God's Club (2016)

**_The trials & tribulations of starting a Bible club at a modern American high school_** A high school teacher in SoCal (Stephen Baldwin) decides to open an extracurricular club that focuses on the Scriptures and Christianity, but faces constant opposition in carrying it out. Corbin Bernsen is on hand as his supportive friend. “God’s Club” (2015) is similar to "God's Not Dead 2,” beating it to release by 3.5 months. It’s not as good because it only had a fourth of that one’s budget ($1,250,000) but, thankfully, it doesn’t morph into a courtroom drama (not that there’s anything wrong with that). If you can forgive the TV budget and the corresponding limitations (e.g. the dubious acting by the teenage peripherals), it's a decent drama about real-life issues with potent morals. For instance, confronting grief and moving on, coming-of-age, bullying, friendship, seeking healing for depression, popping pills or not popping pills, counseling, resorting to violence, vandalism, the suicide solution, offense & forgiveness, and freedom of speech and religion in a multicultural society. Let’s just say that the flick doesn’t wuss out in tackling tough issues. Consider the sequence at the bridge. I’m not going to give away what happens but, in my area, a 15 years-old girl jumped off a similar bridge and her body was found down the river. Witnesses said that she had a dead, hopeless expression on her face when she jumped. You see, people can live a week without food, three days without water, a few minutes without air, but… less than a second without hope. The film runs 1 hour, 29 minutes, and was shot at San Fernando Valley Academy in Northridge, which is just northwest of Los Angeles. GRADE: B-