Home Run Movie Screening #HomeRunMovie

Do you enjoy baseball? Do you like to see new movies when they hit the theaters? Do you enjoy stories of hope and new beginnings? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then keep on reading!

On April 19, a brand new movie called Home Run hits theaters across the country, telling the story of Cory Brand, a major league baseball player whose addiction to alcohol threatens to ruin his career. He is ordered to join a 12 step program, Celebrate Recovery, and to help coach a little league team while he gets his life back on track. Cory is skeptical at first, but ends up finding freedom he never imagined and a fresh start. Recently, I had the opportunity to preview the movie with a group of leaders from our church, as well as any other members who wanted to join in the fun.

We advertised the screening in our weekly bulletin, and I made an announcement during the service {eep!} inviting folks to join us and give their feedback on the movie.

I also {with some help from Little Crafter} made special baseball-themed cupcakes for the event!

The day of the screening, we gathered around the television to enjoy the movie together, then discuss our thoughts. Here are some of the folks who came to check it out!

After the movie was over, I handed out a reflection sheet {boy did that take me back to my days of teaching high school!} and then gave everyone a chance to vocalize their reactions.

Here are some of the thoughts shared during our screening:

"I was surprised at the level of acting. Cory was very well cast, and Vivica A. Fox! Also really appreciated the true life testimonies."

"{The} movie presented several adult struggles without glorifying those struggles."

"It showed that struggling with life is not always easy...that we need each other and the working of Christ through the Holy Spirit. I enjoyed this movie and will tell others about it."

"I'd like to learn more about Celebrate Recovery."

Our pastor who is quite a difficult movie critic had to acknowledge "very decent acting."

And one of my personal favorites was:
"The movie was very inspirational & easy to watch since the main actor was a hottie = Cory was easy on the eyes!" {which, by the way, is very true!}

We shared about our favorite parts as well as some of the things we disliked or would have changed; for example, there were a few long sequences with not much action and a lot of scenery shots that made the story seem slow in places.  Several folks thought the movie seemed long and a few things could have been edited out.  Some of the other things we discussed dealt with specifics about the plot, characters, and ending, so I won't share those and spoil the movie for you!  I also want to note for all the parents out there that we did not bring Little Crafter along; there are thematic elements in the movie {ie: sexual addiction, sexual abuse, drug abuse, verbal/emotional abuse, substance abuse} that may not be appropriate for younger children.

Overall, we had an enjoyable afternoon watching and discussing the movie and felt that it brings an important, inspirational message.

Home Run opens in select theaters on April 19. To see if it will be playing in a theater near you, find your state on the website for a full listing. Pastors, ministry leaders, and Celebrate Recovery leaders can also enter your state on the website to find out if there are any advance premieres in your area. If your local theater isn't listed and you'd like to get involved in bringing the movie to your community, check out the Batting 1000 Program.

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Hugs & Glitter,

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and Home Run The Movie. All opininons are my own. #cbias #SocialFabric