By
Moriah Flahaut
(February 17, 2005—From the winter
2005 issue of Spectrum)
Southern Adventist University’s newly created film school
is currently celebrating the success of its recent release,
Angel In Chains. The film, directed by Nathan Huber, is based
on the true story of Arizona rancher Penny Porter and is,
to my knowledge, the first Adventist film to achieve commercial
viability. Huber and the film school deserve credit. They
wring what they can out of the small, mostly amateur crew
and create a technically sound, finished product. Beginning
with the opening scene, the screen is filled (quite literally)
by bad boy Rip Lebeau (Don Pearson) and his hirsute motorcycle
gang. LeBeau and Company are on a highway to hell, which is
made clear by the rock-and-roll track that blares each time
the opening sequence cuts to show Rip and the gang cruising
across the desert Easy Rider style.
When the clutch on Rip’s Harley motorcycle suddenly
gives out in the hinterlands of Arizona, he and the other
members of the gang seek succor at the fortuitously positioned
ranch of Penny Porter (Tana Lee Bristow). While waiting for
the bike to be repaired, Rip’s hard exterior is softened
by the friendship and love of Penny’s young daughter,
and he begins to rethink where his life is headed.
In a touching montage that illustrates the power of Christian
innocence over tattooed cynicism, we watch Rip and the other
bikers take on an avuncular role as they are warmed by the
no-questions-asked friendship of Becky Porter (Chelsea Jo
Claxton). Rip may have tattoos and an earring, but he also
shows a side both contemplative and kind. The chemistry between
Becky and Rip is undeniable and, thankfully, they interact
often with gusto. Sadly, however, the supporting cast does
little to support.
Pete (Michael Mercurio) scowls throughout and manages to resist
Becky’s friendship, but in doing so he comes across
as one dimensional. Pete smokes constantly and wears a skull-covered
bandana around his head. Every time the camera catches him
brooding, the score turns scary.
The character of Pete was added to the original story in order
bring a dramatic element to the movie; however, the foreshadowing
is so thorough that the viewer feels manhandled. Long before
it actually happens, the nature of the main dramatic event
is clear to everyone. When Pete finally attempts to rape Penny,
it comes as no surprise to the viewers, or for that matter
the other bikers.
Similarly, Penny has the potential to light up the film—after
all, she is pretty and blonde—but she never does. Not
only does she deliver lines that sound forced, one can’t
help but wonder why she doesn’t worry more that her
daughter continually leaves her sight to frolic with a stranger
who also happens to be a two-hundred-pound drug dealer.
In the end, it is the naïve but thoughtful acting of
Chelsea Jo Claxton that saves the film. Her character, little
Becky Porter, succeeds in being both cute and believable.
Indeed, the high point of the movie comes at lunch, when Becky
chastises Rip and the other hungry bikers for digging in without
first saying grace. "Bow your heads," she orders,
and then leads the entire picnic table of drug-running toughs
in a prayer as honest and heartfelt as they come.
Angel In Chains joins the myriad films on the shelf espousing
generic Christian values, but it is not uniquely Adventist.
For example, Penny wears a necklace in the film—an accessory
specifically prohibited by the Southern Adventist University
Student Handbook. I, for one, await a film not only made by
Adventists, but also about Adventists. Now that Southern has
a flourishing film program, the wait shouldn’t be long.
Angel In Chains retails for $14.95 (DVD) or $9.95 (VHS) and
is available at Adventist Book Centers throughout the United
States.
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