Last Ounce of Courage opens this week. When I first saw the movie two weeks ago via an advance screener, it was with some anticipation, since it was being promoted like crazy on FOX news and on various outlets during the Democratic and Republican Presidential Conventions. I am, unapologetically, a Christian, although not as ultra-conservative as some; I follow politics, love motorcycles, and watch some FOX programming, which is one of the networks the film is being advertised on. I didn't know what to expect as I love film and am a fairly critical reviewer of film, especially film of low technical merit. Oh yeah, did I also mention that I love Christmas? In Last Ounce of Courage, a father who is a part of a MC (Motorcycle Club) is also the town's mayor and owner of a local pharmacy. He loses a son in war and realizes the freedoms that both he (as a younger man) and his son fought for include the freedom to celebrate Christmas. Freedoms are being taken away by individuals who strongly emphasize the concept of the Separation of Church and State. Anything having to do with religion is being taken away from society and even from those who choose to celebrate and honor religious freedom.

One of the things I am critical of in movies is the technical aspects, things like acting, sound track, story or plot lines. While this movie is far from being a high budget film, there are certain things I was pleased with. Although there are no major stars except Fred Williamson (who plays the part of Warren Hammerschmidt, seeking to stop the town from celebrating any concept of Christmas), the overall acting is quite good. Williamson resembles an ACLU lawyer and while he has many individuals scared of the potential law suits, Mayor Bob Revere (played by Marshall Teague) will have none of it. After being challenged by his grandson Christian Revere (played by Hunter Gomez), the mayor decides to take a stand, a stand that comes at a cost. The acting is actually quite good, especially on the part of Hunter Gomez, who plays the teenage grandson trying to find out what his slain father stood for. I was also surprised at the excellent sound track, incorporating some good old Vietnam and war themed music. While the film is iffy in certain aspects and is clearly not a big budget film that could afford high quality CGI, it has an interesting plot that while leaning to the far right politically, pulls off an entertaining hour and a half.

Last Ounce of Courage starts off with a family sending their newly wed son off to war. The story is revisited some fifteen or sixteen years later, after the son is killed in combat. His widow, Kari (Nikki Novak), now lives with her father-in-law, Bob, and mother in law, Dottie (Jennifer O'Neill). When her son gets into trouble for taking a Bible to school the Mayor is challenged by a school janitor and his grandson to stand up for freedom, including the freedom to celebrate Christmas. The story, using footage from Fox's Bill O'Reilly, challenges the public to recognize that there is a "war on Christmas." We see a progression of ideas that are strongly influenced by Christian Nationalistic politics. While the film takes a strong position in this area, it is not overtly preachy and does so in such a way as to challenge the viewer to think, at the same time that it entertains. It is in the entertainment aspects that I found the movie somewhat surprising. In the development of story, we also see adequate development of character. We see this especially in the characters of the Grandfather and Grandson. Both characters struggle and we see a presentation where the quality of story makes up for the shortfalls of the movie.

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