My Brother's Keeper- #MomentumInfluencer

{Many thanks to Collide Distribution for providing this product/product information for review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.}

PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) is a condition that is very prevalent in our society. Most of us have heard the term used, but we may not understand what can trigger it or the different ways it may manifest in people’s lives. In addition, many who deal with PTSD suffer in silence, feeling very isolated in their struggle. And many that battle this condition are those who have returned from protecting our Nation’s freedoms: our men and women in the military. My Brother’s Keeper gives a fresh perspective on how this condition affects the lives of our soldiers.

My Brother’s Keeper is a powerful, intense Christian film about the reality of PTSD for so many returning veterans. Featuring War Room‘s T.C. Stallings, The Cosby Show‘s Keshia Knight Pulliam, and Joey Lawrence, this is an important film that I believe will shed light on this reality for so many.

Synopsis (from the MBK website):

My Brother’s Keeper shares the story of returning war veteran SFC Travis Fox (TC Stallings) who has one more battle to fight – PTSD. Fox and his best friend SFC Ron “Preach” Pearcy (Joey Lawrence) are in their 6th combat deployment when Preach and his entire Ranger platoon are killed in a deadly improvised explosive device attack. Travis returns to his hometown to settle the affairs of his parents who had passed away years before.

In searching for answers about his parents, he also discovers a new obstacle in PTSD. He finds support from church counselor, Tiffany Robertson (Keshia Knight-Pulliam) and slowly begins to rediscover his faith in God, until he discovers a secret. Travis uncovers a secret hidden by his best friend Donnie Berry (Robert Ri’chard) that threatens his new-found faith, restores his guilt, and causes him to consider the unthinkable.

My Thoughts

Let me state this first: I promise, as the title says, that I will not give any plot points away! That being said, I will endeavor to share what I felt really worked in My Brother’s Keeper to help share the message about PTSD with accuracy and compassion.

Firstly, I could tell that the storyline of this movie was really thought through. When telling a story with such a weighty topic, I feel it is best to explore it in the context of relationships. Yes, PTSD is a major focus, but there are the elements of love, faith, brotherhood and more to help us connect with the characters and drive the story. In addition, My Brother’s Keeper was written and produced by Ty Manns, a veteran and father of active duty sons, and that gives the experience of a veteran returning home from war depth and authenticity in this movie.

Secondly….I love the cast of this film! There is a mix of both seasoned, well-known actors and everyday people, and the characters they portray feel very relatable. There are folks from all walks of life in this one town – a pastor, a handyman (who made me chuckle), a counselor, a shop owner, and even some folks making some questionable choices in how they make their money. And this is a multiethnic town, which makes for a heartwarming church scene in the film. It warmed my heart because it made me think, “This is what Heaven must look like!”

Lastly, they handled some tough scenes well. In a day and age where the more carnage that is seen onscreen the better, My Brother’s Keeper takes a different approach. A couple parts of the story were only implied, and the impact of the storyline was just as powerful, without having to see something that would be jarring. I am really grateful because I am one who is very sensitive to visuals in movies and TV shows. The choice they made to do it that way allowed me to absorb the impact of the story without having to see it over and over in my head.

One last note: I was struck by how the movie spoke of God AND treatment, that they are not mutually exclusive. That was encouraging and liberating.

I really enjoyed this film for all the reason mentioned above, and because it features important, hopeful messages on the reality of PTSD.

Giveaway

And now…the GIVEAWAY! One winner will receive one digital code for My Brother’s Keeper (only valid for winners in North America) To enter, just share this blog post on Facebook or Twitter, including the hashtag #MyBrothersKeeperMIN

That’s it! Best wishes to everyone who enters, winner will be chose by March 24th.{Since this is a theatrical release, the digital code will not be available until the film is released on home entertainment.}

MY BROTHER’S KEEPER will be releasing in theaters on Friday, March 19th, so I am helping to spread the word so everyone can safely go see the film at a theater near them or host the film at their church through the Faith Content Network!