For three summers, I had the good fortune to watch and listen to Tony Dungy day after day.
The practices occurred at the most scenic of settings for an NFL training camp — the serene, wooded grounds of the Rose-Hulman campus. As idyllic as it sounds, though, Dungy and his team usually worked in the suffocating humidity that comes with August in Indiana. In such an atmosphere, a player’s concentration can drain almost as fast as he sweats.
Yet, those Indianapolis Colts — almost to a man — listened each time their coach spoke. And they did so even though Dungy never seemed to come unraveled or rant at them like his hair was on fire.
Why did those guys pay such attention to Dungy?
Two simple reasons — they respected him, and he made sense. Not surprisingly, they won games, lots of them, including a Super Bowl.
So when Tony Dungy recommends something, it’s worth checking out. That applies to a new film that focuses intensely on a cause Dungy has long championed, responsible fatherhood. “Courageous” follows five men with common problems in their behaviors and backgrounds, dealing with common consequences that accompany their issues. Four of them, co-workers as county sheriff’s deputies in Georgia, give full efforts on their jobs while their families get what’s left of them.
A gut-wrenching tragedy strikes one family and jolts all four officers into rethinking their priorities. A fifth guy serendipitously wanders into the mix as a hired hand who battles unemployment but leans, significantly, on his spiritual faith.
Together, the men make a pact to become fully involved in the lives of their kids.
“As men, we could all take a lesson from them and ask ourselves, ‘What can I do to be a more involved dad?’ ” Dungy wrote in a USA Today essay after watching “Courageous.”
Dungy has worked since 1997 in the All Pro Dad program operated by the nonprofit Family First organization, and many of the same cultural realities that group confronts are not-so-subtlely explored in “Courageous.” Kids who have little or no contact with their father are more likely to live in poverty, struggle in school, and experience health and behavioral problems, Dungy wrote. Likewise, the characters in “Courageous” — especially lead actors Adam Mitchell (played by co-writer and director Alex Kendrick) and Nathan Hayes (played by retired Marine Ken Bevel) — enumerate societal ills connected to children growing up without an involved father.
To be sure, the film carries an overt, faith-based message. That’s no surprise, because “Courageous” is the fourth independent movie produced by brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick, who are pastors at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga. Bevel is also a pastor there. In fact, many of the cast members are church volunteers. Alex Kendrick and Bevel also played roles in the church’s three previous movies — “Flywheel” (2003), “Facing the Giants” (2006) and “Fireproof” (2008). With each of those releases, the Kendricks surprised Hollywood with the response of moviegoers. “Fireproof,” for example, cost $500,000 to make, but grossed $33.5 million as the best-selling independent film of 2008.
“Courageous” is on pace to top those numbers. It drew more fans on its debut weekend (beginning Sept. 30) than any other film in the nation.
Dungy’s endorsement isn’t an obligatory gesture. The film is solid, stirring and funny in places. More so, it’s a gut-check for anybody who sits down in the theater, especially fathers. It’s not perfect; some characters use a “Dragnet”-style, just-the-facts-ma’am delivery. But the situations portrayed are poignant and heart-rending. A scene in which Adam Mitchell — once too busy and too detached for his family — finally makes good on a simple request for his time by his young daughter is one of the most gripping moments in a family movie in years.
Dungy connected with the Mitchell character. “I think that was me for a long while,” he said in an interview with LifeWay Christian Resources. “I was into my job. I wanted my kids to do great, but I knew I had some issues and I recognized I needed to be able to spend more quality time with my kids.”
Fellow cast members may offer connections for others. Deputy Hayes never knew his father. Another officer sees his son only a couple times a month. Another has a daughter he’s never seen. Javier, the hired hand, fights to maintain faith and home life with his wife and two young kids despite the hardships of a job layoff. They fail. They succeed. They commit to doing better.
The value of their efforts is rarely so distinctly depicted on cinema screens. In that respect, and many others, “Courageous” lives up to its name.
Mark Bennett can be reached at (812) 231-4377 or mark.bennett@tribstar.com.
Mark Bennett B-Sides
Related Photos
-
Tribune-Star columnist Mark Bennett
Discussion
MARK BENNETT: Movie’s portrayal of fatherhood’s issues lives up to its name
- Mark Bennett B-Sides
-
-
Banks of the Wabash Festival is more than just yearly entertainment
Pioneers think counterintuitively. Where others see widespread apathy, they focus on the possibility for progress. In a way, the 2013 Year of the River celebration began in the 1970s.
-
MARK BENNETT: After running for 28 hours straight, what’s another 5 miles?
Some phrases can only be uttered by a few people, or none at all.
-
MARK BENNETT: Glitches show limitations of high-stakes testing concept
The dog ate my homework. That age-old excuse — based on a shockingly unforeseen complication — rarely works for a kid who didn’t finish yesterday’s math assignment. Yet, in a role reversal, Indiana school children, along with their teachers and administrators, are left to accept an explanation for a disruption best described as the mother of all ironies.
-
MARK BENNETT: One step at a time to save lives
Joan Brown.
Remember that name. -
MARK BENNETT: Sometimes, the mere posing of questions is significant
The era seems quaint now, almost like a fable. When people left their house doors unlocked. When the sight of a police officer in a school meant it was Career Day.
-
MARK BENNETT: New reality steers Nashville singer to Crossroads for Historical Society concert
People pass through the Crossroads of America for lots of reasons.
Business trips. College campus events. Federal prison sentences. Visits with relatives. Gas pitstops.
Or maybe a career change and a twist of fate.
Ty Brown makes his first stop in downtown Terre Haute as the headliner of a multi-band Sweet Sensations Country Jam concert May 4 in the Ohio Building — a fundraiser for the Vigo County Historical Society. -
MARK BENNETT: Terre Haute barber ‘sharpens up’ customers for 50 years
People streamed through this section of downtown Terre Haute in those days.
“You could hardly walk by here,” John Hochhalter said, pointing toward the sidewalk outside the window.
The bustle has faded since the early 1960s. Hochhalter remains. He’s still barbering in the same shop he and late business partner Kenny Thomas opened a half-century ago this week. -
MARK BENNETT: Memories, emotions rush back with announcement of new pope
I saw a pope once.Read quickly, that sentence sounds too casual, almost as if we’d crossed paths at Home Depot. Say it slowly, though, and the significance comes through.
-
MARK BENNETT: Reflections of grid success stir with Brent Anderson’s passing
A few hundred miles away, and nearly 40 years gone by, a special game ball still occupies a fond place in Rudy Bohinc’s memories.
-
Lent meets ‘The Bucket List’ in Terre Haute
Initially, the concept might conjure images of Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman jumping out of an airplane or sitting atop the Pyramids. Instead, think “Lent Meets ‘The Bucket List’ in Terre Haute.”
-
MARK BENNETT: Never truer: Knowledge vital to narrowing ‘skills gap’
The pillar at the gates of Faber College in the movie “Animal House” bore a wise motto, despite its tongue-in-cheek intent …
-
MARK BENNETT: Great-niece to re-enact Paul Dresser’s musical legacy in Terre Haute show
People can be forgotten. Their lives end, time passes and memories fade.
Often, the only keepers of their legacies are family and friends, who tell and retell their stories, generation to generation.
For Paul Dresser, his fame burned strong enough as a turn-of-the-century, million-seller songwriter to preserve bits of his public notoriety. -
MARK BENNETT: An Olympic takedown
Imagine an iconic image of American sports history erased.
-
MARK BENNETT: Indiana’s ‘skills gap’
A problem lasting decades ceases to be a “problem.” By then, the situation becomes “part of the culture.”
-
MARK BENNETT: America’s best quality of life? Indiana must address flaws, set priorities
Just as the job interview seems smooth, the interviewer drops the question.
“So, where do you see yourself in five years?” -
MARK BENNETT: Pondering what is meant by ‘quality of life’ to Hoosiers
Sometimes it’s sincere. Other times, it’s sarcasm.
You cross paths with a friend, ask how they’re doing, and they say, “Ah, just livin’ the dream.”
Livin’ the dream. What exactly does that involve? Can it be defined? -
MARK BENNETT: By whatever name, stomach virus still a sick story
It’s the ugly side of the cold-and-flu season.
-
MARK BENNETT: Living on the banks
We are the Wabash.
Really. -
MARK BENNETT: Rising young producer lands spot in Sundance Film Festival
When a project clicks, the moment is clear.
-
MARK BENNETT: Remember the 20 children lost
Their names were listed on the screen at the front of the church on Sunday.
Our pastor asked us to choose one and pray for their family. I selected Noah Pozner, just by chance. -
MARK BENNETT: Tasting panel to help find Champagne Velvet’s ‘million-dollar flavor’
Rounding up enough volunteers to serve on a committee can be a struggle.
-
MARK BENNETT: Thanksgiving’s feast can be defined by either the presence of family or the family’s quest for presents
The best gift deals will be gone by 12:01 a.m. Nov. 23.
-
MARK BENNETT: Salvation Army touches many lives
Sometimes, the unexpected happens.
-
MARK BENNETT: Election excellence: 30 out of 32 is pretty darn good
Detroit car makers unveil the latest Mustangs and Corvettes on Wabash Avenue.
-
MARK BENNETT: Climbing the rungs of Lincoln’s Ladder
One crucial quality helped Abraham Lincoln become America’s greatest president.
Courage? Political savvy? Wisdom? Moral character? -
MARK BENNETT: Drop the needle
Over time, excellence and nostalgia inappropriately merge in our minds.
-
No matter the age, voting’s a part of American fabric
The electoral karma seemed, well, unfair.
-
MARK BENNETT: A moment on the brink
Ominous, but distant.
-
MARK BENNETT: Valley-born filmmaker influenced by roots
Real-life stories inspire Laura Brownson.
Even those vastly unlike her own. -
MARK BENNETT: No debating it: Candidates have it easier than ‘forensics’ specialists
Nightmares can jolt us awake, just before we fall off a cliff or show up for work or school unprepared.
- More Mark Bennett B-Sides Headlines
-
Raw: Trucker Bumps I-5 Bridge Before Collapse
Mayor: Person Killed in San Antonio Flooding
Raw: Texas Deputy Shot by Colo. Suspect Honored
Suspect in Killing of Officer Found Dead in Cell
Major Detours Following Wash. Bridge Collapse
Raw: Apple 1 Computer Sells for More Than $650k
American Held in Grisly Czech Murders
Raw: Jersey Shore Reopens for Summer
Raw: Train Derails After Overpass Collapse
Today in History May 25
High Wire Spectacle Thrills Crowd in Austria
Raw: French Soldier Stabbed in Throat Near Paris
Raw Video: Washington State Bridge Collapse
Raw: Gay Rights Activists March in Ukraine
Bus Fire Kills 16 Children, Teacher in Pakistan
UK-bound Pakistan Plane Diverted, 2 Men Arrested
Raw: Rescues From San Antonio Flooding
New Wheelchair Lift Promises More Access
Officials: Tsarnaev Friend Linked to Slaying
A Slice of Apple History Up for Grabs
Massive Flooding in San Antonio Area; Rescue Efforts Underway
Hope For The Boy Who Can't Smile
Young protestor goes viral on Youtube
Toronto Mayor says he's not a crack head
Maine island offers lighthouse getaway
Should We Prepare for Quakes?
Lynn Kindergarten Class Rescues Ducklings
Congressional gold medal awarded to civil rights heroes
Charles Ramsey visits Kentucky
Unique Display Greets Guests At Revel Casino
Cape Cod Train Service Worries Residents
BASE jumper rides snowmobile off cliff to honor dead friend
Bridge Collapse Survivor: 'Rough Day'
SHOCKING: School Guard Throws Girl Down Stairs
Star Wars X-Wing Star Fighter Made of Legos
Actress Amanda Bynes Arrested in New York
Singer Psy Has An Imposter
