Customer Reviews

Joshua

5 star:		(137)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

As my wife and I sat down to watch this movie, we jokingly said, "Well at least we won't be hearing the F word every other sentence, there won't be any gratuitous sex scenes, or violence and gore." Instead, JOSHUA gave us both an exceptionally inspirational evening.
Director Jon Purdy knowing he wasn't going to be filming a shoot em up or even a hells a fire movie, relies instead on the simply beautiful story of a young man named Joshua who comes into the little town of Auburn and gives the religious people there a sense of community and belonging. In spite of the stereotypical hardhearted priest, Joshua bonds with the assistant pastor, and all the people in the town, regardless of their denominational preference. He helps rebuild a Baptist church; he goes to a Christian rock concert, and ultimately he has an audience with the Pope.
I can't praise this movie enough for the sense of love and acceptance it portrays. Tony Goldwyn gives his most effectively controlled performance of a stellar career; evoking the soft masculinity of a carpenter and the embodiment of friend and brothere, Goldwyn is perfectly cast. His final scenes with F. Murray Abraham and Giancarlo Giannini as the Pope are delivered with such quiet intensity, their impact is boundless.
Abraham is wonderful in a thankless role; his moment of epiphany, though sudden and brief, is awesomely presented. Kirk Fuller as Father Pat is the movie's comic balance, but there is a warmth and understanding in his performance that makes him all the more believable.
This movie made us feel good; it made us think; and its power of faith and love was inspirational. We loved this movie and thank Purdy and his crew for bringing us such a warm and simple affirmation of what's good in the world.

Joshua is a Christian movie that also appeals to non-Christians like myself and my family. It's hard to say much without giving away the movie's secret, but it is the story of small town USA and the winsome stranger who comes to visit and change the lives of the people who live there. There's lots of humor and loveable characters, and several very moving moments. The acting was wonderful. I'm trying to think of another movie to compare it to, and "It's a Wonderful Life" comes to mind.

"Joshua" is an uplifting movie with a truely Christian theme. I felt it was well acted, touching, humorous at times and totally enjoyable. In this era of questionable values, with Hollywood's proclivity towards sex and violence in film, this was a refreshing change.

Joshua, a stranger, comes to a small town and demonstrates through his actions and words what being a Christian is all about. His presence challenges the "church authority" and hollow observance of religious customs.

I highly recommend this movie.

Did you ever wonder just what would happen if Jesus showed up in your town now? How well would you receive Him? How well would your religious leaders receive Him? In this movie we see Joshua, who is really Jesus, show up in a town and change their lives forever.
What impressed me the most about this movie was the total love of God that it showed. Even though at times I wanted Joshua to be very angry at the different towns people, His love for them is what changed them. It was a good lesson and a reminder of just who God is, His true nature and reason for living and dying. His love for mankind.
I was deeply touched by this movie and when it was over I was grateful for the reminder of God's love for me and how I in turn should love others. I highly recommend Joshua, a great family film and one you will want to watch again and again. Wonderful!

"Joshua," based on Joseph F. Girzone's novel, is not about the Second Coming of Christ. In fact I would think that it is not about a second coming either, because I get the feeling from this film that Jesus has shown up in similar ways countless times before. This time a stranger named Joshua (Tony Goldwyn) shows up in the quiet town of Auburn. He moves into a dilapidated old barn on the outside of town and when he finds a Baptist church that was destroyed in a storm, he starts working on fixing it up. This seems odd to the members of the congregation of that church, but some of them start to pitch in and help Joshua.

There are no real surprises in "Joshua," especially since the opening credits tell us that Giancarlo Giannini plays the Pope in the movie we are about to see. But the point of the story here is not to tell you anything you do not already know. The message, when Joshua actually articulates one, is the one that has been around for almost two thousand years. So the attraction here is the enticing "what if?" as to what it would be like if Jesus suddenly showed up in your neck of the woods and started doing things and talking to people. Joshua does not preach sermons nor does he tell parables. The important thing here is that when you talk, he listens to you.

This is not the first time that a movie has tried to portray a more "realistic" type of Jesus. There was Jeffrey Hunter in the 1961 film "King of Kings," where Jesus walked among the masses while he gave the Sermon on the Mount. In "The Passion of the Christ" the focus on the story is on the scourging and crucifixion of Jesus, but in the film's few flashbacks James Caviezel reveals a remarkably accessible figure. Tony Goldwyn has an advantage in that he does not have to wear the beard, long hair, and flowing robes of the conventional images of the Biblical Jesus. He plays Joshua as what you can only describe as being a good guy, which is more difficult to play that you would think.

Auburn is not a modern Sodom or Gomorrah. The worst you can say about the place is that the different denominations are not paying attention to each other. But then one of the points about Joshua is that he not only fixes churches and carves statues of Peter, he also fixes small things. "Joshua" is about the ministry of Jesus and the miracles have the same affect they did the first time around.

The supporting cast is solid, with F. Murray Abraham as Father Tardone, the local priest who is suspicious of the stranger in town, Kurt Fuller as Father Pat Hayes, who is captivated by that same stranger, and Stacy Edwards as Maggie, who has a different idea as to what void in her life Joshua can fill. Granted, anyone who has never been to church on Sunday is not going to be interested in this film, but "Joshua" should appeal to most Christian audiences, who will find it a pleasant reaffirmation of their beliefs.

After thoroughly enjoying the book, I couldn't wait to see the movie. The movie was just as good, if not better, than the book. The character of Joshua was a great example of what Christ might be like if he were alive today. The movie had a simple message and a simple story line. Those hoping for the action of a Star Wars or Matrix will be disappointed. Those looking for an enjoyable movie that will leave you with the warm feeling of God's love inside will love it. Catholics, Protestants, and other Christian faiths should all enjoy it.

Joshua is one of those rare modern movies that doesn't have to resort to violence or elaborate special effects to maintain audience attention. This diamond in the Hollywood rough is simple yet multi-level in both character and plot.

The main character, Joshua, portrayed effectively by Tony Goldwyn, arrives in the small town of Auburn as a stranger who quickly develops a natural flowing rapport with most of the townspeople.

Conflicts arise with a local Catholic Father played by Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham, who is religiously rigid and afraid of the new stranger's growing following.

Kurt Fuller plays the assistant priest, Father Pat, who is enjoyable because of his humor and his developing openness to confront his own personal obstacles.

Joshua's power is not just in his words but also in his humble actions and helping hands offered to the locals. Joshua is reminiscent of the 90's TV series Kung Fu The Legend Continues, less the martial arts. In that TV series, David Carradine, portraying Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaolin priest, also exhibited a parallel humbleness and a "help others for nothing in return" attitude which some people don't understand...and what people don't understand, they many times fear. Move beyond that fear and the big picture becomes clear. The Catholic Father and his assistant both come to that crossroad.

This is not a fire-and-brimstone movie, rather, it is just the opposite. Joshua makes the powerful point that God is about love and not about fear, reinforcing this by proclaiming the Bible a love letter.

The musical soundtrack is peppered with songs from several noted artists including Michael W. Smith, Jaci Velasquez, Mark Schultz, Point of Grace, and Third Day. The music adds much to the overall warmth and spirit of the movie theme.

This is a movie that refreshes the Soul and does it with genuine character. It is suitable for the entire family and if someone is looking for the spirit of God that is relevant to today's world, Joshua hits the mark.

I treated myself to a movie today, and my gut is never wrong. I will be smiling/crying looking for opportunities to love not ony for the rest of the day but th erest of my life.

Joshua is a feel-good movie deeply rooted in a message many of us believe in our hearts is true: that GOd loves us and humanity and the earth are beautiful.

Simple message, beautifully protrayed. Judeo-Christian centered, but not as dogmatic as I would have expected.

Tony Goldwyn gives a great performance, and others in the cast seem like they really aren't acting at all.

Was i the only one who recognized the gay couple? Thanks, to whomever included them.

And the racial harmony was nice and -- in this day and age, not unrealistic.

I highly recommend this film, and not just for the pious. (I really liked American Beauty, too.)

All too often the lack of quality acting, writing or a budget tends to ruin filmaker's attempts to bring a quality Christian work to the screen. Left Behind is an example and if you are a fan of the series and saw the movie, then you understand what I mean. So it should come as no surprise that anyone like myself who has so enjoyed the Joshua series written by Joseph Girzone would be skeptical about the movie. But very quickly I realized that not only was this movie going to be fairly faithful to the original book, it was also going to maintain the consistant message of love and salvation that sometimes gets lost in Christian filmmaking. Tony Goldwyn whose probably been typecast since Ghost, quickly made me forget that role and pulls off an extraordinary portrayal of Joshua. Add that to a quality supporting cast and some surprises that stray a bit from the book but are nonetheless enjoyable, I would recommend this movie to anyone, whether you are a fan of the series or not.

I had to get out of my "English teacher" mode while reading the book first and realize that Christ's beauty comes in a plethora of forms. And then came the film! Some may say the story is simple---so is Jesus' (Joshua's) message. Case in point: Joshua refers to the Bible as "a love letter from God!" Others may criticize the dramatic changes in the citizens of Auburn---but that is what happens when one is confronted with the ultimate power of the Savior. Add to that some truly fine acting (particularly that of Tony Goldwyn and the actor portraying Father Pat) and you have a film good for and relevant to anyone. Please see it. You will be forever renewed! (PS: for details about the plot, see other fine reviews on this site)