Courageous DVD

To most people’s surprise, the movie makers behind recent big success ‘Courageous’ and 2008 hit ‘Fireproof’, are not a huge Hollywood studio or a commercial TV giant. The creators are among a new wave of independent film producers with a heart and a message. Sherwood Pictures is an adventurous outreach initiative of Sherwood Baptist Church, Albany, Georgia. Concerned that church was sliding down the scale of popularity, the leadership team looked around for new opportunities to get the Christian message into the mainstream.

Sherwood’s leaders realised that, for most people, spending time in church was way less important than sport events, education and movie going. With the mindset that it was better to address the situation than complain about it, Sherwood set about the development of a triple barrelled outreach programme: The Sports Park, Sherwood Christian Academy and Sherwood Pictures.

How It All Began

In 2001 Sherwood’s leadership team we went off on retreat to Orlando, Florida but took a day out to visit Disney World. Observing the attention to detail everywhere, they were challenged to think that if a secular company can be this committed to excellence, why can’t the church of Jesus Christ?

In 2002, associate pastor Alex Kendrick founded Sherwood Pictures with $20,000 in donations and a team of visionary volunteers bolstered with a handful of industry professionals. Picking up steam in 2003, the company released its first feature length film, ‘Flywheel.

The simple script about life change in a dishonest car salesman was written by Alex Kendrick and his brother Stephen. With the $20,000 raised from church members they bought a digital camera, boom mike and some lights from Home Depot. 60 church volunteers made up the cast and crew and filming went ahead in the evenings with the cameras running ‘dolly tracks’ made of PVC drainpipe.

‘Facing the Giants’ followed in 2006, and in 2008 Sherwood Pictures released ‘Fireproof’ – passing even Hollywood’s new releases the highest-grossing independent film of the year.

Courageous The Box Office Hit

Sherwood’s latest movie, ‘Courageous’, is a police action drama that explores vital roles of fatherhood in family, church and community. The new movie presents men with the opportunity to step up and take back their responsibilities of husband and father.

Filmed in seven weeks of April-May 2010, Sherwood Pictures have much in common with Calvary Pictures, with their church base in Memphis, Tennessee, and the makers of ‘The Grace Card’. Sherwood used Calvary Pictures using as the model for their work. Both churches rely heavily on the practical, financial and prayerful support of their visionary home church.

‘Courageous’ is filmed in Sherwood’s home town of Albany, Georgia some of it actually in the church where the congregation's 3,000 members gather to sing and pray. - Les Ellison

Honour Begins at Home - four men, one calling: To serve and protect. As law enforcement officers, Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, David Thomson, and Shane Fuller are confident and focused. Protecting the streets is second nature to these men.

Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge that none of them are truly prepared to tackle: fatherhood.

While they consistently give their best on the job, good enough seems to be all they can muster as dads. But they're quickly discovering that their standard is missing the mark. When tragedy hits home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Can a newfound urgency help these dads draw closer to God ... and to their children?

Filled with action-packed police drama, COURAGEOUS is the fourth film from Sherwood Pictures, the moviemaking ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. Viewers will once again find themselves laughing, crying, and cheering as they are challenged and inspired by everyday heroes who long to be the kinds of dads that make a lifelong impact on their children. Raising their children in a God-honouring way - that's courageous.

Courageous is rated 12 and has a running time of 129 minutes. This DVD is Region 2 and will play on a UK DVD player.

Subtitles on the DVD are Danish, English UK, French, Finnish, German, Greek, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Spanish Castilian, Swedish and Ukrainian.