Christian-Themed Movie 'Courageous' Resonates With Audiences Across America

Have you heard about "Courageous," the new, Christian-themed movie that opened with great success this past weekend? The film -- produced by Sherwood Pictures, the media division of Sherwood Baptist Church -- tackles the challenges surrounding fatherhood.

The movie delves into the stories of four law enforcement officers. The men, Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, David Thomson, and Shane Fuller, are good at what they do, but they face a major challenge at home: Learning how to be good and active fathers. Here's more of the synopsis from the movie's official web site:

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?

Watch the trailer, below:

This is the fourth film to come from the Albany, Georgia-based Sherwood Baptist Church. In 2006, the house of worship spent $10,000 making "Facing the Giants," which grossed $10 million in the end. Another popular movie Sherwood produced, "Fireproof," was $500,000 to create, though it grossed a large sum -- $33 million. It appears "Courageous" is destined for success as well.

Over the weekend, "Courageous," which was produced with only $2 million, premiered in fifth place among all movies. Already, the movie has earned $8.8 million, which is $2 million above the opening income earned by "Fireproof." Entertainment Weekly writes:

Shown in 1,161 theaters (yet, notably, just one theater in Manhattan), Courageous earned the best per theater average of any wide release with a robust $7,580.

Here's the astounding part about all of this: The people making these films aren't award-winning directors and producers. The church's pastors, Alex Kendrick (who directs, co-writes and often stars) and Stephen Kendrick (who produces and co-writes) are the men behind the camera. And church members, too, perform and work in the crew. It's fascinating that these individuals consistently churn out independent hits.

Here's a scene from the film:

Plus, audiences have been responding extremely favorably to the movie, with Sony exit polling finding most responding to the film by giving it an A+.

In the end, "Courageous" deals with fatherhood, a pertinent issue in today's society. With so many families finding themselves broken and in need of repair, it's no wonder this movie is hitting home with audiences.

Below, watch a clip that addresses the importance of fatherhood: