Diksha Sundriyal
Directed by Alex Kendrick, ‘War Room’ is a Christian drama film that follows the story of a woman named Elizabeth who turns towards prayer in a particularly difficult time in her life. She is a real estate agent who seems to be caught in an unhappy marriage. Her husband is a successful pharmaceutical sales rep, but he has become distant from her and their daughter, Danielle. Just when it seems their marriage is beyond saving, Elizabeth meets a woman named Clara, who shows her that the power of prayer can change everything for her. The film touches upon the themes of family and faith, which hit close to home for a lot of viewers. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Fictional War Room Presents a Real Battle Plan to Its Audience
‘War Room’ is a fictional story written by Alex and Stephen Kendrick. The writing duo is known for creating faith-based films that tackle deeply relevant matters with heart. They wanted to do something similar for their fifth film, and while thinking about the idea for their next venture, they turned towards God. Alex Kendrick revealed that they “literally asked God” what he wants them to do next, and “the Lord started prompting [them] to call people back to prayer and learn how to fight in prayer.” They likened the practice of prayer to strategizing in a war room. “Many people run into their battles/issues with their own logic, too often get in over their heads, and then run to God. We need to go to our ‘war room’ and seek God first,” the director said.
Having been pastors themselves, the duo is aware of how challenging it is to get people to attend a prayer meeting at church. They knew that making a movie about praying wouldn’t exactly be a crowd-puller, but they were ready to take the risk of making a flop film because they knew that the intention behind the idea was right. In the story, they conceived the idea of a “spiritual warfare room” to help them pray more effectively. They even wrote a book, ‘The Battle Plan for Prayer,’ which viewers can turn to as a resource after watching the film and seeking guidance on how to pray more strategically. Ultimately, their goal is for the film to unite people and demonstrate how the power of prayer can be a catalyst for change.
The African-American Cast Helped to Make the Characters Authentic
One of the major draws of the film is the friendship that develops between Elizabeth and Clara, where the latter guides the woman through a seemingly irredeemable point in her life. Initially, the characters were not written with an African-American cast in mind. However, as the Kendricks start to work on the movie, they realise that it would deeply profit from having an African-American perspective. Alex Kendrick said that God gave them a sign pretty early on in the process that this film needed to be different from the previous ones, all of which had been told through a white, male perspective. “I started having dreams about an African American cast. And I told my brother that I think this is supposed to be told from a different vantage point,” he said.
Alex added that the African-American perspective also brought the much-needed passion to the story. He noted, “The African-American church is more visceral, they are more expressive, and there is a powerful passion to their prayers.” However, bringing this passion to the screen meant casting the right people, and they lucked out by finding the perfect one. They’d known Priscilla Evans Shirer as a successful author and a passionate speaker. Her experience as a Bible Studies teacher also added another layer to Clara’s character. She was provided with an acting coach to prepare for her debut role.
She also looked to others, such as her 88-year-old aunt, who worked in community outreach and service, to ground Clara in reality and make her more believable. In the same vein, the filmmakers found Karen Abercrombie, who turned out to be perfect for the role because she is “a Christian who wants to honor God with her abilities.” The actresses and the rest of the Black cast also helped the filmmakers be more “respectful and honourable” towards the community and depict the nuances of their experiences. They provided valuable feedback, which enabled the Kendrick brothers to deliver a meaningful story with characters that the audience can identify with and learn from through their experiences, even if they are entirely fictional.
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