Abel’s Field

Abel’s Field Movie Description:

Left motherless by tragedy and abandoned by his father, high school senior Seth McArdle is under enormous pressure to support his little sisters. At school, he endures the daily bullying of the football team. When he fights back, he’s singled out for punishment and assigned to an after-school work detail under the supervision of Able, a reserved groundskeeper. Much to his surprise, Seth discovers that Abel may be the only one who truly understands his struggles. As dark times lure Seth towards desperate measures, the reluctant Abel may be the one person who can point him back towards the light.

Movie Details:

• Actors: Kevin Sorbo, Samuel Davis
• Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Rated: PG
• Run Time: 104 minutes

Because we weren’t familiar with the movie prior to viewing it, my family didn’t have any preconceived notions or expectations except that it was rated PG and that is was produced by Affirm Films. Affirm Films are known for films such as Soul Surfer and Courageous – both of which we really enjoyed. One thing to note about Affirm Films is that while the films are faith-based and family-friendly, they still may contain material that is not suitable for all ages. Many of their films tackle real life, difficult situations that may be objectionable to some families. The free discussion guide may help families as they tackle some of the topics covered in the film.

Seth is a 17-year-old boy who has the world on his shoulders. He’s faced with going to high school, taking care of his two younger sisters, running the household, working 2 (or 3) jobs…. In addition to these responsibilities, he’s bombarded with bullying at school by not only his classmates (football team) but also the football coach. The coach brushes his team’s behavior under the rug while singling out Seth’s behavior (fighting back against the bullying) and threatening to have him expelled because he’s no good. The coach gives him one last chance and assigns him to an after-school work program with the temporary groundskeeper, Abel. Neither Abel nor Seth are too thrilled about the situation, but somewhere along the way, they come to respect each other.

When Seth learns that his alcoholic father is dead, he’s faced with the real possibility that he and his sister’s may soon be homeless. While the pastor does check on them, he doesn’t seem to be overly concerned or helpful to Seth and his family. Granted, Seth doesn’t reach out for help, but that shouldn’t matter as he’s a 17-year-old on his own taking care of his young sisters. His step-brother, who he reaches out to during this time of hardship, is a loser and alcoholic who only thinks of himself and makes things worse rather than better. Abel steps in (in his own way) and gives some guidance to Seth, but he can’t truly reach out because he is harboring his own guilt, his own secrets from his past that keep him from truly showing the love of the Lord to Seth.

Abel’s Field isn’t a feel good story in the traditional sense. It’s a story that could be happening in many towns across America right now. You don’t walk away with warm-fuzzies, but rather, you have a better appreciation for the importance of a solid family life. Faith in God is the undercurrent in the story, but it’s not at the forefront. It doesn’t have a fairytale ending. In fact, the ending leaves a bit to be desired as it doesn’t have that complete closure that I, as a viewer, desired, but that also made it more realistic in its own way.

While we didn’t love Abel’s Field, we did like the movie and enjoyed it. We found ourselves impressed with the fact that Seth continued to attend high school rather than drop out. He shouldered the responsibility and didn’t complain about it. He worked with what he had. His downfall, like many of us, was his pride. He didn’t know how to ask for help from others or from God. Once he learned that it was okay to ask for help and once he turned to the Lord, things started to get better for him. His life still wasn’t easy, but it was better. The Lord doesn’t promise that our life will be easy, but He does promise to be there for us. This was shown in the film in a very real way.

Disclosure: I received a copy of the above mentioned dvd as a member of the FlyBy Promotions to help facilitate the writing of a frank and honest review. A positive review is not guaranteed, and all opinions are my own.