‘Think Like a Man’ Lands on Top

It’s a formula that seems to be working as of late. Take a bestselling book, and turn it into a movie.

Steve Harvey’s Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man self-help book is the backdrop for the romantic comedy Think Like a Man, starring a dynamic, predominantly African-American cast of Taraji P. Henson, Michael Ealy, Regina Hall, Terrence J, Romany Malco, Meagan Good, Gabrielle Union, Jerry Ferrara and last, but never least, comedian Kevin Hart. In the movie, women test tactics for successfully dating that are meant to shield against men’s wiles, creating a clever battle of the sexes.

The film came out No. 1 in the weekend’s box office, earning $33.6 million on opening day (April 20), which is quite a coup for what may be deemed an “urban” or “black” film. To date, its box office earnings total $36.3 million.

According to BoxOfficeMojo.com, the movie’s opening also was “better than nearly all comparable titles, including all Tyler Perry movies except Madea Goes to Jail.” Think Like a Man also bested 2009’s Obsessed ($28.6 million), starring singer Beyoncé and Idris Elba, to become Screen Gems’ highest opener ever targeting African-American audiences.

No doubt, Screen Gems and distributor Sony Pictures Home Entertainment have put some dollars into marketing the film (The movie posters are ubiquitous in my neighborhood in Long Beach, Calif., and I’ve seen the TV spots more times than I can count). Likewise, some of Think Like a Man’s success presumably can be attributed to social media, with stars such as Hart and Terrence J actively Facebooking and tweeting about the movie (which was trending on Twitter last weekend).

Also, some of the stars surprised fans on opening day by showing up to various theaters in Los Angeles, helping build the buzz.

What’s more, the subject matter of the movie has gotten people engaged in discussions about relationships and the many dating faux pas committed by the opposite sex.

Having watched Think Like a Man during a press screening last month, I can tell you that the themes and scenarios presented in the film are universal, appealing to everyone. Overall, it’s a hilarious, feel-good comedy definitely worth seeing with friends or significant others.

Hart tweeted this: “#ThinkLikeAMan is not a Black Movie it is a GOOD MOVIE.....Let's show Hollywood that we can make great movies.”

I think they’ve proven their point.

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Director Hopes Viewers Will Get Wrapped Up in ‘A Mother’s Love’

A successful magazine editor with her own house and a fancy car to match, Regina Reynolds has the “independent woman” role down pat. But it’s her stubborn mentality that leads her astray in the emotive drama, A Mother’s Love.

Magnolia Home Entertainment April 24 (order date March 27) releases A Mother’s Love on DVD ($26.98). Bonus materials include a director’s commentary, handled as a critical analysis of the film’s messages, and an interview with Alexander and the co-producers.

In the film, Regina (Rolonda Watts) has gotten caught up in her material possessions, which triggers the demise of her marriage to Marcus (Julian Starks) and the estrangement to her drug-addicted daughter, Monica (Salina Duplessis). She loses her job after a misunderstanding with her boss, and the domineering woman argues with her prayerful mother, Georgia (Amentha Dymally), whose unwavering love allows her to see beyond her daughter’s pride and ego.

“Until you change yourself, nothing else will change in your life,” said Tim Alexander, the film’s director, producer, co-writer and cinematographer, among other roles. “… Every relationship the lead character had in her life was damaged: her mother, her daughter, her husband, her boss. She was the only common denominator.”

Originally envisioned as a stage play set in one room, Alexander (Diary of a Tired Black Man) took the story, developed by his cousin, Carolyn Alexander, and reimagined it as a film with more characters and heightened drama.

Alexander, with his Learning Through Conflict Pictures label, enjoys delving deeper into everyday problems with his films, an interest he groomed as a proficient blogger on social issues.

“Giving [viewers] a gentle, loving message doesn’t sink in,” he said. “Since they like reality TV and all these over-wound up shows and movies, I decided to make high-conflict movies that embed a message that you can’t detach from. And when you look at them, you’re looking at yourself and not the people on the screen.”

One such issue appearing in A Mother’s Love that many viewers will relate to is divorce. According to Alexander, women — like Regina — initiate 80% of divorces. Thus, he said he hopes the film will incite viewers to examine themselves.

“I hope that women, in particular, will realize that sometimes their strength and independence has them being competitors instead of companions,” Alexander said. “We’re taught that your education and your career are the defining moments of your life. On the other side of 50, your career doesn’t define you; the quality of your family does.”

Although it may be categorized as an urban film, A Mother’s Love is a universal story that transcends racial and cultural boundaries, Alexander noted.

“It doesn’t belong in just the black community,” he said, noting that the movie earned a five-dove rating from the Dove Foundation. “It just happens to have black people in it.

“This is a film that really needs to be shared,” Alexander added. “It needs to be sat down and watched with the entire family and discussed. … It doesn’t have any profanity, but it doesn’t lack a real punch in the jaw, as far as the visceral nature of the way it plays out. It was important to make a film that had all the exciting, edgy stuff, but nothing that would preclude anyone from watching it.”
 

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‘Hopelessly in June’ Sends a Touch of Motherly Love

She may be overbearing, opinionated and a tinge judgmental, but in spite of her personality flaws, she offers an unmatched love. Actress Ella Joyce embodies these motherly nuances in her character, Mrs. Myers, in Hopelessly in June.

“[It’s] dealing with today’s attitudes and issues, and … how it clashes with yesterday’s attitudes, in a comical way,” Joyce said. “It’s not your average romantic comedy. It has a funny bone appeal to moms, and yet it strikes at the heart.”

Phase 4 Films offers the movie on DVD ($29.99) June 12 (order date May 8), with deleted scenes and outtakes from the ensemble cast, which also stars Vincent Brantley, Carolyn Neff, Peter Jason, Keith David, Stuart Pankin, Edward Asner, Tommy “Tiny” Lister, Johnny Gill, Keith Robinson and Chalant Phifer.

In Hopelessly in June, a love blossoms between Daleon Myers (Brantley), an out-of-touch financial analyst whose meddling, Baptist parents (Joyce and David) are pushing for him to find “the one,” and June Flowers (Neff), a beautiful, charming businesswoman with two white dads (Jason and Pankin). However, the couple’s disparate upbringings and values threaten to tear apart their promising relationship.

The Myers family is in for an awkward surprise when they meet the very liberal and eccentric Frankie and Francaise Flowers. While enchanted with their adopted daughter, June, Daleon and his parents initially are uncomfortable with the accommodating gay couple — a social-political commentary on how some in the African-American community perceive homosexuality, Brantley said.

“It’s the mom who all of a sudden realizes, ‘You’ve got to accept it,’ because mom is the center,” Joyce said. “She’s the heart. ... I think mothers would enjoy the craziness of it. I’ve heard so many mothers say that [children] don’t come with an instruction book. … All the little twists and turns that we see, we’re kind of not expecting. Then when we get hit with it, we’re like, ‘OK, so what?’

“This is a beautiful girl. She obviously was raised very well,” she added. “That’s another thing the story subtly touches on: Look at how great she turned out.”

Brantley, who makes his directorial debut and also co-wrote and produced Hopelessly in June, said Joyce was his top choice for the role of Mrs. Myers, a character he created with familiar references in mind.

“Having strong female influences in my life kind of collectively gave me the instincts about who Daleon’s mom was,” he said. “Mrs. Myers was a very strong-willed and determined character, which I thought influenced Daleon’s introvert [side], trying to control his life, make sure he’s in church. He’s finally at the point where he’s not listening to her and he is listening more to his friends.”

Though Joyce has no children of her own, she is familiar with playing the matriarch archetype, seen in her work from early 1990s sitcom “Roc,” Who Made the Potatoe Salad? and others.

“What I tried to do with Mrs. Myers is just make her a sort of updated Baptist church lady, as opposed to playing a stereotypical character,” Joyce said. “[I wanted to] just make her today’s lady. …  Wanting to see her son get married and wanting to see him happy rings home with a lot of people.”

With heartening messages of hope and acceptance, Brantley said Hopelessly in June’s appeal to a female or motherly audience is only natural.

“I think one of the most important things about mothers is their ability to love and love unconditionally,” he said. “I think this will just add to the existing humanity that mothers already possess, and sort of a confirmation to mothers, especially if they have sons like Daleon, that there’s some hope.

“Love is unconditional,” Brantley added. “No matter how strange or uncomfortable a situation, we can always find a way through our humanity and love.”

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Musician Makes Uplifting Choice With ‘Decision’

It was the sincere message of faith-based film Decision that piqued country music star Billy Dean’s interest in exercising his acting chops again.

“I love it when a film or a piece of music absolutely cuts through everyone’s defenses and walls, and makes them feel again,” Dean said. “That’s the whole purpose: to remind human beings we’re emotional beings.”

The film is a heartfelt story of one lost boy’s triumph over the grief he endures following the death of his firefighter father (Dean), who dies in a car accident. Sixteen-year-old Jackson Conners (Michael Rosenbaum) starts ditching class to evade torment from bullies and is held back at school because of it. Struggling to stop Jackson from sliding further into despair, his mother, Ilene (Dove Award-winning Christian singer Natalie Grant), sends him away to spend some time with her rigid father, Wyatt Johnson (Rusty Whitener). While at his farm, Wyatt instills in Jackson a strong work ethic and Christian values, which empower the teen to stand strong when faced with another harrowing obstacle.

Decision arrives on DVD ($27.97) March 6 from Image Entertainment and includes a Bible study guide.

Flashbacks portray the once-solid father-son relationship between Jackson and his dad, Steve. Being a husband and father (he has an 18-year-old son and a 16-year-old daughter) in real life made Dean’s role in Decision come naturally, he said.

“I love being a dad,” he said. “That’s my favorite thing.”

“There’s a lot that kids could learn from the other generation,” Dean added. “It’s very painful to watch kids go through mistakes that you’ve tried to warn them [about], and there’s nothing you can do. It’s hard to tough love. If there’s anything we need more of … it’s patience and tough love, when it comes to dealing with teenagers. Somebody told me once that teenagers rebel against hypocrisy. One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is they can sense when someone’s not being upfront and truthful with them.”

Perhaps Wyatt’s sharing the gospel with Jackson in a clear, honest and relatable way is what helps the troubled boy come to know God for himself and make the decision to follow Christ. Wyatt plants the seed and Jackson, remembering his grandfather’s wisdom, calls out to God for help during a powerful scene in Decision. God answers his prayers and sets forth a transformation in Jackson, whereby he learns forgiveness and to place his faith in his heavenly father in the absence of his biological one.

The film also gave Dean a chance to practice another aspect of his artistry that he’d like to hone.

“I enjoy acting. I know just enough to know that I don’t know anything,” he said with a laugh. “The experience has been helpful in all areas of my artistic life.”

The Grammy Award-winning musician previously starred alongside Crystal Bernard and Dolly Parton in made-for-TV movies A Face to Kill For and Blue Valley Songbird, respectively, in addition to various appearances on TV shows such as “Wings” and “Diagnosis Murder.”

Combining both acting with songwriting is a new avenue that Dean aims to further pursue, giving him the opportunity to bring some of his songs to life in script form.

“Something that’s kind of old and dead in the water for me is going into a sterile environment like a studio and recording just a one-dimensional audio CD,” Dean said. “I don’t think people have the time to dissect and really listen to music. I think they need to see the music and the story, in addition to hearing it. … A lot of these songs are mini movies. It takes a little more than three minutes to unfold them.”

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Brian White Talks Stage Plays, ‘Goods Deeds’ and More

To say that actor Brian White (Stomp the Yard, I Can Do Bad All By Myself) has been keeping busy lately would be an understatement. Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds, which White stars in, hits theaters Feb. 24, followed by horror thriller Cabin in the Woods, out April 13. His first stage play, What My Husband Doesn’t Know, recently was released on DVD, and White currently is hosting the United Negro College Fund “Empower Me” Tour via his organization, , speaking to students about planning and building a successful future.

Home Media Magazine caught up with the multifaceted Boston native to discuss his experience starring in David E. Talbert’s What My Husband Doesn’t Know, what he looks for when choosing roles and working with the illustrious Tyler Perry.

HM: How would you describe your experience on your first stage play?

White: It was challenging and rewarding at the same time because it’s the most real of all of the acting art forms. There’s no second takes. The audience will tell you if they like what you’re doing or not, so it’s very organic and nourishing. It’s a group experience. The audience is the extra character, so there’s nothing like it. I had a wonderful experience. David [Talbert] is such a professional and a true master of his craft and he gave us such an excellent script to start from.

HM: In What My Husband Doesn’t Know, your character, Paul, displays a dark streak toward the end. That’s a role that I don’t think I’ve seen you play often. Is that something that attracted you to the role?

White: Yeah, I like playing characters that are disparate from Brian. I’m not interested in being the movie star. I’m happy to star in a good movie, but it’s not my goal to be a star. My goal is to be the best actor I can possibly be. To tell you the truth, I aspire to be like the Sidney Poitiers and the Harry Belafontes and the Billy D. Williamses and the James Earl Joneses of the world. It’s about the message and the performance, so I always look to try something new, to challenge myself and to get away from the routine. So David [Talbert] and Tyler Perry and some of these wonderful directors are blessing me with wonderful opportunities to challenge myself and explore.

HM: Did you have the ability to shape your character in What My Husband Doesn’t Know?

White: None. Zero. David is a shorthanded director, down to how I said the line, as far as accent, diction, to the dance steps. That’s all David. He knows every motivation for every line, the blocking, and we explored and tried things in rehearsal, but the final call — what’s up on the screen — is Mr. Talbert’s vision, his work, and we are hired as the people to make it three-dimensional.

HM: You’ve done movies, some TV work with “Men of a Certain Age,” and now stage plays. Which medium is your favorite?

White: As far as the acting itself goes, there’s different benefits, challenges and blessings between the three genres, but if you’re going to do just one all the time, of course it’s films. Films are by and large bigger budget, more posh. You get to fully explore whatever character you’re portraying for that time period and then move on. You know the beginning, middle and end to the story. … Film is the most artistically fulfilling and it is a career, so it’s the brass ring as far as what we all compete for. But theater is fantastic and it’s the most pure of all the art forms, so hopefully I’ll be able to do all of them for the rest of my career.

HM: What do you look for when you’re deciding to be a part of a project?

White: The message. The size of the role doesn’t matter. Let’s say Daddy’s Little Girls, which I did for Tyler Perry. I had two scenes. They’re memorable scenes but there’s a clear message. I wanted to portray a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I wanted to make a cautionary tale. You don’t have be the star of the movie if you can help support the … parable that the director and the writer are trying to tell. I grew up on the four artists I mentioned before, and shows and images like the Cosby family — doctors, lawyers, educated, proud, work out your problems together. I try to do everything I can in my career to steer people back toward those kinds of messages because that’s not exactly what we celebrate and glorify today. It’s important to me.

HM: In a recent interview, you made the observation that Will Smith has “never made anything that wasn’t for everybody.” Is that what you’re striving for, to branch out from making “urban” films?

White: No, I’m just trying to make films that appeal to me and the people that I love and know. I was raised by two moms — two strong black women who both went to college, they’re both graduates, both have climbed the corporate ladder, and both have taught me that there are no limitations, other than the way you think, and how much you empower yourself. I like telling stories that speak to that. I have pictures of my mom’s mom and my mom’s dad in the ’20s sitting in Cadillacs in furs. I like universal stories. When I was a kid, and I was watching Will Smith in Enemy of the State, it didn’t feel or seem any different than Tom Cruise in The Firm. Watching Denzel [Washington] opposite Julia Roberts in The Pelican Brief didn’t feel or look any different than any of the cool Tom Hanks movies that I loved and still love. It was Sidney Poitier’s Oscar [for 1963’s Lilies of the Field] — his character was the only person in that movie that didn’t speak to him being black. Everybody else reacted but he didn’t. That’s why he was so regal almost, and people are like, “Wow.” How you carry yourself matters. How you think of yourself and your circumstance and your position in society matters, and it effects how everybody else sees you. So I’ve always loved those kinds of performances. … I just like to be part of the positive message, part of pointing out those kinds of elevated, positive, empowering ideas.

HM: So you’re starring in Good Deeds. You’ve actually been in quite a few Tyler Perry films. How was this time different?

White: They’re always different. Tyler affords me the luxury to play characters that are the most disparate from Brian. I don’t get the opportunities that I get from Tyler anywhere else. What I really love about Tyler is he always has such a positive message. … He’s really pushing the envelope. What I love about Good Deeds — my mom, my wife and my friends got to see the premiere. My mom and wife cried. And they’re pretty much the harshest critics of movies that I know, especially the ones that I’m in. They keep it real. If they don’t like it, they don’t like it. If it doesn’t work for them, it doesn’t work for them. If it doesn’t touch them, it doesn’t touch them. And they were sitting up in the theater bawling. My friend, Angelique, gave such a nice compliment. She said, “Tyler Perry made a movie that, to me, feels like Pretty Woman — minus the whole prostitute thing, of course.” It feels like that kind of a movie. And the performances — Gabby’s (Gabrielle Union) amazing. Tyler’s incredible. Phylicia Rashad is haunting. Thandi (Newton) is wow, like stellar. And the movie works, so it’s exciting to even be a part of this machine that is Tyler Perry, and putting out these positive messages. Whatever you don’t agree with it or you don’t like it or you love it, whether you think it’s the best thing ever, you’re talking about it. He’s got a lot of positive messages that people are talking about and I love being part of it.

 

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Black History Month Roundup: ‘The Tuskegee Airmen,’ ‘The Help’ and More

It’s officially February, which means it’s Black History Month, a time when we reflect on the accomplishments and positive impacts that African Americans have made throughout the years.

There are a number of films currently available on DVD and Blu-ray Disc that highlight historical African Americans, including Malcolm X, Thurgood Marshall, Josephine Baker, the Tuskegee Airmen and Angela Davis, among others.

While it’s great to pay homage to the civil rights leaders and prominent figures of yesteryear, there are some wonderful things going on within the urban film genre that embody the sentiments of Black History Month.

Allen Blackwell, VP of Entertainment One’s urban film and comedy programming, had this to say: “I think where these films tie in [to Black History Month] is showing our diversity, showing our strengths and our weaknesses, and showing the evolution of us. I think that we have evolved to be very successful in many ways, and we still have two to three hundred years to make up on lost time.”

Here’s a list of some of the Black History Month-related titles that currently are out on home video or are coming soon:

■ ENTERTAINMENT ONE has Church Girl (DVD $14.98), a stage play centering on a pastor’s daughter struggling with her faith. It stars Robin Givens, A’ngela Winbush and Karen Clark Sheard. Arriving on Valentine’s Day is The Marriage Chronicles (DVD $19.98), featuring Vivica A. Fox, Jazsmin Lewis, Mel Jackson and Darren Dewitt Henson. It paints a picture of couples trying to stay together and building strong familial foundations.

■ HBO HOME ENTERTAINMENT offers Thurgood (DVD $26.98, Blu-ray $34.98), a one-man play starring Laurence Fishburne as Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Also making their Blu-ray debuts are The Josephine Baker Story and The Tuskegee Airmen ($14.98 each), a perfect tie-in to Red Tails, currently in theaters.

■ MAGNOLIA HOME ENTERTAINMENT Feb. 7 offers A Mother’s Love (DVD $26.98), a story about three generations of broken women adapted from a gospel stage play. From director Tim Alexander (Diary of a Tired Black Man), starring actress and talk-show host Rolonda Watts and Vanessa A. Williams (“Melrose Place,” “Soul Food”), the film was an official selection at the 2011 Pan African Film Festival.

■ MPI MEDIA GROUP/IFC FILMS sounds off The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (DVD $24.98), chronicling the rise of the Black Power Movement in and prominent activists like Angela Davis, Stokely Carmichael, and Black Panthers founders Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. Talib Kweli and Ahmir Khalib Thompson (Questlove) of the Roots, Erykah Badu, Harry Belafonte, Danny Glover and Melvin Van Peebles, among others, provide commentary.

■ PBS DISTRIBUTION celebrates the 25th anniversary of the landmark Emmy and Peabody award-winning documentary, Eyes on the Prize (three-DVD set $69.99). The six-hour program from the late Henry Hampton documents the history of the civil rights movement, as is narrated by Julian Bond, a social activist, Civil Rights Movement leader, politician, professor and writer.

■ PHASE 4 FILMS has Church: The Movie (DVD $29.99), a Dove Foundation family approved film, starring Darius McCrary (“Family Matters”), Art Evans (Die Hard 2), Joseph Philips (“The District”) and Sam Sarpong (Love Don’t Cost a Thing). The inspirational drama has been characterized as a “musical journey of praise, forgiveness and redemption,” and received the Best Religious Film Award at the 2011 San Diego Black Film Festival.

■ SCREEN MEDIA FILMS offers Dog Jack (DVD $24.98), starring Academy Award winner Louis Gossett Jr., the story of a slave boy and his dog who escape from a plantation, join the Union army and eventually face their former master on the battlefield. The story is based on the true-life adventures of the mascot of the Pennsylvania 102nd. Edward T. McDougal directed the film.

■ WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT provides The Help (three-disc Blu-ray/DVD/digital copy $44.99, Blu-ray/DVD combo pack $39.99, DVD $29.99), about the diverse groups of women who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project in the 1960s South. Based on the best-selling book by Kathryn Stockett, the ensemble cast includes Emma Stone, Golden Globe winner Octavia Spencer, Critics’ Choice Award winner Viola Davis and Bryce Dallas Howard. Bonus material includes a making-of featurette, deleted scenes, a music video for Mary J. Blige’s “The Living Proof” and more.

■ WARNER HOME VIDEO presents on Blu-ray ($34.99) for the first time Malcolm X, the biopic of the influential Black Nationalist leader portrayed by Denzel Washington, who earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role for the part. The 20th anniversary release includes hours of special features and a collectible 40-page Blu-ray book with rare images, cast biographies, production notes and more.

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Seek and You’ll Find

I recently had an illuminating conversation with Brett Dismuke, SVP of acquisitions at One Village Entertainment, Image Entertainment’s urban film division, about this quarter’s slate of titles.

I must say, it does my heart proud to see that there are so many films (presently and forthcoming) that portray blacks in a positive, authentic light and relay the various situations that are part of our experience. Whether you enjoy a serious drama (as in All Things Fall Apart, starring Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson), vivid stand-up comedy (see I Ain’t Scared of You: A Tribute to Bernie Mac) or a saucy stage play (a la What My Husband Doesn’t Know), it’s all there for the watching.

It reflects a concerted effort on part of certain studios to provide an assortment of quality urban content.

“It’s been an age-long tale that African Americans in this country have not had the opportunity to see a diverse mix of images that reflect their experience,” Dismuke said. “So it’s important, especially in a day and age where African Americans are only getting four to six major theatrical releases per calendar year, that we (Image/One Village) supply a wealth of content from an independent perspective.”

Urban films are even making their foray into less-chartered genres such as horror. Last year I had the privilege of interviewing Effie T. Brown, the producer of The Inheritance, a horror movie with a predominantly black cast. Image/One Village released it on Blu-ray and DVD in April 2011.

The Inheritance was an excellent film with an intricate yet compelling plot line and persuasive special effects on par with some of the mainstream movies. This, admittedly, came as a surprise to me.

“There’s a misperception in some circles that ‘independent films’ means that they’re bad films, which is not necessarily the case,” Dismuke noted.

I, too, once held that inaccurate belief. That was until I began to explore for myself and found some outstanding movies. The Image/One Village films that I previously mentioned are all examples of great urban storytelling.

By the way, these movies also star talented, respected black actors such as Lynn Whitfield (The Josephine Baker Story), Mario Van Peebles (Ali), Brian White (The Game Plan), Clifton Davis (“Amen”), Golden Brooks (“Girlfriends”), Darrin Dewitt Henson (Stomp the Yard), DB Woodside (“Single Ladies”) and Adriane Lenox (The Blind Side), among others.

My advice to those growing tired of waiting for the next Tyler Perry flick to see our stories on the big screen: Take matters into your own hands and see what’s out there. Like me, you’ll be surprised at the treasure you find.
 

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Calling the ‘Courageous’

With all the trials that life’s been throwing our way these days, if ever there was a time we needed encouragement, it’s now. When was the last time you saw a movie that impacted you so much that it made you resolve to change your life, for the better?

Well, for my father, a former Marine and a follower of Christ, it was when he saw faith-based drama Courageous, which hit theaters in September 2011. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the film Jan. 17 on DVD ($30.99) and Blu-ray Disc ($35.99).

The inspirational film follows four police officers, each in different stages of fatherhood, as they make a pact to maintain a stronger presence within their households. After facing challenges, the men are driven to live lives that honor God and to make love the centerpiece of their relationships with their children and wives.

I see my own dad in star Ken Bevel — also a retired Marine — who plays officer Nathan Hayes. In the gripping opening scene of Courageous, Nathan thwarts a carjacking by risking his life and going after the bad guy. It’s only when the SUV screeches to a halt that we realize why he was so intently trying to get his vehicle back: His baby is in the back seat.

I know my father would have done the same for my brother or me, if put in the same situation. After seeing Courageous, my dad and his friends have pledged to make resolutions to be better men, similar to the ones made in the film.

Courageous has affected me too, however, in a different way. Its title theme song “Courageous,” by Christian rock band Casting Crowns, has provided me with much-needed encouragement while listening to The Fish (KFSH 95.9) on my morning commutes. 

In particular, its lyrics resonated with me: “Seek justice/ Love mercy/ Walk humbly with your God” (derived from Micah 6:8), and the stirring plea that lead singer Mark Hall belts out, “Lord, make us courageous.” These are practical affirmations that every believer should strive to embody. It’s something that I’m constantly working on.

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Ready to Step Out

The start of the new year presents a time for new endeavors and a fresh outlook. Thus, it is with much enthusiasm that this first month of 2012 I present to you my blog, “Stepping Out: A Conversation About Faith and Urban Films.”

You may be asking yourself, Why the name “Stepping Out”? It means many things to me. For starters, I love Jesus, and I am proud of my heritage. For the faith aspect of the blog, “stepping out” pertains to boldly proclaiming the Christian values that are exhibited in inspirational films. In regard to the urban component, “stepping out” embodies who we (blacks and African Americans) are as a people: bold, confident, self-assured, vibrant and so much more.

Movies about faith and the urban community, in my opinion, could use some additional exposure. With this undertaking, my goal is to shine a light on the positive things that are happening within these two diverse genres, from the backstories of the filmmakers, to the intricacies of the stories being told, and beyond.

You can expect the latest news, interviews with filmmakers, actors and industry insiders, and more. Feel free to share your news via email at .

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I’m ready to step out. Hope you’ll join me.

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