Upcoming Film Tells Story of Faith, Football, and Desegregation

Woodlawn, a new Christian movie set to release this October, is already turning heads with its remarkable true story of faith and perseverance. Set in Birmingham, Alabama, during the 1970’s, Woodlawn chronicles the trials of the Woodlawn High School football team as their players struggle to cooperate under the newly-mandated desegregation laws. Amidst the storm of violence and anger, two figures emerge to lead their school into a brighter future. Tony Nathan (Caleb Castille) is a talented player haunted by the past, while Hank (Sean Astin), is a simple man hoping to change his community with the radical message of Christ’s love. The Christian Post further explored the movie’s Christian themes in a recent article by Vincent Funaro. He writes,         

“‘Lord of the Rings’ star Sean Astin takes on the role of Hank, a man portrayed as a faith leader in the preview that proclaims the message of the Gospel in the film. The movie's website describes him as ‘an outsider who has been radically affected by the message of hope and love he experienced at a Christian revival meeting.’ He addresses the tense interracial team during the preview.”

“‘I'm asking you to stand up right now and make a decision to change, to forgive, to choose Jesus,’ says Astin as Hank.”

“The Woodlawn High School football team was composed of 40 players, both black and white. The team gives themselves up to a ‘better way,’ according to the film's website and this decision ends up impacting the entire school including the teachers”

Currently, Woodlawn is set to premier in theaters on October 16^th of this year. Be sure to check out the film’s trailer below!

CrosswalkMovies.com: Gridiron Sharpens Iron in New WOODLAWN Trailer from crosswalktrailers on GodTube.

*Published 8/31/2015