PG-13 | 1h 40m | Drama, Faith-Based | Oct. 10, 2024
Islam has gotten a bad rap the last few decades thanks to violence-championing Jihadist hyperfundamentalists. However, one thing I really enjoy seeing in New York City is Muslims’ amusing lack of concern regarding American notions of religious decorum. By which I mean their willy-nilly unfurling and slapping down of a prayer-rug, with complete disregard to time and location.
When it’s time to pray to Mecca, cabbies swerve to the curb. Out pop the prayer rugs and mats with alacrity. Off come the shoes, and down they go, kneeling in supplication, head to pavement, desiring only to serve their God. I think this is fantastic. I feel if we all shared their lack of self-consciousness, the world might be a much better place. When I myself pray in public I do it with extreme furtiveness and one eye open, looking around. I feel this furtiveness denotes a certain disingenuousness. Let the public-prayer flag fly, I say.
Where to Pray
With godless communism on the rise in America and across the globe, religious freedom has naturally come under attack. The devout faithful believe they should able to express their faith, anywhere, anytime, and in any way they please.However, many non-religious communities denounce both the concept of a Creator, as well as those who believe in a Creator. Various groups condemn Christianity and any religion that would appear to have outdated, Old Testament-type laws and condemnations, tenets, and stances that allow them to discriminate against said groups.
The Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Act 2021, which went into effect in August 2022 in Victoria, bans “carrying out a religious practice, including but not limited to, a prayer-based practice ... or an exorcism.”
These kinds of laws attempt to shove not just public Christian prayer—but prayers inside your own head—into the closet. Therefore, my guess is that “Average Joe” will very likely rub quite a few people (not just Australians) the wrong way.
“Average Joe” is a faith-based film catering directly to the faithful and is therefore not shy about its pray-where-you-like stance. Even if that’s not how you roll religiously, it’s a good topic to put out there so everyone can ponder it some more.
A Coach’s Story
Former Marine Joe Kennedy (Eric Close) is a high school varsity football coach. He loses his job due to insisting—in direct violation of the school administration’s ruling—on heading out to the 50-yard line, after every game, and kneeling down to pray. Mind you, he’s not requesting, let alone demanding, his ballplayers to join him. He just wants to keep his promise to God and do what he said he was going to do.School officials say it might make the boys feel compelled to join him. They offer a few alternatives, including prescribing a private prayer room. Joe’s having none of it, stubbornly insisting on that highly visible 50-yard line.
Joe’s wife Denise (Amy Acker), who also works at the school, finds she’s become unpopular due to Joe’s intractable stance. Eventually the whole “I’ll pray where I like” kit and caboodle ends up on the doorstep of the Supreme Court.
“Average Joe” supports Kennedy’s opinion—that where the coach prays is nobody’s business but his and harms no one. However, we live in a time where the term microaggression is an actual thing; it’s a concept some take very seriously. Everyone’s going to have a different opinion.
True Story
Director Harold Cronk lays it all out logically so that those who don’t agree with Joe might still be able to understand why Joe does what Joe does. As stated above, “Average Joe’s” main audience will be the Christian faithful. And so, while it clearly intends to avoid zealous piousness, for non-believers, it’s going to veer into preachy territory regardless. That it’s a minimal amount is due the fact that it’s well-leavened with humor.
Eric Close and Amy Acker make a nice romantic married couple as Joe and Denise, although Denise sometimes swerves into crazy territory in that particular way that menfolk have absolutely zero understanding of and never will—a couple of instances of Joe expecting a glowing reception for having done what he thought she was in support of, but being met instead with bewildering icy condemnation.
My only criticisms are that the camera always intrusively and cloyingly lingers too long on their loving gazes, giving the impression that the cameraperson is slightly devoid of people skills. Also, there’s way too much breaking of the fourth wall, which, in terms of the issue at stake, has a mild badgering and browbeating effect. Sort of like the way President LBJ used to use his physicality to violate other politicians’ personal space by towering over them and leaving them no room to think.
Now, while these hiccups made it only mildly challenging to become fully invested in the storytelling, it’s enough that normally I'd start reaching for the green tomato basket. However, Joe’s penchant for plunking himself smack dab in the middle of the gridiron for a Christian prayer session, consequences be danged, like New York’s Islamic sidewalk prayer-rug cabbies and street vendors—rates high on my list of important things people maybe ought to be doing. Just for the topic alone, it gets a red tomato. Three stars.
