Brandon lived in constant trauma: his alcoholic father was in and out of his life, his mother could barely feed him and his brother, and he never had time for his studies. But worse than that, two of his basketball teammates were victims in a school shooting. Floyd lost his ability to walk and Grant lost his life.

Brandon’s heart played tug-of-war, learning to fully open up to his father while learning to forgive Travis and Wade, his classmates who shot Floyd and Grant. Balancing so many emotions is tough when you’re hungry, when you’re failing history class, and when you can’t force your loved ones to change.

However, a Christian neighbor, Lydia, asks Brandon to help her clean her yard. Brandon shows up for the money, but what he receives is Jesus’ message of hope and forgiveness. Lydia asks Brandon to remind Wade and Travis that God loves them despite what happened, which serves as deep inspiration since Lydia was Grant’s grandmother.

Brandon experiences typical middle school drama with girls and basketball practice, but the overall theme of Christ’s love is manifested through Lydia, his father’s changed life, and the forgiveness that Brandon finally unlocks.

Brandon’s father is in and out of multiple scenes, typically drunk and giving into alcoholic cravings–until he reconciles with God at the end. Due to thematically heavy alcohol elements, we award this film Dove-approval for Ages 12+. However, Christ’s redemption and love for us is the most powerful theme in Arizona Sunrise.

The Dove Take:

Arizona Sunrise unlocks the powerful ways that the Holy Spirit operates in tragedy, but certain alcohol elements might not be suited for a younger audience.