“Gallows Road” does a terrific job showing that forgiveness is possible even in the most difficult situations. It also clearly demonstrates that a person can redeem bad decisions by making good ones.
Ernie Hudson does a great job playing Bob Collins, a family man with a wife and two kids. He’s happy because he is about to open a new store in town with his brother Seth (Marcus M. Mauldin). However, two rowdies in town named Snake Cain (Rett Terrell) and his brother Matty (Frank Mosley) plan to thwart the opening of the store. Their father previously owned the business and, on top of their jealousy of Bob and Seth now owning the store, they are prejudiced to boot. They also have the sheriff, Joe Cain (Brent Anderson), a relative, in their pocket.
They pull a local man, Jake Knight (Bill McAdams Jr.), unwittingly into their scheme and when tragedy results from the Cain brothers’ anger, Jake is prevented from interceding on Bob’s behalf. His conscience eats away at him and he turns to the bottle for relief. Ultimately he finds a strong friend and gets spiritual advice from his boss, Frank Thompson (Kevin Sorbo). Although a showdown seems inevitable, Jake is determined to stand up for what is right and to make sure Bob Collins is not harassed any more.
We are pleased to award our “Faith-Friendly” Seal for ages twelve plus to this movie. “Gallows Road” is, despite its title, a movie about life and hope. It shows compellingly the powerful freedom that comes with forgiving one’s enemy.
