4 Reasons ‘Sarah’s Oil’ Is Worth Watching

The film opens with a scene of Sarah running excitedly through the tall grass of Oklahoma, full of wonder and optimism. She lies on the ground and places her ear close to the soil, confident she can hear the earth gurgling with the crude oil that has brought speculators not only to her region but to the fields of Texas, as well. Her parents are skeptical of her conviction, but she remains undaunted: “God gave me ears to hear.”

Sarah desperately needs a business partner, but – unfortunately – few men in her Jim Crow-era town want to work with a young black girl. She enters a restaurant, only to encounter a “whites only” sign. Her father, too, experiences prejudice, such as when he walks into an oil office and is quickly told to take out the trash – the businessman wrongly assumes he is the janitor. Sarah eventually finds one local company willing to dig, but after three months of drilling and coming up empty, they give up and walk away – yet leave their equipment behind, saying it’s too expensive to haul.

Sadly, Sarah’s dream appears to be slipping away – until she encounters a friendly white man, Bert (Zachary Levi), an oil speculator who sees her as an equal.

He’s even willing to stand up to racism, such as when a local worker expresses disdain for Bert’s partnering with someone of a different race. Bert even punches the man before he can finish saying the N-word.

“I ain’t like him, Sarah,” Bert tells her.

“I know,” she says.

Still, the duo faces long odds. For starters, Bert and his other partner – a Mexican man named Mace – aren’t rich. More significantly, though, they face opposition from the town’s top oil tycoon, who at first tries to seize the land through legal maneuvers and then – when that doesn’t work – hires hitmen to kill Sarah. (Thankfully, she and her family aren’t home the night the hitmen arrive.)

Sarah briefly considers selling the land, wanting to protect her family, but her mother urges her to trust the Lord.

“God gave you that land for a reason,” her mother says. “... So why give back what was given?”

Sarah keeps pushing forward, believing God will provide.

Photo Credit: Kingdom Story

Two companies with multiple hits to their credit are behind Sarah’s Oil. One of those is Kingdom Story Company, the same studio that made movies like Jesus Revolution, I Can Only Imagine, Ordinary Angels, and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. The other is Wonder Project, the new company that produced House of David, and that has an ambitious slate for the future.

Brothers Andrew Erwin of Kingdom Story and Jon Erwin of Wonder Project are producers, as is John Shepherd, a filmmaker whose portfolio includes Emanuel, Bella, and The Ultimate Gift.

Cyrus Nowrasteh (The Stoning of Soraya M., The Young Messiah, Infidel) directed it.

Photo Credit: Kingdom Story

Sarah’s Oil tells a faith-driven underdog story that – until now – has remained largely untold in American history.

It’s a movie filled with biblical lessons. It shines a light on the ugliness of racism as it simultaneously models both kindness and friendship, embodied by Bert, who treats Sarah with dignity when no one else will. Sarah is remarkably mature for her age – able to read and discuss the ins and outs of oil leases and drilling rights – and yet the tycoons seeking to exploit her land can only see her skin color, not her God-given potential. When Sarah enters the local restaurant and requests a glass of water, only to be told to leave, Bert speaks up and orders her a lemonade, telling the waitress to put it on his tab.

The film highlights the power of community and family – perhaps best seen in her parents, who support her dream and encourage her to trust God even when the odds are overwhelming.

Most importantly, it celebrates the faith-driven perseverance of a girl who read her Bible and prayed – and who believed the God who gave her that land had a purpose for it.

“She had this gift, and she believed it was a gift from God, and it was to be used for something,” producer John Shepherd told Crosswalk.

Photo Credit: Kingdom Story

Sarah’s Oil is rated PG for thematic content, some violence, language including racial slurs, a suggestive reference, and brief smoking. The language is minimal (details below) and is offset a bit when the young Sarah – on at least two occasions – tells Bert to clean up his speech: “There’s no need to curse!”

The movie’s one N-word is only half spoken before Bert punches the man, although one or two other slurs (such as c–n) are briefly included.

The film implies Bert is a womanizer – he reads classifieds looking for wealthy widows – although we never see him kiss anyone.

Levi delivers a believable Southern accent that could pass for small-town Oklahoma, and Naya Desir-Johnson is excellent in the lead role.

Sarah’s Oil is one of the year’s most inspiring films, thanks to a strong script, standout performances by Levi and Desir-Johnson, and an ending that leaves you smiling. It’s the rare film that just might make you a better person for watching.

Rated PG for thematic content, some violence, language including racial slurs, a suggestive reference, and brief smoking. Language details: OMG (2), d–n (4), h-ll (2).

Entertainment rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Family-friendly rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Photo Credit: Kingdom Story