User reviews

Great story, relevant and well produced. Acting on point. The message was clear and inspiring. Excited for more faith films like this.

This "movie" plays, in all respects but camera steadiness, like a random assortment of home recorded skits. This impression is amplified by the fact that 80% of the movie is set inside the main family's home. Here is a short list of bad things about this movie, from the perspective of a typical movie watcher:

1. Awkward Scene Transitions Like I said in the intro, it really does feel like each scene is its own skit, with very little relation to those surrounding it. As such, most of the movie's ideas go completely undeveloped in its ninety minutes.

2. Random Jumps in Time It really is just that; every 20 minutes or so, there appear three words on the screen saying, "X years later". Pick a number between 1 and 10. There is a 30% chance that your number appears as X at some point in the movie. Also twenty-seven. Twenty-seven is one of them.

3. Caricature of Atheism This one includes a tiny spoiler, but you probably don't care since I've destroyed any intention you had of seeing this movie...

One of the children in the main family becomes an atheist, apparently in his teenage years. His drifting from the Christian faith is shown as in direct correlation with his involvement in partying and doing drugs. No doubt this is reality for some people, but the real problem is this: The "atheism" depicted is really just a search for truth. This is rather explicitly communicated in two scenes in particular.

In the second (which should be looked at first, I think), the atheist son is moving out of the house. His car is packed, and his mother is going through a box of his things, examining each one nostalgically. One of the first things she sees is a book entitled, "The Illusion of God". This isn't a real book, according to my search of the internet, and is probably to be interpreted as an allusion to The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. Horrified, the mother shows him the book, as if to demand an explanation. He pauses before talking, as if she'd just found a baggie of coke in his glove compartment. Then she finds a baggie of coke in his glove compartment. Can it get more explicit than that? It's worth noting that the acting in this scene is awful, so that virtually all of its intended emotional effect is absent.

The first scene is basically the same script as the second but the son is 3 years younger (remember the time jumps?). His mother opens his bedroom door to see him reading a book. We don't see the title (edit: it is "The Stranger" by Albert Camus), but in light of the first scene, it's safe to assume this was the spark that sent him down the path to atheism. "Something for a class?" she asks. "No, just for fun," he replies. Literally the next words out of his mouth are a request for permission to go to a concert on the weekend. The band, he says, is "kind of" Christian.

It's clear the writers want to communicate that any reading of the arguments of the "other side" is a sure sign of apostasy. It's as if they thought the arguments were unanswerable. But surely this is not the case if, as they claim, Christianity is true? One wonders if they really believe it is...

The movie is not perfect, but the message is and you really enjoy and get going with the movie. Great lessons for parents and children.

This movie is wonderful, great inspiration really shows the importance of having God be first in life and raising your kids with God first. I would recommend this to believers and non believers both the world we are living in today really needs the He must increase I must decrease motto.

If you have kids or care about the plight of the family and young people in our society, this picture will hit your sweet spot. Once the viewer adjusts to some abrupt plot jumps throughout the lifespan, some undeniably touching moments and the film's solid faith underpinning promote the practical application of some important principles over the entertainment value of the flick. Some themes will challenge people who are unaware of what the Bible teaches and why. Regardless, this film is well worth watching. Be prepared to go away with something to ponder that could make a difference in your relationships with the people you love.

They just try to give you a good message, no effort on production or interpretation

This is so important for the times we live in ,definitely a very convicting film as a parent. This film does such a good job reminding us all, Christian or non-Christian how unbelievably important it is as a family to seek GOD with all our hearts and put Him first in our lives and pass that on to our familys . GOD must increase and we must decrease. This is a wonderful movie for all and a must see for everyone who wants to get a couple of pointers on life and what it's all about : )

P.S. Love covers all

As a grandmother, it definitely made me wish I could "go back" and do a few things different. The acting in some instances could have been better but overall, it was a definite "must see" for everyone!! Great message

Beautiful movie to enjoy with your whole family. Faith, love, unity and much more. We enjoyed every minute of it.

Loved this movie. As a new father myself, this movie was a great reminder and will challenge me to keep my focus on Christ as my wife and I bring up our son.

Highly recommend to all parents - new and older!

Casting, score, story, etc., Like Arrows is well done. It's relatabke, believable, and inspiring.

If you are a follower of Christ, and you have children or want children- you must see this movie. It doesn't give you all the answers, by any means; but it will open your eyes. Everything in life comes together and unfolds just the way God wants it to... and as I was watching this, it came full circle for a personal reason. I kept putting off watching this, but half way through it clicked in my brain that God had meant for me to watch this and everything in my life had happened for a reason. Cheesy, I know. But it's definitely worth a watch!!

This movie had touched upon some very deep issues that can take place even in good families with the best of intentions. But the way this family navigated through their challenges, where they turned for strength and answers and their openness to continue learning was uplifting.

It was such a blessing to be an extra several times in this movie! This is such a great, raw story of how parenting really can be. It is a great lead-in to FamilyLIfe's Art of Parenting!

PROS

+ The movie opens with a beautiful reaction to pregnancy - in stark contrast to today's standard reaction of panic and dismay in secular and Christian movies alike. How wonderful to see a real man, decidedly taking responsibility despite his girlfriend's insecurity, and proposing to her on the spot, before the enemy literally kills, and destroys a relationship leading to marriage.

+ Beautiful example of how to invite unbelievers to church.

+ Wonderful example of overcoming a parent's pride to ask children for forgiveness, and in turn to receive a request for forgiveness from the children.

+ Great display against violent video games and prioritizing work over family.

CONS

• Weak spiritual guidance to kids. When they come together, Charlie holds a speech and sends everyone to his or her room for Bible reading. While this is a good -further- approach in order to stimulate self-sufficiency when it comes to the study of the Word, it would have been fundamental to show a common Bible reading which should happen in a healthy family at least once a week together, while the other days involve individual reading.

• No single baptism is shown in a movie which intends to cover various life stages.

• Alice is not aging well in the movie. She had a 3-year-old and 60+-year-old cast, but it was too wide a stretch for one actor to cover the age 20 to 40+, and the make-up artists did not render well enough her aging process.

• 'Special thanks' to Neely's Creek Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (Calvinist).