Thursday, September 13, 2018

Unbroken: Path To Redemption in Theaters October 5 {+ A Fandango Giveaway}



As the wife of a military man, there is one thing I know to be true:

War impacts people long after they come home.

I feel like these days, the topics are PTSD and the aftermath of war are becoming more frequently talked about. We've often heard that there are 22 veteran suicides each and every day, but does not even begin to cover the additional service members who deal with some degree of PTSD after returning home. While it is certainly more talked about now, these after effects are not new. Today I'm sharing a movie that shines a light on that, 'Unbroken: Path To Redemption'- 

After  surviving  a  plane  crash,  weeks  of  floating  on  a  makeshift  raft  in  the  Pacific,  and  then  years  of  torture  as  a  prisoner  of  war,  Louis  Zamperini  finally  returns  home  to  California,  seemingly  unbroken.  When  the  war  ended,  his  battle  began.    Based  on  Laura  Hillenbrand’s  bestselling  book,  UNBROKEN:  PATH  TO  REDEMPTION  begins  where  the  hit  movie  Unbroken  concludes,  continuing  the  unbelievable  true  story  of  Olympian  and  World  War  II  hero  Louis  Zamperini.

Haunted  by  nightmares  of  his  torment,  Louie  sees  himself  as  anything  but  a  hero.  Despite  battling  demons,  anger,  and  alcohol,  Louie  feels  obligated  to  participate  in  an  Army  tour  to  raise  money  for  War  Bonds.  But  as  he  focuses  more  on  hotel  bars  than  his  public  appearances,  Louie  is  ordered  to  take  R&R  on  the  beaches  of  Miami.    There,  he  meets  Cynthia,  a  young  woman  who  captures  his  eye—and  his  heart.  After  a  whirlwind  courtship,  the  couple  weds  and  moves  to  Los  Angeles. 

While  pursuing  every  avenue  of  hope  he  can  find—from  trying  to  reestablish  himself  as  a  world-class  runner  to  get-rich-quick  investment  opportunities—Louie’s  wrathful  quest  for  revenge  drives  him  deeper  into  despair  ...  and  the  bottle.  Hopeless  and  on  the  brink  of  divorce,  Cynthia  experiences  Billy  Graham’s  1949  Los  Angeles  Crusade  where  she  finds  faith  in  God  and  a  renewed  commitment  to  her  marriage  and  her  husband.  Now,  her  most  fervent  prayer  is  for  God  to  help  Louie  find  the  peace  and  forgiveness  he  so  desperately  needs. 

Many of you may have already seen the original Unbroken movie which focused on the story of Olympian and WWII hero Louis Zamperini during his time as prisoner of war. I'm going to be 100% honest- I haven't seen it myself, as I don't tend to be drawn to war movies. Still, in anticipation of reviewing this film, I did a little research. What I discovered is that there was some criticism that the original did not say anything about Louis' struggles with alcohol and PTSD, or his Billy Graham inspired conversion to Christianity. 

As I watched Unbroken: Path To Redemption, I learned that this truly was the story covered in this movie. It doesn't sugar coat those struggles, but really gives a quite honest look at the battle that began at home after the war- a battle that affects not only the veteran but the family as well. So, while watching Unbroken might offer some better insight as to just what kind of experiences he experienced during his time as prisoner, I feel like this movies stands very well on its own. They are two different perspectives of the same story- one during and one after. 

But the story doesn't end there. In the end it truly is a story of God's power of redemption and how he can take us- broken as we are- and turn our lives around. Now, that truly IS an amazing story, and this movie depicts it so beautifully.


So often when we encounter movies that tackle faith, they tend to get a little cheesy, or perhaps they just don't feel real- for lack of a better word. It seems they often seem a little sugar coated even. This movie felt 100% genuine, and truly just so beautifully done. To be honest, it is only in about those final 20-30 minutes where we see that change take place and faith begin when Louis' wife Cynthia experiences a crusade from none other than Billy Graham-- a well known name is most every Christian household. The movie even featured Will  Graham as his grandfather, Billy Graham which I could not help but think was such a wonderful tribute to him. It is a beautiful testimony, but it feels genuine because it IS. 

If you're struggling and need a reminder of God's redemptive powers, or if you just want to see a fantastic story of faith, Unbroken: Path To Redemption is a must see. It will be in theaters October 5, 2018.

And one very lucky reader is going to win two Fandango codes to experience the movie in theaters for themselves. Enter using the giveaway form below:


Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and 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.
Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

5 Comments:

  1. I am so glad they are including his relationship with God and his struggles after his trauma in this movie! I was disappointed in the first movie.

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  2. This looks like a movie we would like to see.

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

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  3. I saw the first Unbroken and thought it was an amazing story...looking forward to this one.

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  4. My sister would like this movie.
    Thanks for the contest.
    slehan at juno dot com

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  5. subscribe email: slehan at excite dot com

    ReplyDelete

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