This is a true story of a man who lost his wife (their unborn child), his second son and his only daughter when hit by a drunken 17-year old boy one evening as well as he and his youngest son being injured and of how he comes to be able to forgive the young man who was responsible. Unlike most films based on a true story this one stays true to the actual experience of Chris Williams. Actor Henry Ian Cusick has done an excellent job of capturing the pain and suffering of a good family man experiencing one of life's most challenging experiences. The scripting, acting and direction all come together in a way to give understanding and deep feeling for what Williams went through and for what brings a measure of peace and understanding into his life. This is a uplifting film that is well worth experiencing. Highly recommended.
5 Reviews
Not a bad movie and worth a view
mark-631-84145712 October 2015
The story of Chris Williams is a tough one to bring to the screen. A man loses his wife and three of his five children to a drunk driver. He's also the Bishop of the Mormon church and must reconcile his anguish with the Christian charge to forgive and rely upon Christ's atonement that Bishop Williams regularly teaches his members.
The writers do a nice job of slowly introducing the dilemma, building the life and loss of life through disjointed flashbacks and forwards that actually work in carefully involving the audience to come to the appropriate facts of his life and that of his children.
The acting is quite good and at times excellent, scenery effective, editing intelligent and music contributing.
Where the writers fall down is in their attempt to make a story about a Mormon bishop become an every Christian's story. If they had done the massacre in the Amish lands, would they have bent over backward to scrub the story of the Amishness of the story? No. But Mormons -- they're afraid the bigoted Baptists will reject the story if they dare mention Mormons. That could be true, but in doing their scrubbing they may have alienated the Mormon audience that could actually make them money.
Specifically they erred: 1. In keeping the inside of the church generic (that's fine), but cutting to the steeple to show it had a cross. Mormon churches are Christian but they don't have crosses. That was patronizing to the Baptists and demeaning to the Mormons (Not the cross which Mormons also revere as a sign of the crucifixion, but varying from the facts). 2. Having the mother distraught at the injustices for the "loss of three lives." That Mormon, Baptist or other Christian mother would have bemoaned the loss of 4 lives -- her dear daughter-in-law was nearly six months pregnant. That's caving in to the Planned Parenthood crowd. 3. Giving the convenience store clerk who is obviously from India, an Hispanic name. No, it is not unheard of for Alejandro (I don't recall it exactly and he's mysteriously not listed in the credits) or some Hispanic name, but it's enough of a dichotomy that you'd better explain it or give him a Raj name. 4. Instead of referring to the Bishop as a Bishop, they have the gall to have Bishop Chris Williams refer to himself as a preacher, something virtually no Bishop would ever say. 5. And here's the biggest boo-boo. It's a show about forgiveness, but Chris never tells the boy that he forgives him. 6. Maybe a bigger error, and again probably done to homogenize and sanitize the movie for bigger audiences, when Chris explains the importance of forgiveness and to Just Let Go, he never mentions what every Bishop would mention -- the Atonement. Christ paid for your sins and pain. Just Let Go and let the Atonement help you.
Still, it was a movie worth seeing, quite real and intense, but movie makers ought to first be true to the story and themselves.
The writers do a nice job of slowly introducing the dilemma, building the life and loss of life through disjointed flashbacks and forwards that actually work in carefully involving the audience to come to the appropriate facts of his life and that of his children.
The acting is quite good and at times excellent, scenery effective, editing intelligent and music contributing.
Where the writers fall down is in their attempt to make a story about a Mormon bishop become an every Christian's story. If they had done the massacre in the Amish lands, would they have bent over backward to scrub the story of the Amishness of the story? No. But Mormons -- they're afraid the bigoted Baptists will reject the story if they dare mention Mormons. That could be true, but in doing their scrubbing they may have alienated the Mormon audience that could actually make them money.
Specifically they erred: 1. In keeping the inside of the church generic (that's fine), but cutting to the steeple to show it had a cross. Mormon churches are Christian but they don't have crosses. That was patronizing to the Baptists and demeaning to the Mormons (Not the cross which Mormons also revere as a sign of the crucifixion, but varying from the facts). 2. Having the mother distraught at the injustices for the "loss of three lives." That Mormon, Baptist or other Christian mother would have bemoaned the loss of 4 lives -- her dear daughter-in-law was nearly six months pregnant. That's caving in to the Planned Parenthood crowd. 3. Giving the convenience store clerk who is obviously from India, an Hispanic name. No, it is not unheard of for Alejandro (I don't recall it exactly and he's mysteriously not listed in the credits) or some Hispanic name, but it's enough of a dichotomy that you'd better explain it or give him a Raj name. 4. Instead of referring to the Bishop as a Bishop, they have the gall to have Bishop Chris Williams refer to himself as a preacher, something virtually no Bishop would ever say. 5. And here's the biggest boo-boo. It's a show about forgiveness, but Chris never tells the boy that he forgives him. 6. Maybe a bigger error, and again probably done to homogenize and sanitize the movie for bigger audiences, when Chris explains the importance of forgiveness and to Just Let Go, he never mentions what every Bishop would mention -- the Atonement. Christ paid for your sins and pain. Just Let Go and let the Atonement help you.
Still, it was a movie worth seeing, quite real and intense, but movie makers ought to first be true to the story and themselves.
A Powerful Message
lavatch9 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
"Just Let Go" included many flashbacks that were extraneous to the film. It also developed maudlin moments that were excessive and could have been deleted from the film without losing the dramatic impact. But on the plus side, the message of forgiveness at the heart of the film was beautifully presented.
The strength of the film was the character of Chris Williams, who loses his pregnant wife and child to a reckless driver operating a motor vehicle under the influence. The driver was only 17 at the time, and much of the dramatic action addressed whether or not to legally try him as an adult.
While the courtroom scenes were dynamic, the payoff came after the verdict when Chris made an unexpected confessional to his two sons. It was a scene magnificently performed the actor playing Chris and buttressed by the moving responses of the two sons.
The film was successful in avoiding a preachy quality, instead relying on the posing of an ethical dilemma and then resolving it with a spiritual message. The closing portion of the film demonstrated the ripple effect when one person models civilized and compassionate behavior that infected others to embrace the same moral compass.
The strength of the film was the character of Chris Williams, who loses his pregnant wife and child to a reckless driver operating a motor vehicle under the influence. The driver was only 17 at the time, and much of the dramatic action addressed whether or not to legally try him as an adult.
While the courtroom scenes were dynamic, the payoff came after the verdict when Chris made an unexpected confessional to his two sons. It was a scene magnificently performed the actor playing Chris and buttressed by the moving responses of the two sons.
The film was successful in avoiding a preachy quality, instead relying on the posing of an ethical dilemma and then resolving it with a spiritual message. The closing portion of the film demonstrated the ripple effect when one person models civilized and compassionate behavior that infected others to embrace the same moral compass.
Forgiveness is possible!
russomeal28 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Ian Cussack and company brought us the true story of how forgiveness is possible with determination and help from the Lord!!!! I thought the acting was incredible. I was dismayed that there were moves away from depicting Mormonism and the culture as it is. I hope this movie is seen by all of us who have lost something at the hand of someone else. This could be any one of us. I thought the act of forgiveness was represented in a deep and abiding fashion that teaches all of us that it may be impossible for us to do this on our own. I cannot imagine anyone portraying how it would feel for a man to lose much of his family, in such a way, better than this actor did. Amazing!
God's Grace Unfolded in Film
dontloveinvain29 September 2019
Warning: Spoilers
My initial thought was to make the boy pay for killing this man's family by allowing him to charged as an adult. But as I slowly realized how God was revealing how His AMAZING GRACE, LOVE & SOVEREIGNTY works in our lives. At the end of the movie, my opinion changed & I understood why this father forgave... Just as our Heavenly Father forgives us.
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