Maybe you’ve seen that commercial and thought “Aww,
Christians falling in love.” Being a natural cynic and suspense writer, I
automatically go to “Great way to meet an axe murderer.” I mean, these guys
know you’re a Christian and if they have any religious background they can probably
fake the churchy talk pretty good – at least long enough to suck you in. When
the façade starts to slip, it’s too late – you’re in love.
Dead, but in love. That’s how I
would have written the movie.
Corbin Bernsen, writer, director
and producer of the film, also saw the potential for deceit. Apparently not as
suspicious as me, he imagined the comedic possibilities of that deception.
According to his interview with
Beliefnet, “I was
wanting to explore the notion of how we each have our own path to God and to
Christ.” (Read
more:) Don’t freak out, from the content of the movie it’s clear he
means the way God uses people and circumstances to draw us to Himself.
Lacey Chabert does a wonderful job as Gwyneth (not Gwennie) Hayden, the faux Christian who thinks reading "Christianity for Dummies" (yes, that's a real book) will help her play the part long enough to land Mr. Right.
She also memorizes a list of famous verses – perhaps hiding God’s word in her
heart or at least her head, better than most of us.
There are many different types of Christians represented, from the sappy sweet to the judgmental and perhaps the most common, the stealth Christian. Despite this, Gwyneth delves into Scripture, finds a church that meets her style and eventually realizes that she has to make a heart commitment, not just a head decision.
All in all, this rom-com was good, clean fun. Look for the
movie on UP TV February 22 at 5:00 p.m. ET or purchase the DVD through Home Theater Films 