The Lionsgate drama based on a New York Times bestselling novel The Shack by William P. Young stars Sam Worthington as Mack Phillips, a grieving father who meets the Holy Trinity after his daughter dies at the hands of a serial killer.
Having read the book myself, I find it disheartening just how Christianese this one turned out. The story has all the make-up of a Hollywood film, and deserved to be put in better hands by a director that didn’t feel the need to make it seem like a made-for-TV film. I mean that song from McGraw and Faith Hill at the end is incredibly cheesey.
Then again, The Shack also stars Octavia Spencer, Tim McGraw, Sumire Matsubara, Radha Mitchell, and Graham Greene. The Oscar-winning Spencer is known to give incredible performances. Let’s hope the actors can dig deep enough to make it feel fresh.
Based on the New York Times best-selling novel, The Shack takes us on a father’s uplifting spiritual journey. After suffering a family tragedy, Mack Phillips [Sam Worthington] spirals into a deep depression causing him to question his innermost beliefs. Facing a crisis of faith, he receives a mysterious letter urging him to an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Despite his doubts, Mack journeys to the shack and encounters an enigmatic trio of strangers led by a woman named Papa [Octavia Spencer]. Through this meeting, Mack finds important truths that will transform his understanding of his tragedy and change his life forever.
The Shack, which was adapted for the screen by John Fusco (Marco Polo, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Drago: Sword of Destiny), will hit theaters on March 3.
