Seven Days in Utopia, in theaters now, follows the story of Luke Chisolm (Lucas Black), a talented young golfer set on making the pro tour. When his first big shot turns out to be a very public disaster, Luke escapes the pressures of the game and finds himself unexpectedly stranded in Utopia, Texas, home to eccentric rancher Johnny Crawford (Robert Duvall). But Johnny's more than meets the eye, and his profound ways of looking at life force Luke to question not only his past choices, but his direction for the future.
The movie has quickly resonated with believers worldwide, receiving positive word of mouth and high scores.
Below, both NRT's Kevin Davis and Dr. David Cook, Senior Pastor of Second Baptist Church in Houston, TX, shares with NRT their thoughts of the current #1 Christian film in America.
Kevin Davis, NRT Contributor - Film Review
Seven Days In Utopia is well worth seeing in the theater. It is easily my favorite sports movie of all-time. I love the films Rudy, Hoosiers and The Natural, and although those films are inspirational, they don't point people to Christ. Seven Days In Utopia has a G rating and I brought my entire family to see the film--my wife and my 3 daughters who are 11, 7 and 5. It may appear to the general public to be a movie about golfing and although that is the setting, the movie has a strong appeal to anyone, especially Christians. My wife knows very little about golf and she loved the movie. I love golf, and this film features a father-son dynamic where the father instills a competitive nature in his son. Learning to truly understand that life is not about competing and winning, but about our relationship with God has been my story as well.
This film really hit close to home for me and I got choked up as the story unfolded, especially as the main storyline of the film came into focus towards the end. It became clear that whether your pursuits in this temporal life are sports, career, materialism, hobbies or anything that fades away, how we live and whether we are living for God's purpose is what truly matters. I was very challenged to think about what my epitaph would include. Very few films have ever moved me to that level of self-reflection and a desire to be a better husband and father and to do something that matters in this life. That's the takeaway message for me, especially as I know that I wasn't made for this world.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Seven Days In Utopia is an inspirational faith-based film that features an Oscar worthy performance by Robert Duvall as a wise former professional golfer who has the chance to pass on his redemption story to a young up and coming golfer who hasn't yet found his true purpose in life. As their relationship grows based on teaching Lucas Black's character how to become a better golfer, he learns about his true purpose. Everything works about the film, especially for those who love golf. It has a calm and peaceful setting and also several exciting and moving scenes. It is rare to find a film that is truly family friendly and is also redemptive in pointing to the Truth of the Bible. We all believe lies about ourselves and about life's true meaning. Although we'll never find Utopia here on earth, if we understand ourselves in light of God's purpose and accept Jesus as our Savior, then we'll have the chance to live for Him now and for eternity. If you like inspirational sports films like Facing The Giants, The Rookie and Remember The Titans, then you must see Seven Days In Utopia.
Dr. David Cook, Senior Pastor, Secon Baptist Church in Houston, TX - Film Review
This past summer, we had the privilege of having Dr. David Cook speak at our various campuses. A foremost sports psychologist, Dr. Cook has worked with many of the Fortune 500 companies including Exxon, Xerox and Hewlett Packard. He also has worked with professional athletes, including the San Antonio Spurs during their championship years.
As he told the story of how God inspired him to write
Golf's Sacred Journey and how that book then became the movie,
Seven Days in Utopia, we were amazed to see God’s hand at work.
Seven Days in Utopia has now opened in theaters across the nation and is being used in a powerful way by God. The movie helps take the biggest handicap we have in our lives–our sin and rebellion against God–and completely eliminate it and make it “scratch.”
This is one of the finest movies you will find on any subject.
The good news is Seven Days in Utopia is rated G and is being used as a powerful evangelistic tool. Since the film’s release just last week, more than 250,000 people have visited Dr. Cook's web site and more than 1,000 people have "buried their lies" and received Christ as Savior and Lord.
God is using this vehicle in the secular world to share His Truth about Jesus Christ. I encourage all pastors to tell their congregations about this evangelistic opportunity.
If you would like to view the entire service at Second Baptist where Dr Cook spoke, please click here:
http://vimeo.com/26981105
Dr. Ed Young Bio
Dr. Ed Young is senior pastor of Houston’s Second Baptist Church, one of America’s largest and fastest growing congregations. During his thirty two years as pastor, the church has experienced tremendous growth, with a current membership exceeding 56,000. Under Dr. Young’s leadership, Second Baptist pioneered the concept of one church in multiple locations, and currently has five campuses in the greater Houston area.
Dr. Young is a gifted and dynamic communicator, seen and heard across the country and throughout the world on Winning Walk, Second’s broadcast ministry. He is also the author of many books including Ten Commandments of Marriage, Ten Commandments of Parenting and his most recent work, Healing Broken America. He is a much sought after speaker on church growth, leadership principles and moral issues facing today’s culture.
He and his wife, Jo Beth, have three sons, all in the ministry, and ten grandchildren.
View The Trailer Below:
