Courageous (2011)

Courageous is a 2011 American independent Christian drama film directed by Alex Kendrick and written by Kendrick with his brother Stephen Kendrick. It is the fourth film by Sherwood Pictures, the creators of Flywheel, Facing the Giants, and Fireproof. Filming in Albany, Georgia concluded in June 2010. The film was marketed by Sony's Provident Films, which also marketed their previous films.

The film was directed by Alex Kendrick, who co-wrote its screenplay with his brother Stephen Kendrick. Alex Kendrick also stars in the film, along with Ken Bevel, Kevin Downes and Ben Davies. About half of the cast and crew were volunteers from Sherwood Baptist Church, while the remainder were brought on through invitation-only auditions.

The film was produced with a budget of $2 million, but on its opening weekend it grossed $2 million in pre-sales alone and grossed $9.1 million total for the weekend. It grossed a total of $35.2 million, over 17 times its budget. The film opened to mixed reviews from critics, but received a rare A+ CinemaScore rating from filmgoers.

Synopsis

Nathan Hayes (Ken Bevel) is at a gas station in Albany, Georgia, trying to clean his windshield when his truck is stolen. Hayes runs after the truck, clinging to the side and fighting the thief through the open window. Hayes is then thrown from the truck and it crashes into a tree. The perpetrator escapes, and Hayes is shown in pain and struggling to get to his truck. Bystanders tell him not to worry about the vehicle but he is not concerned about the vehicle at all and opens the back door to reveal his infant son, crying in his car seat, apparently unharmed.

Actors