Part drama, part romantic comedy, Amazed by You begins with Christian (“Chris”) Andrews and his best friends camping as children. The group, bound by mutual love for Chris and each other, dub themselves the “Faith Club” and promise to always be there for each other. As time goes on, the friends drift apart, and after high school, Chris loses contact with his best friend Tim. Now a college chaplain, Chris is drawn back into Tim’s life in the most crushing way—his funeral. Chris gets the opprotunity to “walk a mile” in Tim’s shoes, helping out on the Arizona ranch he’d been working and living on for the past few years. Along the quest to connect with his long-lost friend’s memory, Chris meets Amy, the strong, take-charge daughter of the ranch’s owners. As the short trip becomes a long-term stay, Chris discovers unsettling information about his best friend, all while falling in love and gaining new understanding.

Amazed by You is a feel-good faith film, which handles issues of forgiveness, loss, and faith in a tactful way. While at times the storytelling may be disjointed, and the love story itself can be a bit “cheesy,” the film has a great plot with a nice little twist at the end. The relationships in the film are multi-faceted, although never fully developed, and the characters are likeable and easy to watch. The major star of the film is not the budding romance between Chris and Amy, although it is adorable to watch. No, the real star of the film is the mystery surrounding Tim’s life, death, and how that affects people’s perception of him. How do you love someone past their sin? How much grace does it take to undo the past? Couple that with an incredible outdoor cowboy church, a Jesus-loving biker gang and a pair of criminals-turned-friends, and you’ve got a great film to gather around.

Topics to Discuss:

I would like to note that in the film, dating Chris draws uncertain Amy closer to her faith, and that may leave the faint impression on some viewers that by dating someone who is not a Christian or maybe isn’t 100 percent sure of their faith, they can be won to Christ and that everything will be happily ever after. While this type of “missionary dating” (although not an intentional point on the part of the filmmakers), is not advisable in real life, it does make an excellent topic of conversation for this film—as does forgiveness and transformation. Is the good work Tim did at the end of his life enough to “make up” for his past? How do we forgive? How can we hold a grudge when Christ has already forgiven? Amy and Chris also exmplify a godly relationship by waiting and treating each other with respect. I think there are a lot of really great points in this film that are worth discussing, and the film is so clean and simple it makes it an easy conversation starter for families.

The Dove Take:

Amazed by You is a feel-good faith film which handles issues of forgiveness, loss, and faith in a tactful way.