A young man who nearly loses it all finds himself on a road to redemption and recovery in this faith-based drama from the duo of Ross Campbell and Dale Fabrigar.
Rich Porter is an American football player who is the quarterback of the Cebu Saints, a small town team in the Philippines. While he succeeds on the field, off the field is a different story. His mother, a missionary, has been missing since a disaster hit the area. In addition, he has resorted to drinking hard. When his girlfriend Tess is discovered to give American journalist Ray a story about Rich and his off-field habits, Rich blows his top and tells her to leave.
The next day changes everything for Rich as first, he is accused of beating Tess when she is revealed with a black eye. Suffering from the humiliation of the events, Rich faints. He learns that he has brain cancer. Forced to go to the hospital with the full support of his teammates and coach, Rich begins his road to recovery. Darrell, a young boy who Rich befriended on the field, is also revealed to have the same cancer. Darrell introduces Rich to a game called “100 Yards of Life”. The game helps Rich slowly become better both inside and out. As he is recovering well, Ray learns a very shocking secret about the abuse coming from Tess and he intends to learn the whole truth for the sake of not only his career, but Rich’s life as well.
There is something very interesting about the faith-based genre of dramas that all depends on the tastes of the viewer. This film is a wonderful and emotional film about a man who nearly loses everything from his career to his life and his chance at another shot when he goes on this long road to recovery. While our protagonist of Rich, played by Steven Brewis, may seem arrogant at times, it is because he is suffering from the beginning as he searches for his mother, who has gone missing. However, Rich may seem like a character you have empathy for, it is sometimes hard at first to have sympathy for him before his cancer diagnosis. It is then when you will want to root for Rich as we see him on the road to both recovery and redemption.
One character you will definitely not feel any sympathy for is Rich’s estranged girlfriend Tess, played by Melissa Paulo. Granted, she is a single mother who only wants to do what she can for her family. While that’s all fine and dandy, it is her methods that you will not agree with as she intends to ruin the reputation of her now ex-boyfriend, not having a care in the world what it can cost. As for journalist Ray, played by Sean Patrick Flanery, he comes off first as a bit shady. However, as the film progresses as we see him getting his story, he lets his morality take shape, and it causes him to have to do what’s right. In this day of age with journalism and its effects on life, Ray, like Rich, finds himself at a crossroads.
Two very likable characters in the film and who help Rich on his “road” are nurse Brittany and young boy Darrell. Singaporean actress Rebecca Lim plays Brittany as a woman who at first may seem like a nurse who cares for her patient but she is one who slowly “cares” for her patient but finds herself leery due to a past love. As got young Jerald Uy, he is perhaps the best thing about Rich as his chemistry with Brewis is nothing short of both emotional and phenomenal. As a boy who looks up to Rich, Rich sees Darrell as a true inspiration to his recovery and redemption. Darrell becomes the heart and soul to help Rich lift his spirits up and in a way, forever changes our protagonist in more ways than one.
100 Yards is truly an inspiring film about redemption and recovery with great performances by the cast. The highlight is watching the chemistry between Steven Brewis and young Jerald Uy as we see these two on their journeys together and become each other’s inspirations to get better.
WFG RATING: A
RLJE Films presents an Advent Media Group and Silver Media Group production in association with Aurora Media Holdings. Directors: Ross Campbell and Dale Fabrigar. Producers: Ross Campbell and Justin Deiman. Writer: Ross Campbell. Cinematography: Don Gerardo Frasco and John Lazear. Editing: Oliver Jeyrald Lee and Tuffy Williams.
Cast: Steven Brewis, Rebecca Lim, Sean Patrick Flanery, Melissa Paulo, Jerald Uy, R.C. Ormond, Danielle Rayne, Publio Briones III, Sherman Ng, Ligaya Rabago.
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