, the title of Vincent Masciale’s satire about the conflicting priorities of the Christian film industry might suggest a mean-spirited takedown of this fast-growing and very profitable niche market. Instead, Masciale and screenwriter Luke Barnett, both Funny or Die regulars, have crafted a playfully humorous sendup that’s more about poking fun at their characters than tearing down faith-based filmmaking.
Even so, he’s a big fan of the company’s CEO Nicky Steele , whose barely concealed pyramid scheme strings along dimmer bulbs like Luke with promises of wealth and power. Luke’s dad Mike , the pastor of a local church, isn’t at all impressed by his son’s dodgy ideas of success and wants him to just get a real job and some semblance of an adult life.
Barnett latches onto the role of Luke like it was written for him , imbuing the character with all the motivational deficiency of a work-averse dreamer who finally discovers his unique calling and then overcompensates for past under-performance.
Alexander nails Nicky Steele’s faux-savant poser act and absurdly impenetrable observations, like “The only thing standing between you and your dreams is you, and your dreams,” with ruthlessly false sincerity. Despite the film’s pointed commentary on faith-based movies, Reddick maintains his dignity as Pastor Mike, submitting to good-natured ridicule with grace and humor.
George got a nice rug.