Woodlawn (2015)

Title: Woodlawn (2015; PG)
Director: Andrew and Jon Erwin
Major Themes: Racism, Forgiveness, True Stories
Synopsis: The true story of a gifted football player, Tony Nathan, and what God did in a school in Birmingham, Alabama in 1973.

Recently, I had a chance to watch Woodlawn one evening while I was doing a late-evening babysitting job for some friends. What a good way to pass the time—and what an inspiring story! I had the chance to watch Hidden Figures with a friend not too long ago, and that was also a fascinating film set in around the same timeframe. This one, however, was definitely a Christian movie, yet it showed the racial tensions of the 1970s clearly.

Consolidation was supposed to be working in the south, but in Birmingham, Alabama, life was not easy for black students—or white, either, for that matter. They’d been at odds for too many years for things to change quickly. In 1973, a young man named Tony Nathan, a gifted football player, joined other black students in going to Woodlawn school. Along with several other students, he also joined the school’s football team—but tensions were high, and the white players didn’t want to have them there. Something sparked a change, though, when a preacher begged to speak to the team—and what happened next astounded everyone. Though the team captain wasn’t convinced that what he was seeing was really what he wanted to have happen, new life and peace were breathed into the school—and what came about next was extraordinary.

Woodlawn isn’t the easiest film, in some ways. Although it is kept very clean, the ugliness of racism is shown here. Hatred and unforgiveness ran rife, and with that mindset, ugly things took place. In the long run, though, the love of Christ shone through these characters, and the result of that love—what I assume really happened—was beautiful.

This movie was inspiring. Seeing how Jesus can change hearts and lives for the better made me long to have more of His love in my life. It also made me think of other situations around me, and the difference that could make to other people, too. Woodlawn inspired me to pray, and it also inspired me to do my best at what I’ve been called to do—because in Christ, a difference for the good can be made. A highly recommended film.

WARNING: The first scenes are of people hurt by a bombshell due to racism (apparently old news footage?), as well as other news talks about the violence, which was a result of racism in different areas—this continues through to 03:17. There is a fight with people injured from 14:20 – 15:05 (people shouting, running, tussling), and some men continue shouting about the riot until 16:00. There is a kiss at 45:50. A brick is thrown through a house window from 57:45 – 58:30, meant to threaten a boy into stopping what he was doing, and a football shirt is lit on fire to further intimidate the intended victim (instead, a little boy is badly frightened). There is a hug at 1:24:43, and a kiss at 1:46:34.

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Related posts:

Gifted Hands (2009) The Insanity of God (2016) Joey’s Story Facing the Giants (2006)