NR | 1h 13m | Drama | 2020
Faith-based films have long been stigmatized as being of lower production quality. They may not have the prettiest visuals, but they usually pack a more heartfelt and meaningful story than the slicker, triple-A titles churned out by major studios.
“One Life at a Time” is produced by JC Films in conjunction with Mel Trotter Ministries, a Christian nonprofit in Michigan dedicated to helping the homeless with food, shelter, and clothing. This little film presents a rich picture in the heart department, even if the seams show in the technical department.
A Sentence With Meaning
Soon, Jacob finds himself before a judge and slapped with a dose of poetic justice. He’s required to do community service at the very place designed to help the kind of person he just humiliated: Mel Trotter Ministries.A recent high school graduate from a cushy, upper-middle-class world, Jacob is clearly out of his element. His initial reaction to the shelter is all wrinkled nose and condescension. A friend even warns him that the place is teeming with “hepatitis and bedbugs.”
A Changing of Perspectives
One of the things that I appreciated most about this movie was that Jacob’s transformation wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t some neatly packaged, Hallmark-style turnaround. He starts out cold, callous, and consumed with self-image, and only gradually softens through contact with people who live on the margins of society.
Arnold gives a fairly decent performance, when the sound mix lets you hear him. And here’s where the indie budget peeks out from the edges. Audio issues abound. Whispery lines get swallowed in the mix, and an annoying electrical hum buzzes through several interior scenes like a persistent mosquito.
Still, amid these technical hiccups, there are flashes of sincerity and surprising depth. A few of the homeless characters get to shine as more than props in Jacob’s journey; they’re people with faces, voices, and a quiet dignity that doesn’t feel forced.
A standout moment comes during a surreal dream sequence, when Jacob hears a disembodied voice murmur: “Good people can do bad things, but it’s in Christ that you can find healing and direction.” That same voice adds, “You are not your last mistake.” It’s a bit on the nose, sure, but it’s also earnest, and, for a film like this, that counts.
Dean Cain pops in for a supporting role and delivers it with the professional ease you’d expect from a seasoned actor. The rest of the cast, mostly unknowns, range from passable to surprisingly good. There’s an unpolished charm to it all, like watching a high school theater production where everyone really means it, even if some of the actors miss their cues.
What “One Life at a Time” lacks in technical sheen, it makes up for in spiritual clarity and nourishment. It’s not trying to win awards. It’s trying to reach hearts. And in that, I think it succeeds.
Sometimes a story reminds us that redemption is possible, even for someone who started out as a villain. This film succeeds in doing what many faith-based films aim to do. It shows the power of grace and humility, one imperfect frame at a time.
