This Review Reveals Minor Details About the Plot.
Rocky Mountain Redoubt
Plot Overview
A terrorist nuke detonated off the
coast of California triggers final preparations in a fortified
compound: the “Homestead.” The east coast electric
grid goes down and they are expecting fleeing company to this
“the most prepared location in the Rockies.”
Homestead's owner Ian Ross (Neal McDonough) is seeking to
hold out until the government establishes control. He calls former
Green Beret Jeff Eriksson (Bailey Chase) to head his security
with a few military types he brings, along with wife and family.
His black wife Tara (Kearran Giovanni) is herself hush hush
ex-military. They've a troubled foster-daughter who's
clairvoyant, gets visions of the future. They've a callow
teenage son Abe (Tyler Lofton) whose single experience deer hunting
compels him to volunteer for guard duty, who is more likely to
shoot another hunter than any game out there. Jeff thinks society
is heading—what if?—down a slippery slope, so he
could be accused of over preparing. One of his men Bing (Manny
McCord) is a self-proclaimed survivor/lone wolf. Various other
outside influences intrude, as well.
We are told that the young love that's
blossoming between Abe and teen occupant Evie (Susan Misner)
might hold the key to the camp's success. This sets us up for much
drama to follow in the series promised us after the credits roll.
Evie is a heart transplant recipient, so their love is not
going to work without both her hearts being behind it. Evie's
favorite flower is the morning glory whose bloom fades quickly with
the vanishing sunrise. Her attraction to Abe may be short-lived.
But there aren't a whole lot of boys around to choose from.
As for mulatto Abe, the white girls might not care for him, and the
blacks outside the compound will be rioting. He, himself,
would have two natures in conflict with each other, anyway. And if
all that weren't enough, Evie is deeply religious (“Can I
pray for you?”) while Abe is agnostic. I can hardly wait to
see how the writers will deal with all that. Danish writer
Gudmundur Kamban expressed like concern in an historical novel:
Would their chief accept Christianity? Would all his people be forced to denounce their heathen beliefs? Pagans and Christians could not live peaceably under the same roof. (182)
Since this
is an Angel Studio faith-based production, it has a deus ex machina ending involving
a miracle & botany, to give them an abundance of food as seen
before in the futuristic movie, “The Martian” in which a colonist
was likewise stranded with a dwindling food supply.
Ideology
The military action lends itself to comparison with
one of Kenny Rogers's tunes concerning a chance encounter with
“The Gambler” on a train bound for nowhere. He offered
his fellow passenger the advice that “the secret to surviving
is knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep.” The
refrain of the song goes:
You've got to know when to hold 'em, Know when to fold 'em, Know when to walk away, Know when to run. You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table. There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.
This wisdom of the gambling man's repertoire is old as the hills and was passed on by a raconteur, Agur in Proverbs 30:1, whose four metaphors offered the same life advice as did Rogers's Gambler. That we find in, (Prov. 30:29-31) “There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going: A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any; A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.”
We have Agur's “lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any,” and we have Rogers's “know[ing] when to hold 'em.” In our movie when the compound is besieged by a SWAT team sans any warrant, the better armed defenders stand their ground.
We have Agur's “king, against whom there is no rising up,” and we have Rogers's “Know[ing] when to fold 'em.” A king who knows when to give in to his subjects doesn't experience any uprising. The closeted survivors against their better judgment share their limited resources with the rabble at the gate.
We have Agur's “he goat also” and we have
Rogers's “Know[ing] when to walk away.” When the
bureaucrat shows up wanting to confiscate their weapons
(“we'll never get them back”) and appropriate their
food (“for fair and equitable distribution”) he is sent
packing, perhaps to come another day when everyone has calmed
down and the lawyers can sort it out.
We have Agur's “greyhound” and Rogers's “Know[ing] when to run.” Upon news of the attack, the preppers had to grab their go-packs and flee ahead of feisty mobs.
The gambler gave the advice:
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.
There's a movie series promo at the end. Stay tuned for a deal.
Production Values
“” (2024) was directed by Ben Smallbone who is the brother of Joel and Luke Smallbone, who go by the Christian rock band For King & Country. The screenplay was written by Phillip Abraham, Leah Bateman and Ben Kasica, based on the novel series Black Autumn by Jeff Kirkham and Jason Ross. It stars Dawn Olivieri, Neal McDonough and Susan Misner. The whole cast is up to handling the several nuanced parts.
MPA rated it PG–13 for some violence and thematic elements. This one was done on the cheap, but they had a good location to work with. The film is well made on a technical level. The characters are underdeveloped, and it just oozes undeveloped subplots. I suppose we are meant to get hooked for the series to come. Perhaps they bit off more than they can chew. “Homestead” is the cinematic pilate for a television series to be available to stream on the Angel Network. Runtime is 1 hour 50 minutes, but it seemed longer for being so crowded.
Review Conclusion w/a Christian's Recommendation
This one contained disputes over how to treat uninvited arrivals
and how firmly to dig in, but there wasn't any preaching per se, no
scripture was quoted, and an atmosphere of courtesy prevailed.
Christian mercy towards friends, family, and supplicants was well
portrayed, while a quicker interdiction of the hostiles by the
Coast Guard could have avoided the troubles altogether. The movie did well
for the kind it was, and the viewing public may decide accordingly.
Movie Ratings
Action factor: Decent action scenes. Suitability for Children: Suitable for children 13+ years with guidance. Special effects: Well, at least you can't see the strings. Video Occasion: Better than watching TV. Suspense: Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Overall movie rating: Three stars out of five.
Works Cited
Scripture was cited from the King James Version, Pub. 1611, rev. 1769. Software.
Kamban, Gudmundur, I See a Wondrous Land. London: Nicholson and Watson Limited, 1938. Print.
Rogers, Kenny. Songwriter Don Schlitz. "The Gambler." Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Pub. LLC. WEB.
bibles.n7nz.org