Luke (Luke Barnett) and Tanner (Tanner Thomason) are best friends. Luke works two jobs; cleaning pools and trying to sell herbal tea through a scheme set up by his idol, Nicky Steele (Jason Alexander). However, one day Luke loses his job cleaning pools and decides that it’s time for a change.
To make matters worse he also finds out that his dad, a pastor named Mike (Lance Reddick) is having financial trouble and then suddenly it hits him. Realising that Christian movies can make a lot more money than they cost to make, Luke manages to convince Tanner and some of their friends to make a faith-based movie. All they need is an idea, a script and a star – preferably Republican and Christian.
Faith Based is a satirical comedy in the same vein as films such as Bowfinger and Tropic Thunder, using their initial premise to make fun of the film industry, but subtly putting its message across. At first there may be an outcry from certain religious and political outlets, but underneath it all Faith Based is about friendship, making films and having faith – no matter who or what you put your faith into.
With a script written by Luke Barnett, the film takes Luke and Tanner’s real-life friendship and uses it to bring out the chemistry between the pair. Faith Based doesn’t have a forced all-star bromance at its centre, but a real chemistry between its lead actors.
With a sharp, witty script, Faith Based also puts in a lot of fourth wall breaking and laugh out loud moments. Although the partly documentary style does start to feel a bit out of place the more the audience may start to think about it.
What could have been a film that takes a cynical, sniggering swipe at Hollywood and Christianity while trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator turns into a comedy with a real heart at its centre. Cameos from Jason Alexander, and David Koechner as Luke and Tanner’s film idol, Butch Savage will delight audiences as their larger than life personalities fill the screen.
Also, Lance Reddick’s casting as Luke’s father is perfect and icing on the cake for a film that has a lot more to it than first impressions may allow.
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