Film Review: The Kendrick Brothers Return with ‘Overcomer’—A Film About Identity and Purpose

The Kendrick Brothers—creators of War Room—return with Overcomer, a faith-based film about identity and purpose, that is now in select theaters. 

Alex Kendrick, who plays John Harrison, a high school basketball coach, stars in the movie along with Aryn Wright-Thompson (Hannah Scott), Cameron Arnett (Thomas Hill), Priscilla Shirer (Principal Olivia Brooks), and Shari Rigby (Amy Harrison).

Within the first few scenes, Coach Harrison and his basketball team are faced with defeat after an important game. The bad news continues when a manufacturing company closes down and causes hundreds of residents to leave town, including a number of families from Harrison’s team. Then, the story picks up the pace with a young and incredibly skilled runner named Hannah Scott being chased after stealing a pair of headphones. These few worlds each come crashing down in the opening scenes but do not immediately show any signs of interrelatedness.

Meanwhile, John can’t get past the devastation of losing his star players as he is seemingly defined by this one aspect of his life. He must find a way to move forward as he assumes several responsibilities after hearing the news, one being assigned to coach the school’s cross-country team. During try-outs, he meets the only interested runner, Hannah, who turns out to have asthma.  

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While John visits a church member in the hospital, he literally and accidentally fumbles into another patient’s room. Thomas, who is confined by diabetes, insists on John staying to talk with him. The two develop a friendship that encourages John to visit him frequently and voluntarily, but leaves him with a philosophical question raised by Thomas—who are you?—which changes his entire perspective about his woes and coaching a one-woman cross-country team.

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Thomas says, “Your identity will be tied to whatever you give your heart to,” and immediately John begins to search his heart. Through the words of Thomas, who is still hospitalized and recovering from several illnesses, John is able to be a more effective coach in preparing Hannah for the state championship race.

He comes up with an idea that is quite a tear-jerker by the end, and includes an inspirational message that all viewers can benefit from witnessing.

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The actors all balance each other out. Denise Armstrong (Hannah’s grandmother) depicts a strong and resilient person who is not afraid of telling others how she feels. She is quite vocal and has made up her mind about how she will raise her grandchild after experiencing grief. Hannah’s post-traumatic stress is dealt with quite differently as she is often found alone gazing at photos of other families and stealing items that are not hers. Though not as vocal as her grandmother, she is still processing the loss in her own observant way, and it is her calm demeanor that brings others to the center of peace. 

Then there’s John’s anger and his suppressed emotion that is matched with his wife’s confrontational spirit. Even their sons have contrasting personalities, the youngest is playful like his father, vibrant, and inquisitive, while the oldest son is  a bit self-conscious, reserved, but also motivational.

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In the film, some major Christian themes are addressed such as forgiveness, overcoming hardship, love, purpose, and of course, faith. There’s a line from Thomas that serves as a blueprint for understanding the heartbeat of the film: “Because God loves me, he let me be broken. And I needed to be broken. He finally got my attention, and I gave him my heart because that’s the only thing I got left.”

Each main character will eventually encounter this level of brokenness where God goes through seemingly extreme lengths to get their attention. Each character must overcome something and although a little neat and tidy—the title gives away the victorious ending—it is the urge to search within that wins the story! The characters have all different ages, backgrounds and upbringings, but share one common thread: they must learn who they are beyond the unreliable, disappointing, and ever-shattering world around them. 

For more information on the film, click here.