Customer Reviews

The Least Among You

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(29)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I was privileged to see a preview copy of Mark Young's remarkable film about Richard Kelly, the first black to break the color barrier of an all white seminary during the racial unrest of the 1960s. The film is beautifully violent, Christian no doubt in its themes but in no way preachy. The racial context is in fact color blind, speaking to anyone at any time who has ever felt isolated, and in that finds the core of his real being. Every member of the cast shines in a unique way that makes the whole film a stellar tour de force.

This is my sister's review.

Richard Kelly is serving time in jail having been accused of committing a horrible crime. Although he states his innocence, he has two choices. One of which is attending an all-white seminary. Richard has dreams that doesn't involve preaching, but he finds this choice better than jail.
Very few accept Richard, and as he copes with his new probabtion sentence, he learns that friends he had before seem against him as well. During this time, his mom becomes terribly ill and needs extreme medical care. The doctors first need five thousand dollars to treat her. Can he get through this? Richard faces recurring dreams that he can't seem to understand. He meets "the gardener in the basement," and begins to realize what his purpose in life truly is, and he is a true friend.
While Richard is trying to achieve his goal, he is rejected by many that cannot see past race. He begins to see how much strength he really has mentally. Richard is threatened by the seminary president that if he follows through with his goals, he will be put back into jail.
Find out how this young man handled these situations and trials. This is a very good movie that teaches us that God has control and has His own plans in our lives. In God's eyes everyone is equal and we should see everyone the same as well.

5 stars

*Thanks to Booksneeze for my review copy. This is my honest opinion.

The set-up that brings Richard to the seminary is quick. After that, we see the many obstacles that he faces as well as the support he receives from Samuel. As Richard meets challenge after challenge, layers of deception and disloyalty are uncovered. In the end, this is a story of redemption and of doing the right thing, even in the face of adversity.

I found the story compelling; the rest of my family had reactions from "Good, not great" to "Do I have to watch this?" My only caveat would be this: because of the theme and some violence, I wouldn't recommend this for younger children. I encouraged my 13-year-old to watch it, but I don't think I'd show it to younger children.

Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

The Least Among You from Lionsgate is a film that teaches about history, racism, religion, self-worth, and hope. It's an inspiring story about destiny. Through the acting talents of Cedric Sanders (Richard Kelly), William Devane (Alan Beckett), Louis Gossett, Jr. (Samuel Benton), and Lauren Holly (Kate Allison), the story comes alive.


How is a young, black man to live after being arrested in the 1965 Watts Riots? His dream job was just out of reach and his mom opened the door to a seminary education. This movie, inspired from a true story, shows us how to get past ourselves and seek peace and friendships with those who are different from us. The story pulls you into the hardships of life in 1965. From the difficult beginnings to the ending, this movie shows how God is always with us even when we don't feel Him or desire Him.

Is it easier to choose your dream or follow your destiny? Pick up this movie and see how God can orchestrate your dream into becoming your destiny.

I give this DVD/Movie a 5 Star rating! (I'd rate higher if I could!)

The Least Among You

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

I had no idea. I really didn't. Our country has been through so much. This was a great movie to illustrate the struggle without our country and within our hearts with racism and with loving others as yourself.

There were so many characters in this movie with their own struggles not just with racism but with trusting God. I was able to understand the character development and follow the storyline with ease. I wanted to see more about these people and learn who happens to them next. The story is more than just about Richard Kelly. It's about you and about me and doing what is right even when it is hard.

At first, I as taken aback by the PG-13 rating. How can a family movie be rated PG-13? Well, this movie has tough issue that will be hard for a middle schooler to fully understand. Human frailty is not new, but it is hard to understand. Now I understand the rating and am glad that it is not rated a feel-good-family-movie. It is a terrific story that I highly recommend.


To comply with new regulations introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, I must post that Thomas Nelson has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book to review. I also must say that the opinions are all mine.

The story is about a young black man, Richard Kelly, who was falsely arrested in 1965 during the Watts riots. His probation is to attend an all-white seminary school.

While attending the school as the only, and first, black man on campus, Kelly faces all the obstacles you can imagine for a man in that situation including prejudice, misunderstanding, and all out racism. As Kelly's confidence grows he begins to fight for change within the school, but eventually realizes the school leaders' motives to let him into the school are not entirely pure. Ultimately his situation inspires as much change in himself as in the students.

The best part of this movie is that it is a true story. I had never heard Richard Kelly's story before and while I think the story is much bigger than can be told in 97 minutes, I was very inspired by the movie. The cast, which gives some good performances, includes Cedric Sanders as Richard Kelly, as well as headliners Louis Gosset Jr., Lauren Holly, and William Devane.

The Least Among You has found an audience in the Christian community, but I daresay the fact that it was directed by Mark Young and produced by Julia Verdin, neither one of them strangers to mainstream media, might be why it turned out so well. Even though I am a Christian, I'd be the last person to claim that the Christian community has turned out several great movies (Yes, there have been some and there will probably be more). It's nice to see a movie that embodies Christian values that isn't trite, preachy, or overly sentimental. I really believe that Christian values can be seen in all kinds of redemptive movies that are produced in the mainstream, but that's another post.

Bottom Line: This is a great family movie (PG-13) for people who want to take the discussion about the civil rights movement beyond the classroom and into their living room. As a mom, I appreciate the struggle that Richard Kelly went through, not only as a young black man in a white school, but in the choices he had to make about his future. His faith took him through some pretty big trials and when my children are a little bit older, I plan to have them watch The Least Among You.
- Tina Ann Forkner, Author

The Least Among You
If you are a person who only likes to watch movies that sweep you along from one intense moment to the next, making you sit on the edge of your seat, then this movie is not for you. If you are a person who only likes movies that end with the boy getting the girl, this movie is not for you either. This is not a sci-fi thriller, not a futuristic fantasy, not a western nor a documentary. This is a movie that examines what it is that makes us humans. It is a look back at a history of our nation that some would like to forget and others still live. It is a soul-searching drama that makes you "feel", and makes you want the main character to excel. It is "inspired" by a true story.

But what exactly does that mean, "inspired" by a true story. Movies inspired by or based on true stories often contain only the barest hint of the truth behind the story. Often, Hollywood takes true stories and use artistic license to shape and form the story into something that will sell without worrying too much about the truth until they have wandered so far from the real story that it is almost unrecognizable as the reality it is based on. I wondered about this movie given this fact. How "true" was this story?

Fortunately, the DVD has special features that answer that question fairly well. The main character in real life has a different name then in the movie. But much of the story...the "core" of this drama, is indeed true-to-life. In view of this fact, I found this movie to be well worth the viewing and would recommend it to my family and friends with the disclaimer that it is a real-life drama.

I recently had the opportunity to review The Least Among You for Thomas Nelson Publishers. I love family-friendly movies, and was hoping this would be another good one. I read a few reviews which didn't give it the highest rating, especially because of some swearing. But after seeing the Dove "family approved" seal on the cover, I hoped it wasn't as bad as some of the reviews made it seem.

This movie is based on the true story of a black man named Richard Kelly, who was arrested in the 1965 riots and required to attend an all-white seminary for two semesters as his probation. Although it seems the president of the college wants him to break racial barriers, Richard soon realizes that he is being used to promote the president's agenda. He eventually has to make a decision to do what is right even when it could cost him everything.

Although I hoped this film would surpass the negative reviews I read, I'm disappointed to say that I didn't like it at all. Not only was there too much violence, but there is one very shocking perverted scene. Because of this, I was quite surprised that this movie got the dove "family approved" seal. I would not recommend it for family viewing. Although the story had potential, I wasn't impressed with the ending, either. I really thought the bad outweighed the good, and I wouldn't watch it again.

I received a free copy of this DVD in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.

Movies that entertain AND teach a good lesson with a wonderful ensemble cast are a rarity. Thankfully, more companies are trying to fill the gap, even if the movies go straight to DVD.

The Least Among You tells the story of a young man forced into his own crusade to break down racial barriers. In the process, he also realizes God is calling him to a different life than he envisioned.

I'd recommend this movie to anyone wanting to see a film that gives viewers a taste of life in the mid 1960s with a moderate level of violence included. My eldest son and his cousin (late middle school grades) really enjoyed this film.

I received a copy of this DVD from the BookSneeze program in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is a magnificent movie based on a true story. A young black man - Cedrid Sanders as Richard Kelly- is arrested during 1965 Watts riots, while trying to stop the violence. The deal that was made in order for him to leave the prison is that he needs to attend an all-white seminary. Although not willing to take the deal, he accepts it,through pressure of his mother. Over the seminary he suffered all types of intimidation from colleagues and from professors as well. His mother got sick and he needed money to treat her and he got envolved in a series of events that could compromise his studies and his liberty. But through the orientation of Samuel Benton - Louis Gosset Jr. in a supperb work as an elderly janitor at the seminary - he is guided during his many trials. Even former missionary Kate Allison - played by Lauren Holly - initially rejects Richard, but as per seminary's president -William Devane as Alan Beckett - request, she ended up helping him is his quest to bring more black students and black professors to the seminary. At the end, after being transformed by the circunstances, he must chose between his dream and the call from God to be a servant.

This is a movie I recommend to anyone who wants to enjoy a very nice cast in a very beautiful production. The movie is 97 minutes long and was produced by Witenuckle LLC & Rough Diamond Productions.

Thomas Nelson group were kind enough to send me a copy for reviewing through their Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers Program.