Christian filmmakers Alex and Stephen Kendrick have used a tried-and-true formula for their movies for the past 20 years: Alex directs, Stephen produces, and they share the writing responsibilities.
That "movie-making recipe" was used with their first movie, Flywheel (2003), and then with Facing the Giants (2006), Fireproof (2008), Courageous (2011), War Room (2015) and Overcomer (2019) – all of which had mainstream success. War Room even climbed to No. 1 in the U.S. during its second weekend in theaters.
But for their latest dramatic movie, Lifemark (2022), the Kendricks handed the keys to a younger generation of filmmakers. Kevin Peeples (Like Arrows) directed it. Aaron Burns (Legacy Peak, Beyond the Mask) and Justin Tolley (The Chosen) produced it.
Alex and Stephen Kendrick served as executive producers of the film, which remained part of the "Kendrick Brothers" canon.
The change in roles was intentional.
"The call to the Great Commission is a call to invest in people and mentor them and disciple them. We're big believers in pouring into the next generation," Stephen Kendrick told Christian Headlines. "We've been saying since 2013, when our church [Sherwood Baptist in Albany, Ga.] prayed over us and launched us out, that we wanted to intentionally invest into the next generation of Christian filmmakers."
Lifemark tells the story of an 18-year-old high school student who is given the opportunity to meet his birth mom face to face. The adoption-centric film stars Kirk Cameron as the adoptive father, Dawn Long as the birth mother and Raphael Ruggero in the lead role.
Each year, the Kendricks participate in the Christian Worldview Film Festival, during which faith-based filmmakers can network and learn more about their craft. The Kendricks also have an on-set mentorship program.
Peeples, Burns and Tolley were natural fits for the new roles, Stephen Kendrick said.
"Kevin has helped us behind the scenes on War Room and Overcomer," Stephen Kendrick said. "Alex basically shifted from being the quarterback on the field to being the coach on the sidelines, helping Kevin. I did the same thing with Aaron Burns and Justin Tolley. We're cheering on these other guys, but we're still heavily involved.
"We've never left and just abandoned our posts – we've been right there with them, sometimes saying, 'Way to go,' and sometimes saying, 'What are you thinking?'" he added, laughing. "But all of that has been a beautiful, unified team that has produced a film that has collaborated the talents and the ideas of a lot of people."
Lifemark received high marks from mainstream critics. Michael Medved called it "undeniably moving ... with universally capable performances creating a range of sympathetic characters."
It releases on home video on December 13.
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Mike Pont/Stringer
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
