A Great Awakening Review: A superb look into a powerful piece of history
I was hoping to go see this film with my mom since we were both looking forward to it quite a bit, but she was out of town, selflessly helping my grandparents move. Shoutouts and kudos to her! As such, I officially and formally dedicate this entire article to my mom. I was excitedly anticipating this film since I'm a history buff and The Great Awakening is one of the most interesting periods in history, in my opinion! After all, if it weren't for both Great Awakenings, I'd probably still be getting religiously persecuted by some piece of crap for my beliefs, so gotta love it. Did A Great Awakening live up to the hype and do justice to such an interesting time period, or was it a complete misfire? That's what I'll be discussing in today's Reel Ranker review. Thanks so much for joining me, and I hope you enjoy!
First things first, I'll be discussing the film's negatives. I only really have two negatives with this film, and they are kind of intertwined. The film just drags quite a bit at points, which I don't think would've happened at all if a few more interesting aspects of the time period had been injected into the plot. With such an interesting history, the film felt like it was missing some of the sauce it should've had. While George Whitefield and Ben Franklin are very interesting, it would've been cool if this film had adhered more to the grand nature of the religious movement of the era. However, I will fight back against anyone who criticizes the film for being another try-hard Christian film, as there's plenty of merit here, and it portrays the era with elegance instead of the melodrama often associated with poorly executed faith-based films. So, while I expected more from the narrative and pacing, this is certainly a competently made film.
And, now, it's time for the positives! This film does so many things right and really captures the essence of the time period in such an effective way. The production design is fantastic, and so much care and style are imbued into the sets. The performances of John Paul Sneed as Benjamin Franklin and Jonathan Blair as George Whitefield were fantastic, really selling the characters' charisma and flaws in equal measure. I also loved child actress Gracelyn Fullmer, who plays a little messenger girl in the film. She gives a cute, charming performance that is one of the most memorable parts about the film for me... I hope she gets some more roles really soon!
The film also has a really tight, engaging script, especially in the speech and sermon scenes. Ben's speech at the end of the film is incredibly powerful, and Whitefield's sermons throughout the film captivate on a deep level (if you're a Christian, that is, I can't speak for other groups). The friendship between Whitefield and Franklin is so well developed in a lot of ways, and the juxtaposition between the two's belief systems is awesome. The cinematography is also solid, and the small-scale narrative is done really well, even though I wish it had a few more layers. And, if you're aligned with Protestant Christian ideals, you'll certainly get a kick out of the film's great religion-centric themes. This film is jam-packed with great moments!
The Reel Ranker Verdict
Reel or Unreel? - Reel
The Reel Ranker Score: 68%
Letter Score: B+
Star Ranking: 3.5 out of 5
A Great Awakening might have some major pacing struggles and not delve as deeply into the multifaceted era of history as I'd have liked, but it is still a film with a witty and powerful script, awesome performances, great moments, and plenty for both history buffs and Christians to sink their teeth into.
Interested in my reviews for other Christian films? Check them out below! I'll be updating this a lot as I get to reviewing older films I've watched!
Brighton Nelson
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