Review of Same Kind of Different as Me (2017) by Paul S — 18 Oct 2017

I was invited to an early screening for a local rescue mission benefit event last night. I was looking forward to it but expected the typical fare of faith based movies that are positive entertainment but never have the acting or production value that really feels on-par with most commercial studio releases.

This movie really is a turning point in my opinion. It proves that a clear and positive portrayal of God and humanity struggling together through inequality and pain does not have to be preachy, cheesy, or dishonest.

There was no cynicism towards faith or people of faith and no caricatures of Christians as either overly judgmental of "unbelievers" or unrealistically hopeful that life will be all rainbows and cotton candy if we "give our hearts to Jesus".

It was a powerful story of lives intersecting in unexpected ways and the power of seeing the intrinsic value in all people regardless of who they are, what they've done, or what they look like. Issues of race, class, family dysfunction, and betrayal were all starkly portrayed by the outstanding performances of the lead actors.

It is powerful and even gut-wrenching at times yet never loses site of the hope that life can be more beautiful and fulfilling than we ever expect if we face our struggles, open our hearts, and share our lives with the people God puts in our path.

If you typically wait for faith based movies to hit Redbox or Netflix I strongly encourage you to catch this at first run. This is worth seeing!