Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

I'm Not Ashamed Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 25, 2017

I'm Not Ashamed is a Christian film about good souls and dark souls and one troubled soul's transformation and aim to make the world a better place. The movie is, essentially, the battle for the world's soul whittled down to a small Colorado town and its high school, where light and dark and shades of gray clash and come to a head one fateful day when two students murder many of their classmates, including a girl who struggled with her purpose in life but found her way through her Christian salvation. The movie's goal is obvious and its plot not at all a mystery. Audiences will know what's going to happen right out of the gate, but the movie isn't about surprise. It's about making sure that it leaves a lasting impression, that it leaves the audience thinking about the value of life, the day-to-day things that can really change one's own perspective, the way one's life the can positively impact others, and the mark a good person can make on the world, even if it takes tragedy for the world to see it. It's an atypical Christian film in many ways, but its center is certainly one of the power of faith, right living, and serving as a light in a darkening world.

Searching for answers.

Rachel Scott (Masey McLain) seems like the typical troubled teen. She wants to make a difference in the world, but she doesn't know how to do so. She's a lost soul, wandering the halls of her Littleton, Colorado high school in hopes of finding a spark, something to get her off the ground, to discover meaning in her life. She thinks she finds all of that in Alex (Cameron McKendry), a handsome drama student who catches her eye. She yearns for him, and circumstances bring them together. Rachel also finds herself drawn to the church. She's saved at a difficult point in her life but keeps her faith largely to herself; she's a changed person, but her light is dim. Her closest friends don't even know that she's dedicated her life to Christ; they think that it's just a random teenage phase. Things begin to change when she meets a down-on-his-luck teenager named Nathan (Ben Davies). Through shared friendship and faith, they pull one another through various personal challenges. But lurking just down the hall, and even in the same classroom, are two disturbed teenagers, Eric and Dylan (David Errigo Jr. and Cory Chapman), with plans to change the world in their own way.

I'm Not Ashamed isn't a typical Christian film, at least not in terms of how audiences might perceive Christian films. Certainly Christian films almost always depict people in various states of challenge in their lives who loop back around to either new or renewed faith to see them through the difficulty. But rarely do they show characters so vulnerable as Rachel. She has worldly friends. She drinks, occasionally smokes, she disobeys her mother, she comes from a broken home, and she finds herself craving worldly desires, including the attention and affection of a classmate for which she will do anything to have. She finds salvation in Christ relatively early in the film, but she doesn't live it, at least not on the outside. Her soul is a battlefield, something the movie makes abundantly clear and that's what drives much of the plot. The movie traverses difficult emotional terrain embodied in the school's hallways but really playing out inside the characters. Much of its focus is on Rachel, her life and transformation, and some of it on the killers, who are more than background but much less fully developed. Even so, the contrast makes for an interesting point-counter point centered on worldview, one of understanding, compassion, forgiveness, and care for others' wellbeing and the other much darker, obviously, looking at those who seek cleansing not through faith and kindness but rather violence against those they perceive as unworthy. It's very well done from emotional and psychological perspectives. It's a bit crude around the edges in terms of its filmmaking prowess, but the movie gets by on the strength of its story and character development and realization on the screen.

That said, I'm Not Ashamed could benefit from a little more TLC, not in message delivery but certainly in its technical structure. The movie doesn't necessarily struggle through its middle act, but even as it's wading through the necessary permutations of Rachel's life -- it's basically the literal and figurative hinge -- the film experiences some dramatic slowdown. A few trims, nothing major, would do wonders for the movie as it approaches its third act. That additional breathing room does at least ensure that all of the main players are sufficiently constructed and their various motivations and stations in life and in the story are appropriately put into place for the climax. Performances are relatively strong. Masey McLain as Rachel is excellent, exploring and emoting, inwardly and outwardly alike, her character's topsy-turvy life: how she lives it, what she wants from it, what she gains from truly embracing her faith, wearing it on her sleeve, as they say, rather than tucking it away in her own heart. It's an excellent performance that finds the rawness and depth necessary to build upon for her transformation as the film progresses. She's surrounded by several quality support performances, too, particularly from Ben Davies as Nathan Ballard, a key figure Rachel stumbles upon, is drawn towards, and who becomes her rock. A few performances struggle, but the movie overcomes them with honest emotion and detail that defeats any shortcomings along the way.

I'm Not Ashamed Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

I'm Not Ashamed was digitally photographed and the presentation isn't particularly striking. The film's lower budget roots are evident throughout, particularly with noise spikes and unstable backdrops. Detailing ranges from fair to good, usually favoring the latter but never does any of the movie's would-be high definition complexities -- clothes, skin textures, various odds and ends around the school, like lockers or cafeteria seating -- offer anything more than, for the HD era, rudimentary clarity and textural intimacy. Much the same can be said for colors. There's a base vibrancy on display but viewers won't find the sort of dynamic presentation and nuanced diversity of the best digital productions. Black levels could stand to go a hair deeper as well. Skin tone appear accurate. It's not a poor presentation by any means, and most of the shortcomings seem to trace back to the source, but the film's lower-end production is certainly evident on the Blu-ray.

I'm Not Ashamed Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

I'm Not Ashamed's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is rather straightforward with a few moments of increased emphasis on elements beyond dialogue and music. The musical presentation is fine in a very basic way: width along the front is adequate, spread to the back is noticeable but unobtrusive, and basic clarity throughout the range is commendable. Various little atmospheric examples dot several scenes, particularly din in the school cafeteria or hallways, and light nighttime environmental effects help define a small-gathering pool party early in the film. Several gunshot blasts heard as Eric and Dylan practice with their shotguns at a makeshift shooting range deliver a fair sense of depth and weight. Dialogue enjoys firm front-center placement, natural clarity, and effortless prioritization.

I'm Not Ashamed Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

I'm Not Ashamed contains several deleted scenes, a music video, and several shorter features and interviews. A DVD copy of the film and a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy are included with purchase.

• Deleted Scene (1080p, 1:19): Rachel Gets Ready For School.
• Deleted Scene (1080p, 1:27): Trench Coats .
• Deleted Scene (1080p, 3:23): Nathan & Rachel Window.
• Music Video (1080p, 3:41): "I'm Not Ashamed" by Jeremy Camp.
• Mark Pettit Interview (1080p, 3:24): An interview with the individual who inspired the film's character "Nathan Ballard."
• Social Media Sadie Robertson (1080p, 1:06): The actress shares a few thoughts on the film.
• Sadie Talking Ina (1080p, 2:40): The actress again discusses the film.
• Bella Talking Ina (1080p, 3:02): Bella Robinson talks up the film.
• Rachel's Last Words (1080p, 3:32): A reading and discussion of one of Rachel's letters and a recount of her death.
• Rachel's Personal Items (Mom Into Drowning) (1080p, 0:42): Rachel's mother shares a few mementos.

I'm Not Ashamed Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I'm Not Ashamed is atypical of its type. Very dark and very real, it has more in common with Ragamuffin than it does the typical Christian film. But that sense of realness is what makes its stand above many of its contemporaries. Universal/Pure Flix's Blu-ray is fair. Video is decent, more troubled, it seems, at the source than the Blu-ray encode. Audio is unremarkable but effective. A long list of short bonus content is included. Recommended.