that if he gives us hope and considers losing, he would fail since he is
not giving it his best. The coach enforced Philippians 4:13 “I can do all this through him who
gives me strength” (ESV). Additionally, he told him that God, who is always there to support
you in your hour of need, was the reason he and his team wanted him to play, not for himself.
Group or pair therapy can be used in both scenarios to help the individuals work through their
feelings, figure out how to deal with them, and establish a goal. They turned to God and applied
Scripture to solve their issues, build persistence, and endure their afflictions; this approach—
biblical counseling—produced the desired results.
Personal/Professional Implications
After giving this movie more thought, I realized that it had many parallels to my own life,
particularly in the moments when it seemed like there was no hope and everything was
happening one after the other. When I feel like there is no way out of a situation and I am
overwhelmed by life, I turn to God for knowledge and guidance. It has been proven that things
work out well in our life when we prioritize God. Every situation in our lives has a solution
found in Scripture, and we should take the time to study it and apply its lessons. We need to
surrender to God’s perfect love that will never let us go and will support us regardless of our
4
MOVIE REVIEW 2
efforts, responses, and attention (Benner, 2009, p. 53). God want our deepest happiness and he is
the only one that can truly fulfill our lives (Benner, 2009, p. 18).
I must make sure that I maintain my religious background as a future counselor and use
the knowledge I learned from the movie into my counseling techniques. I think that everyone
can gain from the integration of religion and counseling. Since both theology and psychology
seek to "understand human nature and the relieve human suffering" (Entwistle, 2021, p. 25), I
think there is a connection between the two, which is why I plan to use both in my professional
career. Being a person with high standards for professionalism, the one scene that personally
bothers me is the one when the assistant coach met with the parents in secret to plot the removal
of the coach from his post. Personally, I don't think people should be upfront with each other
and honestly convey their feelings. Far too frequently, people lack the courage to be honest,
which leads them to spread rumors and foster a hostile atmosphere. As stated in Exodus 20:16,
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor," we should all be sincere, honest, and
moral towards one another (English Standard Bible Version).
5
MOVIE REVIEW 2
Reference
Benner, D. G. (2009).ISurrender to love: Discovering the heart of Christian spirituality.
Downers Grove: InterVarsity.
English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online. https://esv.literalword.com/
Entwistle, D. N. (2021). Integrative approaches to psychology and Christianity: An introduction
to worldview issues, philosophical foundations, and models of integration (4th ed.). Wipf
& Stock Publishers.
Scalise, E. (n.d.). The truth of God’s word and the science of psychology. Liberty University
6
