By Geno McGahee
There was a time when I wouldn’t give a religious movie the time of day. I just felt that I didn’t have time for any nonsense and being an atheist made viewing one of these films meaningless. Well, after starting to review some Christmas movies, many of which are religious in theme, and seeing the greatest religious movie of all time, GOD’S NOT DEAD, I am now seeking them out. When they are done correctly, they can be incredibly entertaining and that is the case with the 2010 film “WHAT IF”, starring Kevin Sorbo of GOD’S NOT DEAD and Kristy Swanson of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. The cast was solid all around, actually, and that just made this film that much better.
Ben Walker (Sorbo) is ready to take on a life in the ministry and is at the bus station with his girlfriend, Wendy (Swanson). She gives him a bible and sees him off, but not before asking him to rethink his plans of going to the big city. He assures her that he will return and that nothing will change. Well, he forgets the bible and heads to the city and things change. He becomes a huge and ruthless businessman and takes on an entirely different life, forgetting all about his girl back home. What do you mean this sounds like THE FAMILY MAN with Nicolas Cage?! Fine…it is similar in some ways.
Sorbo is awesome at playing a jerk. In GOD’S NOT DEAD, he plays the role of a professor that basically demands worship and total obedience and in this, he plays a businessman that has no regard for anyone but himself. When he makes partner, his response is “should I act surprised?” He then goes and buys a car and treats the salesman terribly, screwing him out of as much money as he could and then takes the new car out on the road. He breaks down and a tow truck shows up with Mike, an angel, driving. Mike is played by John Ratzenberger of CHEERS fame. He picks up Ben and tells him that God wants to give him a second chance to see what his life could be like if he didn’t leave Wendy. Ben arrives and discovers that he has two kids and a mini-van, just like THE FAMILY MAN…
Wendy, his wife, and his two daughters, Kimberly (Debby Ryan) and Megan (Taylor Groothuis), become confused by dad’s behavior. As they get ready for church, Ben is confused and stumbling around and even tells Kimberly that she doesn’t have to go to church, which is quickly overturned by her mother. At the church, Ben must address the congregation and considering it’s been 15 years since he’s even looked at a bible, he’s rather lost and uses his business savvy to advise the flock to make money. This does not go over well and neither does the mediocre parenting. He keeps on sleeping on the couch, but things begin to click and he starts to see that his life was shallow.
He has more encounters with Mike the angel and the more that he lives this life, the more that he likes it, but much like THE FAMILY MAN, this is a temporary thing and one that he wants to fight. Ben begins combining his knowledge of stocks and such to make money and maintains the family bliss that he’s discovered but he soon wakes up and he’s back to his old life without a wife and kids. The movie finishes where it started…at the bus station with Wendy and Ben and now another decision has to be made.
I have compared WHAT IF to THE FAMILY MAN a lot and with good reason, but WHAT IF is actually a far better film. Sorbo is very amusing in the role and is able to be silly and then bring that dramatic side to light. I was very impressed with Swanson. She was very believable and did well in a dramatic role. It as easy to feel for her and see where she was coming from and there was some genuineness to the relationship between the two. It didn’t take much to want these two to end up with each other.
Even though this is a Christian film, it made its point and left it alone…unlike any Kirk Cameron entry. The focus was kept on the family and their individual journeys. Released by Pure Flix and directed by Dallas Jenkins, WHAT IF is a winner, bringing enough laughs and sentimental moments to stand out among other films with a religious theme. I highly recommend it.
Rating: 8/10
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