THE PREACHER'S SIN/A HUSBAND'S CONFESSION (TV movie 2015)
2 out of 10 stars Time to Read: 2:03 min
BASIC PLOT:
Evan Tanning (
JR Bourne) is a successful preacher for a large congregation, and has a flourishing radio show. But his boss, Bill Taggart (
Bill Lake) is a bit of a tool. He thinks he owns Evan, and when family struggles arise, Bill lowers the hammer on Evan.
When Evan was a young man, he joined the Army, and had a loving relationship with a woman named Monica (
Diane White). Unbeknownst to Evan, she has a son, and now that she's dying of cancer, she wants her son to have a father. For some unknown reason, this puts Evan's job at risk. Having a biracial son you didn't know about is apparently something to be ashamed of.
He's also having trouble with his niece Jamie (
Allie Gonino), who recently came to live with his family, after her mother's suicide. She's getting into trouble, and her boyfriend is coveted by Bill Taggart 's daughter, Tinsley (
Stephanie La Rochelle). This is creating additional problems for everyone.
Will Evan ever learn to stand up for himself, and his family, and finally understand what it means to be a man?
WHAT WORKS:
*THE ACTING IS OK BY MOST OF THE PRINCIPAL ACTORS
JR Bourne,
Tara Spencer-Nairn,
Bill Lake &
Allie Gonino all do a fine job with such a a flawed script. But it fails them in a myriad of ways.
WHAT DOESN'T WORK:
*THE DIRECTING & CINEMATOGRAPHY IS A MESS We are constantly too far away, and then too close to be an enjoyable watch. I don't know if I should blame the writer/director
Michelle Mower, or the cinematographer
Bill St. John. They both have a lot to answer for.
*NO HUSBAND, WHO WANTS TO STAY MARRIED, WOULD SIGN A CONTRACT GIVING AWAY 80% OF HIS LIFETIME EARNINGS Especially, when his wife explicitly said she didn't agree, and didn't want him to. He wouldn't sign it, if he wanted to stay married that is. It also makes him pretty unlikable, a cardinal sin in melodramas. We, the viewers, don't respect him, because he's a doormat, and we don't like him, because he treats his boss better than his wife. This is a pretty big flub by the writer,
Michelle Mower.
*IN 2015, WOULD IT REALLY BE THAT BIG OF DEAL TO HAVE AN INTERRACIAL SON YOU WERE NEVER TOLD ABOUT? I can see if this were the 1960's-1980's, but 2015? He had a relationship with a black woman, while in the Army, a caring relationship. He shipped out, and she never told him she was pregnant. Why would this be a scandal in 2015? You could spin this into a joyous event, I have a son I didn't know about, so what's the scandal here? Also, why is there no DNA test? Wouldn't that be a requirement?
*I DON'T KNOW MANY TEENAGED BOYS WHO LET THEIR PARENTS DICTATE WHO THEY GO OUT WITH Especially when they are seniors in high school. What's with all the weak, pathetic men in this movie?
*THE SAPPY MUSIC IS AN EPIC FAIL Usually I'm a big fan of music in movies, but this is beyond saccharine, and the cloyingly sweet speeches that go along with it, are just as bad. Your teeth will rot from watching this clap trap.
*THIS MOVIE USES EVERY TRITE, HACKNEYED CLICHÉ IT CAN THINK OF and none of them work. It's a pathetic attempt at drama, and an epic fail as a melodrama.
*THE LAWYER WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO REPRESENT THE TAGGARTS AFTER ALREADY TAKING JAMIE'S CASE That's a clear conflict of interest, and not believable in the slightest.
*THERE'S NO NEED FOR THIS FILM TO BE THIS BLOODY This movie can't decide what it wants to be. Is it a teenage conflict movie, is it a long lost son movie, is it a disgraced preacher movie, you'll never know, because it's really none of these. It's a haphazard melange of disjointed ideas that never form a cohesive story.
TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION:
*I DEFINITELY DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS MOVIE! If you want to watch a good made-for-tv movie about a preacher, try
Secrets of Eden (2012) starring John Stamos. It's so much better!
CLOSING NOTES:
*THIS IS A MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE, please keep that in mind before you watch/rate it. TV movies have a much lower budget, and so your expectations should be adjusted.
*I HAVE NO CONNECTION TO THE FILM, or production in ANY way. This review was NOT written in full, or in part, by a bot. I am just an honest viewer, who wishes for more straight forward reviews (less trolls and fanboys), and better entertainment. Hope I helped you out.
