Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Overcomer Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 15, 2020

Christian filmmaker Alex Kendrick's (Courageous, Fireproof) latest film, Overcomer, is his first sports centered faith-based cinematic venture since Facing the Giants. Like the gridiron before it, the cross-country track in this film serves as a metaphor, here for life's spiritual race, which is referenced in the Bible on several occasions, most notably in Paul's first letter to Timothy. With Overcomer, Kendrick crafts a thoughtfully and throughly moving film of joy in redemption, strength in salvation, and the relationship between father and child, both earthly and Heavenly. It's an uplifting, powerful film that speaks to supernatural guidance and the positive impacts of faith, family, friends, and wrongs righted even in the shadow of death, doom, and despair.

John Harrison (Kendrick) is the varsity basketball coach at Brookshire Christian School. He’s passionate about his work and loves basketball, nearly as much as he loves his wife Amy (Shari Rigby) and his two sons. After a successful basketball season with great promise for the team’s chances in the coming year, word comes down that the town’s biggest employer is moving business operations in the summer months. The news is nothing short of a death sentence for the town and the school’s athletic programs. Most of the athletes transfer away when their parents leave to find work in neighboring communities. The school’s student body is halved and it’s a challenge to fill teams, never mind fill them with quality players. One day, John is asked to coach cross country, which is “not even a real sport” by his own words. But he takes the challenge and learns that his only runner is an asthmatic girl named Hannah (Aryn Wright-Thompson). The team of one’s fate appears bleak and its prospects of success against bigger schools and more gifted athletes almost nil, until John inadvertently -- or by divine intervention -- bumps into a blind diabetic named Thomas Hill (Cameron Arnett) at the local hospital, himself once a cross country runner whose experiences on the course, and in life, just might change both John’s and Hannah’s lives forever.

Overcomer is a movie of message, not of dramatic manipulation. Its key plot points and the larger narrative arc play out expectedly, without any deviations from course, down to its final moments. But Kendrick's point and purpose and vision exist well beyond cinema surprise. The movie is about the redemptive nature of salvation, and each key character finds purpose and fulfillment and guidance through a circle of love that has its roots not on earthly ground but rather much higher above. John has his heart convicted through his relationship with Thomas, allowing him to grow in his faith as a follower, a husband, a father, and a coach. Thomas finds redemption in grace and forgiveness of the past life he lived. Hannah discovers her inner strength and her identity in her connection with her earthly dad and Heavenly Father. The film’s strength comes from how the characters grow alongside one another, holding each other up, each without shared life experience but rather with shared and maturing intimacy with God.

The movie is certainly not afraid of its message. Prayer plays a pivotal part in the story -- prayers for forgiveness, strength, healing, and direction -- and Kendrick incorporates many such scenes depicting wounded and vulnerable characters reaching out in prayer, individually or with one another. One of the key catalysts for prayer comes when Thomas tells John, "your identity will be tied to whatever you give your heart to." John is challenged to discover who he is beyond the superficialities of this world, even beyond his family. What is first in his heart? John is challenged to elevate his faith, to realize its importance in all things he does rather than something that exists only on the periphery of his heart and mind. The physically blind Thomas, it turns out, sees better than anyone in the movie, at least at first. He leads with his heart rather than with his senses.

Certainly the film flows through its two hour runtime with its broad focus on Hannah's journey on and off the track. Hers is a serious story of discovery, though Kendrick often lightens the mood when he and his sons try, and fail (miserably!), to keep up with her on the track. Hannah's story certainly sees a significance of metaphor in her relationship with her father, himself once a cross country runner who ultimately, yet unconventionally, guides her every step of the way in a key race. Aryn Wright-Thompson is terrific as Hannah. Her maturation through the film is authentic as she finds purpose and connection in the most unlikely of places, transforming her from simple thief and directionless teen to a redeemed soul who puts her faith in something greater than herself. Cameron Arnett delivers a soulful performance as a bedridden diabetic while Kendrick, pulling triple duty as writer, director, and one of the leads, shapes John's inward transformation and relationship with his wife with passionate clarity of vision and purpose.

Overcomer Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sony's 1080p Blu-ray presentation for Overcomer is nearly without fault or flaw. Noise only spikes in a few scenes, curiously one of the worst offenders coming in a daylight scene in chapter five where drizzly weather conditions may have contributed to the more intense push. The digitally sourced material is otherwise excellent in terms of definition and color reproduction. Neither give any pause. Clarity is excellent, with refined textural command of skin details, clothing articles, and various environments, from the outdoor cross country tracks to odds and ends in Thomas' hospital room or Amy's chemistry classroom. Colors are well saturated and contrast appears faithful for the duration (there's an excellent supplement covering the film's color timing). Skin tones are true and black levels are fine. This is a tip-top Blu-ray transfer from Sony.

Overcomer Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are no obstacles to overcome in Sony's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track engages with quality surround immersion at the basketball game that begins the movie. It's energetic and dynamic, engaging and fully capable of drawing the listening audience into the bleachers and onto the court. The same can be said of the more rowdy cross country race scenes that dot the movie for the remainder, though with smaller crowds and wide open outdoor spaces the effect is understandably a little less dynamic. The movie's soundtrack has little more in terms of high intensity output on offer, but basic environmental fill around the school and other locales proves pleasantly immersive. Music, both score and an array of popular Christian songs, presents with hearty clarity, naturally wide and commanding front side engagement, and perfectly balanced surround and subwoofer integration. Dialogue presents with faultless command of prioritization, placement, and clarity.

Overcomer Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Overcomer's Blu-ray includes plenty of extra content: an audio commentary track, deleted scenes, featurettes, music videos, and more. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

• Audio Commentary: Brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick break down the film in technical, narrative, and spiritual detail.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 11:41): Alex and Stephen introduce the scenes, which include Factory Shut Down, John's Fit/Confronting Ethan, Ethan Learns About Team, John's Advice to Sons, John's Pep Talk to Hannah, Barbara Finds Watch, Lunch Fight/Olivia Rebukes Hannah, Nurse Rose Stops John, and Amy and Barbara at Funeral. Note that these are not available individually but rather play collectively.
• Bloopers & Outtakes (1080p, 2:34): Humorous moments from the shoot.
• Overcomer in 60 Seconds (1080p, 1:11): A fun recap made of both outtakes and final scenes from the film.
• The Making of Overcomer (1080p, 21:32): A standard behind-the-scenes supplement that explores faith on the set, story details, technical construction, performances, and the movie's purpose.
• The Heart of Overcomer (1080p, 5:08): A brief exploration of the questions of identity the movie asks of its characters.
• The Power of Forgiveness (1080p, 2:00): A look at the importance of forgiveness in scripture, the movie, and life.
• The Theme of Identity (1080p, 5:35): Another look at the movie's perspective on identity through God.
• The Opening Drone Shot (1080p, 4:33): A quick overview of making the film's effects-heavy drone shot.
• Working with the Kendricks (1080p, 3:57): Cast and crew talk up the positives of working with the Kendrick family.
• Editing Overcomer (1080p, 5:20): Audiences are taken inside the post-production editing process for a fascinating look at the work of bringing the movie together into the final edit. Several key scenes are used as examples.
• The Board: Visualizing the Edit (1080p, 2:48): Visual aids help the filmmakers put the movie together.
• The Testing of a Composer: Paul Mills (1080p, 5:32): Alex Kendrick and Paul Mills take audiences inside the process of building the film's score.
• Finishing Touches: Color Grading (1080p, 3:12): Alex Kendrick and Colorist Keith Rush explore the interesting process of color grading the film.
• Finishing Touches: Sound Design (1080p, 4:00): Alex Kendrick and Post Sound Editor Ben Zarai look at the process of building the film's effects sounds.
• Don't Mess with the Editors (1080p, 2:09): Two key scenes are re-edited to humorous effect.
• Overcomer "Lip Sync" Music Video Featuring Mandisa (1080p, 4:06): Cast and crew "perform" the song.
• Enough (Lyric Video) Featuring Koryn Hawthorne (1080p, 3:25): The video is constructed with clips from the film.
• Resources Video (1080p, 4:33): The Kendrick brothers review a few products that help reinforce the movie's message.
• Previews (1080p): Additional titles.

Overcomer Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Overcomer tells a powerful tale of purpose and redemption. It's a film driven by message but message presented with sincerity of purpose that does mean there's no deviation from standard, predictable plotting. But Kendrick is unconcerned with surprising the audience. He's hoping to open hearts and souls, not dazzle the eyes and ears, though certainly the film is technically well made and strongly performed. Sony's Blu-ray is equally impressive. Boasting high yield video and audio as well as a large collection of extra content, the entire package earns my highest recommendation.