Are you a fan of the faith-based movies Fireproof or Courageous? Well, then, there is a new movie coming out this year that you are sure to like… and this one is a comedy!
Altar Egos stars Robert Amaya as Pastor John, and Erin Bethea as his wife Betsy. Robert Amaya played Javier Martinez, the homeschooling dad in Courageous. Bethea made her feature film debut in the lead role of Catherine Holt in Fireproof.
Also, Victoria Jackson is in this movie. She’s that stand-up comedian who likes to wear bows in her hair. She’s a devout Christian who was involved in the Tea Party movement and appeared on Saturday Night Live in the late 1980s/early 1990s. (Imagine that, a conservative Christian on SNL!)
Our family watched an advance screening of Altar Egos for the purposes of writing this review. The title is a clever play on words that has a double meaning. The plot basically goes like this…
Pastor John takes over the local church after his father dies. Determined to see the church grow, John does the unthinkable and wants to change the Christmas pageant that they’ve been doing for 30 years. This inflames Mary, the choir director, and provokes a choir protest. Facing termination and desperate to reunite his church, Pastor John disguises himself as an old man to bridge the generation gap, win over Mary, and get the choir back. But when he realizes there are deeper wounds within the congregation, he must learn to love the unlovable or risk the ruin of his church and family.
I’m sure most church-goers will find something in this movie that they can relate to. Although the characters aren’t very well-developed and they’re more like superficial caricatures, I bet you’ll see at least one that you “recognize” from your own church. The movie is realistic in that conflicts within the church can be contentious, and people can be hurtful without meaning to be. The truth is, those who hurt others are often feeling hurt themselves. So you’d be wise to be mindful of people’s hidden pain. If you’re not sure what the person’s problem is, do your best to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Altar Egos is a humorous movie and yet it has a serious message. This movie reminds us to treat everyone with kindness, respect, and love. It’s important for people of all ages to try and get along. But the old adage of seeing things through each others’ eyes works both ways. While we need to respect our elders, I also think the older members of the congregation should be less stubborn and more open to new ideas, if they want their church to grow and not die out with them.
This family-friendly movie was filmed entirely in Virginia. It was produced by Spirit Fruit, Bridgestone Multimedia, and Liberty University. “For churches going through a conflict now, this movie was made just for you,” says writer/director Sean Morgan at AltarEgosMovie.com. “Altar Egos (and small group study guide) was made to help churches like yours open channels of safe and healthy discussions, to encourage healing, and to unite the family of God.”
Altar Egos is a bit corny, but some scenes are laugh-out-loud funny, and the whole premise of the movie is quite ingenious. Admittedly, it isn’t a holiday classic that will be on your family’s must-watch list every Christmas. Nevertheless, it’s a decent lighthearted comedy that kids, teens, adults, and grandparents can watch together without embarrassment. It’s especially recommended if anyone in your family is involved in a Christmas play, the church, the theater, or likes “Cyrano de Bergerac.”
Altar Egos will be available on DVD September 5. In the meantime, we have a giveaway contest opportunity for you! One lucky winner will receive 1 physical DVD of Altar Egos, shipped direct to them from the studio.
*Must be 18 years or older, open to residents of the US only. This giveaway is in no way endorsed, affiliated, or associated with Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media networking site. Giveaway ends at 12:00 AM MST on 8/29/17. Winner will be notified by e-mail. Only one entrant per e-mail address, per giveaway, but there are multiple entry options in each giveaway and you may do as many of those as you wish. If you won a prize from this site in the last 30 days, or if you won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible for this giveaway. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.
Subscribe to the Homeschooling Teen e-zine, follow us on Twitter, and/or “like” us on Facebook so you won’t miss any upcoming announcements.
DISCLOSURE: We were offered an advance screening of Altar Egos for the purpose of writing an honest review.
I have been in churches before that didn’t want any change at all and the person felt they owned whatever position they were in.
People do tend to get stuck in their ways. Maybe they should put term limits on church positions.
this sounds like an interesting movie i’m curious to see it
I saw this movie a couple days ago and thought it was cute. Pretty good even. Very funny. But then I looked up the lyrics to the song Wobble from the group dance scene. Oh my goodness. Wow. Disgusting. How could a Christian movie use that song?! Well, it’s Hollywood isn’t it? Figures. So shameful.
Hi Sandra, it’s nice to hear from you, thanks for commenting! Hmm, I don’t know if I’d call it a Hollywood production, as this film was shot entirely in Virginia. And are you sure you’re looking at the Wobble lyrics by Christian rock group Family Force 5? Because they don’t look that bad to me: https://www.letssingit.com/family-force-5-lyrics-wobble-hnsl2mb