All Saints 2017

     This film is based on a true story.  Michael Spurlock was formerly a paper salesman and now he's a pastor.  His new assignment is to a tiny church that is going to be shut down in a small town in Tennessee.  There are few members and they can’t afford to pay the mortgage for the property.  Soon after Michael arrives with his wife and son, a group of refugees from Southeast Asia start to attend the church.  They are on welfare, looking for jobs and they don’t have enough money for food.  They find jobs working for a chicken processing plant and then their welfare is cut off.  Michael needs to find a way for the mortgage to be paid and a way for the refugees to have more money.

     The refugee people are from the Thailand-Burma border region and they are called Karen (Kah-REN).  There is estimated to be about seven million Karen people.  Their language is written using Burmese script.  Hundreds of thousands of Karen people were killed in the conflict in Myanmar during the 60-year civil war.  About 140,000 made it across the border to refugee camps in Thailand.  There was a major effort to resettle the Karen, about $160,000 came to America and more than 10,000 refugees came to Minnesota.  There are communities of Karen in Indiana, New York, New Jersey, Arizona and Texas.  The Karen people usually plant gardens with tomatoes, corn, other vegetables and they raise chickens.  This film is good and there are surprises you don’t expect!!  There are also grumpy people with their own interests and they want everything to remain the same!!  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

108 min, Drama directed by Steve Gomer with John Corbett, Cara Buono, Myles Moore, Barry Corbin, Nelson Lee, Angela Fox, Gregory Alan Williams, John Wise Win, Jeanne Kang, Daivd Keith, Todd Truley, John Newberg.

Note:  Imdb 5.9 out of 10, 94% critic 73% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3*, Amazon 4.4* with 55 reviews, Metacritic 63 out of 100 with 7 critics 5.6 user with 14 reviews, PluggedIn 4.5* out of 5*.

Special Note:  Also known as Fields of Faith.  John Corbett and Barry Corbin worked together on Northern Exposure.  John Corbett was also in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.