Unconditional (IV) (2012) User Reviews

Solid, compelling storytelling, if slightly overdramatized

[user-271-555103 · 8/10 · 5 September 2012]

I got to see an early showing of this film, and went in knowing very little about it. When a special message for my screening played, describing the process of making it and revealing that it was coming from Harbinger, a media company "created to produce high quality theatrical films that honor God," I groaned a bit internally, fearing a trite, preachy, overly earnest two hours.

The film was wonderful. Beautiful, even.

It tells the story of Samantha Crawford, a woman whose life is falling apart. Her husband has been killed in a senseless incident, and she is severely depressed. Through a seemingly random encounter with two girls, she is reunited with one of her oldest friends, Joe Bradford.

I'm not sure whether or not the character of Samantha exists, but the parts about Bradford are all based on the actual man, who was involved in the production of the film. He is a truly inspiring figure, and the representations of his compassion and love for the impoverished neighborhood he lives in do not feel at all forced.

In fact, none of the film did, except for a small scene toward the end, and each character was well-written and well-portrayed.

I definitely recommend this movie. I suppose some may find it preachy, but it is mostly an examination of love and hope, and how to continue on when they are lost. Or even better, how to regain them. 8/10

UNCONDITIONAL Is Unconvincing in Many Ways but Remains Meaningful and Enjoyable

[doug_park2001 · 7/10 · 6 March 2013]

As you may already be aware, this is a Christian film based partly on the life and work of "Papa Joe" Bradford, a former convict who founded a special program for "at risk" children in Nashville, Tennessee. While there is a definite religious agenda here, it's not too preachy and avoids promoting any specific church or doctrine.

The main reason why I give this as high a rating as I do is that the story of Samantha Crawford's search for her husband's murderer is quite riveting in places; there are some truly suspenseful and surprising moments here. Most of the acting is quite good, as is the cinematography, which shows some really captivating shots of storm clouds, waterfalls, and the like, as well as realistic filming of inner-city Nashville.

Still, the plot is all over the place, and the stories of Samantha and her childhood friend Joe do not intertwine quite as well as they could. The pervasive and schmaltzy soundtrack is distracting and seems a bit too intent on telling us how to feel about this and that. This entire film would have worked so much better if there had been more focus on simply relating the stories without trying to manipulate the audience's perceptions and emotions. While to its credit, the central Christian message keeps itself out of the film until toward the end, UNCONDITIONAL always seems to be on the verge of making some heavy-handed moral. The time-frame is also unclear; e.g., Joe Bradford is incarcerated for computer hacking, yet they still play phonograph records in the prison(?) While the film tries to be grittily realistic in places, the final effect falls flat, i.e., "We can show bloody murder, inner-city life in the 'projects,' and prison brawls, but _please_, no f-bombs, sexual references, or any of that type of stuff!!" The dialog is probably the most problematical element here. The creators were obviously trying to avoid an "R" rating, but this could have been better accomplished by simply having less (or at least less audible) dialog in the rougher spots.

Such is also the case with the ludicrously fake prison-yard fight scene. In the Special Features, one of the directors states that the actual fight that occurred during Joe Bradford's incarceration was "much more brutal than we could show on film." That being the case, it would have been more effective just to show the whole thing summarily and/or hazily, allowing the audience to tell what's going on without having to see it in graphic detail.

All the same, UNCONDITIONAL has many fine moments. The children (and theme of childhood in general) are particularly great in every respect. Bradford's first encounter with God's love (while in isolation during his prison stay) is also extremely well-done and worthy of mention.

don't judge till the end...

[andy_claudy8 · 7/10 · 10 March 2013]

Well I decided to write my 1st review since I kinda understand why this movie critics were so mixed. Must say it was not what I expected to be but not in a bad way... I did not know if I hated or loved this movie till the end...started watching it very late at night and felt asleep, in the morning I felt I should give it try and see it till the end since I could not rate it otherwise. Well I'm glad I did. It has a deep message, emotional and beautiful picture and music. It is true that scrip could have been better and in some occasions is a little bit over dramatic but in the end it all makes sense. So... my advice, don't judge too soon ;)

Spectacular

[susan-ra-long · 10/10 · 23 September 2012]

I absolutely love this movie, I had no idea that this movie would move me the way that is has. The story of the two characters and how they intersect in each others lives is wonderfully played out. I agree with the other reviews that the movie didn't seem forced at all because it seems its based on fact and not fiction. I was in tears, I laughed , and cried again. This story of unconditional love and redemption is wonderful. To make it even better the basis of the movie had in it the LOVE of God, many people may not appreciate that but its a beautiful concept to be placed in such a wonderful plot. The words to use for how I feel about this movie, I find none because it was just that awesome.

Not a dry eye...

[alex_clair-269-877106 · 30 September 2012]

I saw this movie last night. Afterwards had dinner with the producer's parents so was fun to get the back-story. I went in not expecting much since many smaller budget, independent films don't deliver. But... happy to report this was a very good film. It was well directed and acted. The writing flowed and technically sound. In other words, there was no element which distracted from being in the film and with the characters as the plot unfolded. The little boy that played the part of Macon must have a bright career ahead of him. Casting agents should give him consideration. I so agreed with the social dynamic of fatherlessness in America and how this impacts destiny. At the end of the film the audience actually applauded. I've only seen this once before in all my years of movie-viewing. By all means go and see this film. Or... put it on your list to rent when the DVD comes out. I'll be doing the same because I'll want to view it a second time and then pass along to my son and his family.

Lynn Collins and Michael Ealy good acting

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 18 October 2013]

Sam Crawford (Lynn Collins) and Joe Bradford (Michael Ealy) are childhood friends who reconnects under difficult circumstances. She has lost her loving husband in a violent crime. She is suicidal and about to shoot herself when she runs to the aid of two little kids. They got run over after committing a petty crime. Sam finds that Joe is their mentor. In fact he's a mentor for many fatherless neighborhood kids even with his failing health.

This falls under the category of Christian film. The themes aren't too over the top. It's embedded into the story and is very watchable. The only problem is that there are a few too many coincidences to start this off with. Although it purports to be inspired by real life, this strikes an artificial note in the story.

Lynn Collins is very compelling as this character. She strips down to show some emotions in this role. Michael Ealy is good as the saintly Joe without being preachy. The little kids are pretty good too, especially Kwesi Boakye who plays Macon.

An unexpected surprise ... excellent in every sense of the word

[debsmith · 10/10 · 23 September 2012]

I went into this movie with no expectations, but loved - loved - loved it! So many great messages, ideas, concepts ... I'll be thinking about this movie for a long time forward. It's full of Biblical concepts, but doesn't feel the least bit "preachy". Honor the PG-13 rating and don't take younger kids ... although the concepts of love, acceptance, struggle, faith, hope, etc. are universal, there is some violence and some of the subjects/themes are in many ways adult (as in grown-up, not as in sexual). Again, loved the movie and want to see it again to better soak in the details ... I may have missed something due to the tears (both sad & happy ones).

Not Bad - Can Get Into It Though

[cB391 · 6/10 · 2 May 2013]

This is an overview of the movie without giving away anything as some people do like to go into a movie cold. The main characters have opposite lives connected by common events. Both have their faith in God questioned at key moments in their lives. They respond asymmetrically and this leads them through different paths. While the story does focus on how God's love is unconditional, it goes past the obvious message and suggests that people make the changes in the world that they want to see. The movie will start of slow, and fast forwarding might be a nice option. As you get to the middle of the movie, there are some funny scenes, a little action and an attempt to build a complex storyline based on the interconnectedness of the main characters and the supporting cast of children.

6/10 - Definitely worth a watch, it might make you feel good - but does leave some annoying questions that go unanswered, some stereotypical characters that do exist to further the storyline, but all in all it is an enjoyable second half - wouldn't recommend for children solely because it is a complex storyline that might be a bit tough to follow.

Excellent Film

[kplorax · 10/10 · 13 June 2013]

The description of the film as "Christian-oriented" almost made me not watch this movie. I thought it might be too preachy or religious for my taste. I am glad I gave Unconditional a chance because it was an excellent film with an overall good spiritual message and a message about how important one person can be in a community and how important a community can be for one person. Nothing about the plot is too original and plot was sometimes unbelievable or just too scripted. Yet I loved it. With so many movies and documentaries focused on fighting and violence, it was refreshing to see a movie that was so positive without being too cheesy. Excellent acting by everyone but especially Lynn Collins and Michael Ealy. In the tradition of Pay It Forward.

Heart-felt and touching, though comprised of a simple story-line

[epalmer-72056 · 7/10 · 8 May 2018]

The general message and parts showcasing the children and "Papa Joe", played by Michael Ealy, his story and what he did for those children brought an appreciation for children in tough situations. Such as children in the projects to who "Papa Joe" became the only father figure they had, he taught them who a man should be and how to have compassion for those around them. The movie then follows Joe as he cares for local children and Sam as she reunites with him, the children, and follows a path to find her husband's killer. The underlying murder mystery seemed unnecessary for the message of the movie and a bit forced. However, Lynn Collins played the part of a grieving widow quiet wonderfully and Michael played the compassionate father figure beautifully; Michael's character really touches your heartstrings. Sam's character however, doesn't seem to do a whole lot of character development. Overall, I thought the movie had a cute story with a good message; However, some parts seemed a bit cliché and cheesy.

It almost got me..

[zentist-563-976986 · 4/10 · 9 March 2013]

This movie has to be made for TV, but that does not, in itself, make it a bad movie. I had read some reviews and was open-minded. The start was reasonable and gave no immediate notice of the movie's overtly Christian message although, looking back, the signs were all there from the very start. The primary female role is the white widow of a perfect white husband who was killed in a predominantly black area. I thought I was in for a revenge, Kill Bill style movie but was sadly disappointed. I guess revenge is not a Christian value since even though we find out who killed the husband (a white guy) by the time the once grieving wife finds out she has lost interest in revenge. If you like the Christian uplifting genre,then this is good movie for you but if you do not then you will start to feel sticky with the sugary sentiment about half way through and by the end will feel conned.

What a Movie should be!

[astee614 · 10/10 · 21 September 2012]

Hollywood has got it in there heads that a movie should have sexually suggestive material, pervasive language, and blood and gore all throughout the film in order to make a good movie.

Well Unconditional proves that you don't have to have those elements in order to have a great movie. Unconditional pulls at your heart in many ways. It makes you laugh and cry several times. Michael Ealy and Lynn Collins both give great honest performances. All of the kids do too.

This is an inspiring film for all to see. Please go and watch this movie and buy it when it comes out. Show your kids these kinds of movies and let them know God loves them all the time.

This movie I griping and it is slow at times as well but I would recommend this film to most peppy over 14

[keysca-94617 · 7/10 · 26 February 2016]

My name is Chase Keys, i am 17 and writing a review on the movie unconditional .

The movie unconditional is at times slow, but it is a carry deep and meaningful movie. The average watcher of this movie will at times find them self holding back tears from struggle and loss. As a viewer of this film it is likely you will find some way to relate to these characters and see yourself in their situation and ask yourself if you could keep moving. I strongly recommend this movie to the age groups of 15 and older, because this movie has many valuable lessons life, family and friends. The story line of this film is very emotion filled for the main character. Having lost her husband in a facial shooting she then begins a hard struggle with her will to move on but after an amazing act of fate she finds a new inspiration for her life.

Unconditionally terrible

[christiannlong · 1/10 · 8 May 2018]

Right off the bat as soon as the movie started I had the feeling of too much drama. It introduces the characters in a very dumb fashion to which I myself was confused upon watching. The movie begins with the main character (Sam) entering an ally way and attempting to pull a gun on herself, it then quickly jumps around from her to these small children one of which doesn't stop talk the other doesn't talk at all which I understand it was setting up a plot point for later on in the movie but I didn't see it as anything but a pointless addition with the intention of making the story hard to understand anyways I'm getting off track, it then transferred to joe trying to get into his house so he could get his dialysis but that wasn't explained if it wasn't for someone telling me that I wouldn't have had a clue I just thought it was someone trying to break into a house then he fell and I was just confused. It's a very stupid way to introduce the characters anyways it jumps back to the kids running after trying to steal food and the mute one gets hit by a car Sam sees this connecting the two side plots into one they go to the hospital where Sam runs into joe who is the local caregiver of the children in his area the child who was hit is one of his so that's all three stories connected as well as joe and Sam are old friends who haven't spoke since they were young. I'd love to give positives about the movie but frankly I can't think of any the movie was just awful I couldn't keep my attention I genuinely can't stand this movie. The characters were awful I like the actor who played joe but I hate that he played this character. Film sucked I did this for a grade.

Extraordinary!

[sassyladyceo-648-958919 · 10/10 · 1 April 2013]

I was moved by the trailer, yet the movie really blew me away! I figured this would be an average B rated movie with a nice Christian plot to it. My kids ended up coming into the room and could not get up. This is the exposure to what is really going on in America right now with children. Fathers are SO important! Kudos to the actors and OMG to the children and even the horse. Certain scenes just had us crying. Rent this and you won't be disappointed! The other thing I liked was how a man actually found himself in prison and when he got out was actually a BETTER person and found love and happiness...WONDERFUL! thanks so much for a message of HOPE. God bless.

profound honesty

[Vincentiu · 9 July 2013]

it is not great or extraordinary. it is only honest. basic honest. with not huge ambitions to impress but perfect seed for a lot of questions. it is a Christian film but in a delicate and special manner. it is a film about love but in a different style by common vision. it is story of a meeting. and its basis is a real fact. it is strange to write about it because it is out of definitions. or rules. for many it can be boring. for others - a life lesson. but, in fact, it is only a letter. about usual things, soft feelings, need of the other. joy and hope and truth. at first sigh, a pink movie. but it is only a seed. the viewer has each instrument to say his personal verdict. it is not a bad idea to see it. maybe, for a small isle of peace.

Unconditional is a real mix of emotions.

[deanrap · 6/10 · 8 May 2018]

The movie Unconditional was great. It showed someone passion for helping troubled and or deprived children. It starts out with an eerie feeling with Sam sitting in the alleyway in the rain. Sam then meets these 2 kids who live in the project during an almost tragic accident. They then become friends and at the hospital where they were taken she runs into an old friend named Joe. All in all the movie takes something bad that happened and turned it into something happy, beautiful and almost unbelievable.

From the hospital Sam learns the Joe, her friend from school has lived a pretty interesting life. He now helps underprivileged kids deal with their lives. Make their days better and teach them important life lessons so that they can succeed. Sam who is an accomplished children's book creator then gets to know some of the kids. And in a thrilling turn of events the Joe goes through everything becomes a happy story with a very happy ending.

I really enjoyed the actors of the film and how they played the scenes out. The scenery was gorgeous when they were in the country at Sam's farm. The camera angles and views were great, and the suspense the movie puts you in is absolutely incredible. The movie made me come to tears.

Some things I disliked about the movie was the music, it just didn't seem to go with the movie. Also, the way the movie just jumped around was kind of weird, and how it ended was aggravating. That's about all I could think that was bad about the movie.

The actors especially the kids were adorable, they knew their lines and were played perfectly. The main characters Sam and Joe portrayed their characters amazingly and the movie wouldn't have been the same with other actors. The little girl who played Keisha had to be silent for most of the movie, she mainly used facial expressions to show how she felt and it was done flawlessly. You could tell if she was happy, scared, or sad just by looking at her.

The movie in my opinion was amazing. At first I was like this seems kind of dumb but my mind was changed about half way through and it became interesting and thrilling. The movie really had a couple plot twists that just brought tears to your eyes. I enjoyed the movie a lot and I highly recommend it if you someone who likes inspirational or motivational movies. I rate the movie 3.8/5.

Great Film!

[kmelzinga · 9/10 · 31 May 2013]

I am disappointed that this movie did not see better box office ratings. It has many of the hallmarks of great movie-making.

The cinematography is terrific and a lot of thought is given to symbolism in the story.

The opening sequence is riveting; showing three lost souls each experiencing their own trials and turmoil.

A woman, whose husband was murdered, considers suicide in the alley where he was killed.

At the same time, two children are stealing from a store and must flee when spotted by security.

Finally, a man stumbles into his house in great pain.

While each character is suffering his or her trial, a storm is raging outside in the night.

Each character is on his or her own path and must face the storm in his or her own way.

Throughout the movie we learn a great deal about these characters through flashbacks as well as about the joys and hardships that bring each of the characters to where he or she is in the present. We do not know for sure what the fate of any character will be until the end of the movie.

I will warn you that the movie can be a tear jerker.

The movie has a way of capturing the subtlety of nature and its reflection of the human soul in a way that few movies can. The examples I list below are only a few of the many, brilliantly constructed scenes that appear throughout the movie.

A shadow falls on a character who is turning his or her thoughts to darkness and revenge. A ray of sunshine breaks through the clouds when a character makes a choice that is generous or brave.

A child...

...heard....

...but off camera...

...simultaneously warns his little sister and the main character NOT to make a choice.

"I wouldn't do that!" his voice calls out.

It is clear to us as viewers, that as far as the child character is concerned, he is only warning his little sister.

But the director makes it clear to us that the warning is somehow meant for BOTH characters.

And now each character must make a choice whether to pursue the action that he or she is considering pursuing.

This very brief, but powerful scene, hints at a hidden unity to the human spirit and whether each character, major or minor, heeds this warning plays a significant part in forwarding the theme of the movie which is that while we have free choice, our choices can lead to devastation, sorrow and ruin or they can lead to enlightenment, joy and success.

And with each choice that a character makes, the cinematographers alter the scenery and the lighting of the surroundings to match the path that each character takes.

I can't offer enough praise to the writers and the cinematographers of this film. They clearly worked together and communicated together from day one of this movie's production.

I never felt, when watching this, that anything was overdone. The movie had the right balance of story, theme and scenery to ensure that the viewer did not come away feeling preached at or advertised to.

I showed this movie to a group of students who have faced numerous trials of their own, whether in school or at home.

They were a bit hard to the idea of the movie at first, but after ten minutes, they were hooked and the hardness in their eyes had vanished.

This movie can speak to anyone going through a trial and I highly recommend it.

Unconditional Review

[connerodinarthur · 7/10 · 9 May 2018]

Unconditional is a dramatic film based on a true story revolving around the struggle of the main character Sam (Lynn Collins), and her struggle with life after her husband Billy (Diego Klattenhoff) was murdered and robbed in an alley. Sam struggled to fight back her inner demons and attempted to commit suicide when all of the sudden she heard a scream coming from a nearby street. After approaching the street, Sam sees a little girl named Keisha (Gabriella Phillips) struck by a car while her brother Macon (Kwesi Boakye) was screaming in fear that she might not be alive. Sam rushes to the hospital with the little girl and she survived with minor injuries. It was later found out that Keisha and Macon were roaming the streets late at night to steal food due to their extreme hunger. While at the hospital, Sam is re-united with her childhood best friend Joe. I personally love the scene where they re-united and the audience could see the surprise in the actor's eyes. Joe tells Sam they should hangout and catch up sometime soon. A few days later, Sam goes to visit Joe where she discovers he helps mentor kids in the hood to prevent them from making mistakes in life. The kids grew on Sam and she finally found hope in life. The kids were invited to Sam's farm to meet her horse, dance, eat and stay the night. Alike to Sam, Joe had a dark past. Joe was in prison for 8 years due to hacking into a bank. While in prison, Joe was stabbed with a shank. Ever since being stabbed, Joe needs a daily kidney dialysis. While at the barn, Joe collapsed in his guest room due to his kidneys failing and was immediately rushed to the hospital. The doctors stated that Joe may not survive because his body may reject the kidney transplant. There was also a possibility that Joe could die before the kidney arrives. Sam had lost her husband and she feared the worst that she could lose her best friend. Sam became full of rage and anger over her life so she went after the man who she had though killed her husband wanting revenge. Some positive things I thought about this film would be the setting. I love how the setting transitions from the worst parts of the hood to a beautiful farm and I love how it shows the reaction of the children when they get to experience nature like they never have before. I also loved the story and found it inspiring on so many levels that Sam went through the death of her husband and managed to cope with it and make herself happy. I enjoyed that the actors went from having nothing to being extremely happy. Sam was on the brink of death with depression but she found hope in life. The kids Macon and Keisha didn't have someone to look up to except for Joe but they found Sam. Everyone in the film went from a low point in their life to having a family. There are also some negative things about the film. The transition into flashbacks when Sam would think back to when her husband had been alive tended to be hard to indicate. I would be watching a scene not knowing it was even a flashback and confused on why she was talking to her husband when he had passed away. Another negative side of the film would be the mood. I feel as if the movie was sad until the ending. The movie starts off with Sam's husband dying and her trying to commit suicide then transitions into Keisha getting hit by a car and lastly transitions to Joe on his dialysis machine. Throughout the movie all the actors did was face struggles and there's a lack of happiness and hope. I loved the characters and how they fit into the movie. I was always on the edge of my seat when a character's secrets or past would get revealed. I was very surprised when I had seen that Joe had to go to prison for 8 years but he still manages to be such a positive guy. It was also nice to see that after Keisha went through her mom's death, she began to talk again after going to the farm. I enjoyed the way the actors portrayed the characters as well. Kwesi Boakye did a great job at playing Macon and acting like a bad kid and bad sibling when in reality he was a nice kid. Lynn Collins in my opinion looked like the original person the true story is based off of so she was the perfect match for the role. In my opinion I thought this was a unique movie. If it wasn't based on a true story, I'd think it was an average film that was decent but the fact that this movie is based on a true story makes it breathtaking. I enjoyed the setting and characters more than most movies I watch. If I could rate Unconditional out of 10 I'd give it a 7.5/10.

This movie was a total surprise - I wasn't expecting it

[keith-s-doyle · 10/10 · 25 September 2012]

So if you come away from a movie 'inspired' and even changed. The afterglow stays with you for a long while, the core message goes deep into your soul and like an incoming tide filing all the dry gaps between the rocks, it fills areas of your soul with new hope - how do you rate that regardless of it's 'Hollywood' quality? Personally - I give it a 9 or a 10. Few movies ever affect me like this. Unconditional did. It was very uplifting and encouraging. The movie had such a redemptive streak in it. There were some great twists and unexpected outcomes in this story. It showed grace touching those whose lives had been shattered through personal tragedy - kind of like the theme in a quote from Isaiah where it says 'a bruised reed I will not break, a smoldering wick I will not snuff out'. When I first looked at the ratings they were around 5.7 and there was another movie at 6.9 I was going to see, but the 3 of us went for Unconditional. We were all blown away - so glad we chose the 5.7 and have been talking about it since.

A movie worth watching

[user-921-986368 · 7/10 · 12 February 2014]

May Have Spoilers: I really liked the movie Unconditional and I liked it even more after finding out it was based on a true story. I thought the acting was great and realist but failed to draw me at times. The characters were well put to together but I would have liked to see more of them when they were kids to get a better background story, like how they got separated, why it happened and when. At the end of the movie I thought Joe had died when Sam was at the grave yard. I also thought Sam and Joe were going to end up together but sadly they didn't, those were two things that were unexpected to me. The length of the movie seemed pretty long because I had to watch it in part, but it never really failed to satisfy me. The 96 minutes the really movie was. I believe the movie theme was action and drama a lot of drama. I give this movie 7 out of 10. I gave it that rating because the acting was off at times and parts of it seemed too quick.

Don't shoot black people just because they wear a red hoodie, okay?

[floraposteschild · 2/10 · 11 December 2016]

A man is shot dead in an alley, and his wife, in despair, takes a gun the size of a small cannon to that same alley to shoot herself. But! There is a little black girl who was just hit by a car to be rescued. So picture the backstory of a Batman movie telescoped into one scene, and then inter cut scenes of a guy in hospital on a kidney dialysis machine -- that's Unconditional in a nutshell.

Truly, we live in a great age of film making. When there's a movie like this, that multiple people sign up to IMDb for just to review and give 10 stars, and that film doesn't get an Oscar nomination, what does that tell you? I mean, if a rich white lady patronizing multiple black stereotypes while at the same time finding herself and her husband's killer (her clues: he was black, had a red hoodie and a mechanic's rag -- tricky, right?), with cute kids and uncounted death, near death, and tear-jerking moments along the way doesn't catch the attention of the Academy, what does?

Absolutely Loved this movie

[bkmauch429 · 10/10 · 1 July 2013]

I highly recommend this movie. I absolutely loved it.

The story line kept me captivated the entire film. I loved the characters and the role of Papa Joe resonated with my heart.

You can't go wrong watching this movie.

There are some intense parts, but I am seriously contemplating having my 9 and 11 year old children watch this movie. There are numerous life lessons to be taught from this movie.

This movie is inspired by a true story and I love that at the end it directs you to check out their website www.unconditionalthemovie.com/act to look for ways that you can also make an impact on children in your own community.

The movie moves your heart and then gives connections on how you can help. Love it.

Unconditional

[ethanyaus · 7/10 · 9 May 2018]

In the heartwarming movie unconditional, the main character Sam is on a mission to find and kill the man who shot down her husband in cold blood. The Movie starts off with Sam sitting in her old truck in the rain. It shows her reach into the glove box and pull out a revolver which she takes with her into the dark alley that her husband died in. She is going to pull the trigger on herself when she hears a scream. Two young black kids had just robbed a store and the little girl Keisha, had been hit by an unknown driver who fled the scene. Hovering over top of her screaming was her older brother Macon. At this point you are glued to the screen with terror. Sam takes the kids to the hospital where Keisha is immediately rushed into the emergency room. While sitting in the Hospital worried about Keisha, she meets the man who at this point is assumed to be there dad. They are introduced to one another, and realize that when they were both kids they were best friends, his name was Joe. They agree to meet soon and the next day Keisha is released from the hospital.

Through Sam and Joe talking and catching up, she learned that Joe ran a make shift organization to help at risk kids around the projects of Nashville. Since Sam is a children's book author she likes to come help them out. After many happy trips and experiences with the kids Joe gets rushed into the hospital in need of a kidney and the doctors are not sure if he can get one in time to survive. At this point you're on the edge of your seat with fear, the shot goes to a gravestone, hiding the name on it...to find out how it ends watch the movie.

I thought the film was very good, the shots were heartwarming and at some points it was very suspenseful. I liked the music especially in the sad parts. I loved the scenes that took place at her farm, it was a beautiful setting.

I didn't like that Sam's husbands murder was not explained a little earlier in the movie because some parts were confusing concerning that.

I think the actors all played there rolls very well, except for Sam's accent even though she is from Nashville. It sounded like she was trying a little too hard to sound country. Every roll was very different in their background and experiences which shaped their personality, all the actors did awesome.

I thought the movie was really good, I really have to be in to a movie to sit down and watch the whole thing. This movie was easy to watch start to finish, it seemed to fly by.

Samantha is about to commit suicide after she finds out her husband is dead. She helps a little girl and reunites with her good friend Joe

[derrickjones-96093 · 5/10 · 24 February 2016]

This Movie wasn't bad at all. what made my rating a 5 was that, to me it was predictable in a lot of places and emotional in some. There are points in this movie that relate to a lot of people also which also makes my rating low as well. It lacks the focus of targeting everyone, instead just people with close stories or with people that are into story drama's. From the cover of the movie it kind of throws people off but the description makes it seem adventurous and action filled when there were only few scenes that actually involved "action" this movie is a great film for a certain favorable audience. This film contains a very dark and questionable start and some things are kind of left out. there is 0 background history about the killer of the husband. about 4 times did I actually want to pay attention to this movie while watching it. the end of the movie is when it got pretty predictable. You have a best friend that is struggling with a kidney disease that's looks like he's at the brink of death. Pretty obvious that he wasn't going to die. just wouldn't have been right if he did. I do like the sarcastic kid and sister though.