Low-budget Christian “War Room” outperforms big budget movies at box office

Originally published in Christian Examiner

Six weeks after its release, the faith-based film “War Room” continues to set records and achieve feats rare for a movie in its genre.

The Kendrick Brothers Productions film finished in the Top 10 for the sixth straight weekend Oct. 2-4, something that only five other faith-based films have ever done: “The Passion Of The Christ” (2004), “The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe” (2005), “The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian” (2008), “Soul Surfer” (2011) and “Heaven Is For Real” (2014), according to BoxOfficeMojo.com.

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As reported in Christian Examiner, it’s the fifth film from Alex and Stephen Kendrick, the two brothers who serve as director and producer, respectively, of “War Room.” They wrote the script, and each also plays a role on screen. Their string of hits began with 2006’s “Facing the Giants,” and was followed by “Fireproof” and “Courageous.” The latter two opened in the Top 5 at the box office. In fact, “Courageous” was No. 1 on the first weekend in per-theater average.

T C Stallings plays Tony Jordan, a successful salesman in a big-city skyscraper whose home life is a wreck. He fights regularly with his wife Elizabeth (played by Priscilla Shirer), rarely spends time with his young daughter, and even begins contemplating an affair.

For her part, Elizabeth – a real estate agent – acknowledges she no longer believes she’s in love with Tony. It’s only under the tutelage of an elderly client (“Miss Clara” – Karen Abercrombie) that Elizabeth rediscovers her faith and learns about the true power of prayer.

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Miss Clara, we learn, goes to “battle” daily in her prayer closet – her “war room.”

It is Stallings’ seventh film. He also has had roles in commercials for Golden Corral and USA Football, and he speaks around the country about his faith.

This summer he will release a devotional, “Playing On God’s Team.”

Christians, he said, tend to undervalue the power of prayer.

“I know we do,” he said. “We’re guilty of prayer being the last result. When a situation arises, people say, ‘Well I did this, and I did that, so all we can do now is pray.’ Pray is not the go-to method, which it should be. That’s the way God designed it. We use common sense over prayer. But we don’t know the future like He does. (‘War Room’) hopefully will encourage people to begin praying and start connecting with God.”

Just as “Courageous” encouraged men to be better fathers, he hopes “War Room” will “encourage people to begin praying and start connecting with God” – even to launching a prayer movement.

The movie will be released in South Africa early in November.