The Wager (2007) Poster

(2007)

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4/10
It's Pouring on Randy Travis
bkoganbing21 April 2012
The Wager casts Randy Travis as an Oscar nominated actor whose career looks pretty bright. But Hollywood is a most fickle employer and just as things are in high gear it all starts falling apart.

That old adage of it never rains unless it pours sure applies to Randy Travis. He gets into a creative dispute with the director on his current film Bronson Pinchot and walks off. Then his leading lady Candace Cameron Bure won't get any kanoodling as per Randy's faith. And when Candy sees Randy with a little boy who is just there as part of a big brother program in his house, she jumps to all the wrong prurient conclusions. Randy's deeply religious Christian mother is dying and to top it all off he slugs a bottom feeding gossip columnist.

Lindsay Lohan in her best high living days wasn't getting dumped on as bad as Travis nor getting as much bad publicity.

In the end though an unseen power pulls Randy out from the depths and actually allows him to be a real life hero instead of a movie one. If you're a believer you know that God is finally answering his prayers.

The Wager purportedly about the perils of being a Christian in Hollywood certainly lacks quite a bit of verisimilitude. There's one scene in there where Pastor Matthew Barnett is preaching and tells everyone that prayer is better in solitude and quotes the Scripture toward that end. Apparently Tim Tebow never heard that message.

John Hagee the rightwing preacher from San Antonio also appears her delivering sermons on television as Travis seems to get nothing but religious programming when he turns on the tube. Travis has appeared many times in his church, boosting his ministry and Hagee is a part producer of the film.

The Wager will certainly resonate well on the Christian circuit, but for general audiences, they won't find it credible.
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7/10
Wonderful Movie + Message!
dudenerd10 April 2021
Actor must confront his faith as he withstands trials in private and public. Struggling to do the right thing he loses focus but there is still hope lurking underneath.
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8/10
A good Christian movie
Peter_C_Hall4 January 2011
This is a low budget movie that looks a bit high budget. (if you can have such a thing). Its well produced & directed.

The acting is good. Randy Travis is not a great actor, but he did well for this part. At first, you think "Randy is a bit one dimensional", but then you realize the part he is playing. In fact, the more the movie progresses, the more depth he brings to it.

The stunts are of the highest quality, the message is timeless and it is well scripted.

One criticism is the length - its a bit too short. But then again, they say a good movie is made on the cutting room floor.

Well done to the producers.

More please !
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8/10
It's the message that counts.
SmileysWorld30 May 2009
Let's face it.When it comes to movies that express Christian beliefs and values,you are not going to get the Hollywood heavyweights.There is no one named Depp,Hanks,or Penn.They wouldn't be caught dead anywhere near anything like this.About as good as you are going to get are a country music singer and a few former sitcom actors.With The Wager,it's not about great performances from the actors.As long as they don't just stand around and look like they are reading from cue cards and are giving their best effort,I am satisfied with that.It's not about dazzling special effects.Don't need those.It's about the message,and it is presented well.
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10/10
Brilliant movie!
digiteum19 August 2018
I enjoyed this film immensely and it told a very real story about Hollywood and how it can destroy people. Nothing wrong with a bit of fiction, but this story was more - you don't have to be an A-list star to move people and emotionally take them on a journey - I guess I am sentimental and I cried through parts of the film. It almost appears that non-Christians, atheists can have a field day knocking Christian movies - but there was much more than a religious film here - there was a person experiencing real problems due to the Paparazzi wanting a story at any cost. The ability to knock someone down and pin a rumor on them. This story managed to change the view of the Oscar winner, but in real life sometimes the truth doesn't come out at all. Well worth watching!
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9/10
If you too have struggled...
joematlockauthor29 January 2018
Choose. To stand with the world and be judged by God, OR Stand with God and be Judged by the world...

A great Christian film for those struggling in world. An inspiration to stand strong In the world no matter the worldly cost!
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8/10
It doesn't need to have much plot!!!
lerkim9 January 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Now I am not a Christian, I am actually a Buddhist, but this movie isn't that bad as you might think, the story itself is without much deepness, but it doesn't need any deepness. It isn't even that long, and it doesn't really have any huge point in the story where it all changes, it is about the faith of the lost, the faith that must be gained ones more, through a lot of pain, faith give you power, that is what this movie is actually about. About the falling of the kind that trusts in the thing they believe, and the endless beginning of the start of trusting and believing in what you long ago lost. Randy Travis, well what can be said about him, I am actually not a Randy Travis fan if I have to be honest, it isn't because he haven't preformed anything good, it is just that it isn't what I normally follow so I was skeptic about seeing a movie with him. I jumped onto a ticket one of my girl friends had, and saw it with her, the movie didn't change me, but it made me believe that sometimes people just need to believe to hold onto hope, to have faith, and in this movie Randy Travis does just what is needed, he plays this movie really good, I couldn't see anyone else than him playing it, so with saying that he did a good job with this movie, it made me care, even though I am a Buddhist I cared. The soundtrack of the movie isn't that big but for what it is, it surely isn't flawless, but it does have a lot of good tracks on it, and does sets the mood of the movie, even the little turning point where Randy Travis ends up praying, that song was fitting perfectly. The effects of the movie isn't anything to yell about, but this isn't a movie that needs them at all, there are weird flashbacks and other stuff, it doesn't need to be there nevertheless it makes the movie more in debt and you care a little more than normal. I won't argue with the rating, I will put my rating at 8, this reason is that if you see through all the flaws and the little plot line it isn't bad, it has what it needs, it wasn't a big movie and it didn't take long, but it in the end didn't need to, the movie is a perfectly fitted more and does what it does, I will end with this single quote I myself chose to write.

We humans need to have faith to believe, to live we must have something to hold on to, It could be anything, but it all starts with trusting.
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10/10
The Greatest Movie of all Time
boltman800026 February 2011
Warning: Spoilers
*Contains Minor Spoilers!!!!*

The Wager. Based on the best-selling novel by Bill Myers, and directed by the brilliant Judson Pearce Morgan, this wondrous gem of a film will truly move you in ways you didn't think possible. No review could by any means do this movie justice, but I will humbly try.

STORY: From beginning to end, "The Wager" is suspenseful, powerful, touching, and impacting. I found myself glued to my TV from the very first scene, unable to move away. "The Wager" is about Michael Steel, a highly successful actor nominated for a Golden Globe with the perfect life, until it suddenly turns into a hurricane of disaster and carnage. Everything bad that can possibly happen to a man, happens to Mike. He even starts to question his faith!(I KNOW!!!!) The script is sheer genius, one tense situation after the next, twists at every turn. Movies that keep you guessing like this just aren't made anymore.

CHARACTERS: Randy Travis is absolutely phenomenal as the lead, he really brought the character and movie to life. No longer was I watching the Quintuple-Platinum country singer acting in a movie, but I saw Mike and the world through HIS eyes. And in the middle of the movie we are blessed with a song by Travis that took my breath away. It literally took my breath away, I actually had to pause the movie so I wouldn't have a heart attack. The supporting cast is fantastic as well, I'd give them all Oscars if it were up to me.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Not much to say here except that it was the best I've ever seen and makes any other movie look like it was done by a 2-year old. Real Professionals here people!!!

SOUND: Every song in the movie fits every situation perfectly. The music grabs your heart and tears it out of your body, replacing it with God's heart. It's angelic ecstasy for your ears. It's that good, I have the soundtrack and I listen to it every single day.

FINAL WORDS: I often found myself holding my breath during the tense situations, and sobbing hysterically during the scene where...(oops, can't blow the movie for you!!). I actually got on my knees and prayed for Mike during some scenes. And by the end of the movie, I was goosebumping so hard that I actually blacked out and saw Jesus. As soon as the credits roll was finished, I hit play again, and strapped myself in for the ride of a lifetime. How many people can actually say that they loved a movie so much that they watched it again right after it ended? I can, and as I write this review I'm actually waiting for my "The Wager 10-pack" to come in the mail. I would give this movie 800 billion out of 10 if I could, so what are you waiting for?

WATCH THIS MOVIE!!! It will change your life!!!
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