I am, by nature, a tough critic; it takes a lot to impress me, it takes a lot to suck me into a film (to care about the characters, to be emotionally connected with the plot), and I went to a screening of Jackson's Run not really knowing what to expect.
Jackson's Run is a powerful and intense film with an equally powerful and intense message; the various elements of this movie has remained with me, and not a day has passed where I haven't thought of the complex characters, their relationships, the thought-provoking plot and the universal, multi-faceted message ... and the intense emotions that the film evoked. And emotions were high amongst the audience during the screening I attended; you could hear the audience's emotional reaction to certain scenes, and alas, when an entire audience can be heard reacting to the main characters and their collective plight—when the audience loves the characters to this degree—the filmmakers have done their job and done so superlatively.
While Christianity is an important theme of Jackson's Run, the religious aspect of the film was well crafted and presented; again, the underlying message of this film is universal and it's also multi-dimensional and through subtlety, the audience takes away the importance of the film and does so without being barraged like most films with a message (religious, political, etc) tend to do. I admire the craftsmanship at which this was achieved. Regardless of a person's faith, I believe they will leave this film feeling touched and inspired.
In closing, as an author, I also admire the meticulous weaving of the intense plot
and furthermore, I admire the filmmaker's ability to successfully convey such a complex storyline into a cohesive film.
