Taken By Grace – Movie Review

Are you ready for an award-winning film? The annual Pan Pacific Film Festival was bigger and better than ever this year. People gathered to showcase films, promote great family-friendly movies, and hear about the latest coming down the line for Christian entertainment. Last week at the festival – you guessed it – Taken By Grace won the award for “Best Feature Narrative!”

Forgiveness, love, and hope are packed into the film Taken by Grace, reminding us of the gifts we have because of Christ’s sacrifice. When the young Christian couple Carrie (Haylie Duff) and Shawn Everett (Bradley Dorsey) go camping they get way more than they bargained for: a carjacking at gunpoint.

With no other choice, Carrie and Shawn begin the journey that will change their lives forever. The innocent couple is forced to participate in a murder plot by giving a ride to gunman Lucas Blackstone, who plans to kill the murderer of his young son.

Haylie Duff as Carrie and Bradley Dorsey as Shawn Everett in a camping scene; Photo Courtesy of Pure Flix Entertainment.

As they drive they begin to learn more about each other. Lucas discovers that Carrie and Shawn are devout Christians who hide their troubles under the guise of a ‘perfect’ marriage.

During their journey Lucas begins to realize that the Everett’s marriage is not as flawless as he thought it was, and the audience learns that the young couple is struggling to recover from some infidelity. Meanwhile, the Everetts discover Lucas has just been released from prison.

The Everetts’ and Lucas’ personalities clash throughout the film because of their conflicting beliefs. Lucas puts the Everett’s faith to the test throughout Taken by Grace by making them practice what they preach.

Lucas asks Shawn a difficult question: if he killed Carrie, would Shawn try to get revenge by killing Lucas in return? The movie is a journey in which the characters learn not only how to accept grace but also to grant it as well.

Angus Macfadyen as Lucas Blackstone with Haylie Duff as Carrie during a tense car scene; Photo Courtesy of Pure Flix Entertainment.

After getting to know each other a little better, they realize they each have many flaws. Lucas notices that the Everetts lean on God when they have problems, but he is unable accept that God is good and loving because of his son’s death. Ultimately, what Lucas wants is justice. He wants the man who killed his son to pay – albeit with his life. The Everetts recognize that under all his pain, Lucas has good intentions.

Motivated by his grief, Lucas searches for revenge, while Carrie and Shawn want to help him move past the hatred in his heart. They try to talk him out of committing murder by saying that the Lord is the One who delivers justice, and that it isn’t Lucas’ place to take the law into his own hands.

Overall, Taken by Grace captures the essence of what grace truly is. The film has a strong message, making the viewer think about how they would react if someone they loved was murdered, and how far they would go to save a stranger from making a dire mistake.

Haylie Duff playing the part of Carrie in the gripping film, Taken By Grace; Photo Courtesy of Pure Flix Entertainment.

Christian Worldview

Taken by Grace is mainly for adults and not recommended for young children. There are some difficult themes throughout them film that would be hard for young viewers to grasp. There is mild use of graphic language and drinking is shown throughout the film.

Towards the end of Taken by Grace there are some intense scenes that would also not be recommended for children due to the fact that guns are involved quite a lot. There is not too much violence in the film but it does show up occasionally.

The movie deals with some very heavy themes such as the murder of a child, kidnapping, and depression.

Haylie Duff as Carrie and Bradley Dorsey as Shawn Everett are a couple drawn closer together in this thrilling drama; Photo Courtesy of Pure Flix Entertainment.

Biblical Discussion

The main theme of Taken by Grace is forgiveness. Each character has to forgive each other for things that they have done wrong.  Lucas must forgive the man who took his son from him, while Carrie and Shawn have to forgive each other for past mistakes.

The movie makes you question whether there is forgiveness that you are withholding from others. What grudges have you been holding against someone that you need to just let go of? Are there past mistakes you need to ask God to forgive? What does self-forgiveness look and feel like?

Jaiden Kaine as Detective Al Nelson in Taken By Grace; Photo Courtesy of Pure Flix Entertainment.

Matthew 6:14-15: “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” This is something that all of the characters struggle with throughout the film, forgiving one another for the wrongs that they have had committed against them.

Daniel 9:9: “The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.” This verse can be directly applied to Lucas and his struggle with forgiving the man who killed his young son.

To learn more about Taken By Grace, please visit ChristianFilmDatabase

Discovering the Pan Pacific Film Festival? Check out Pan Pacific Film Festival 2014