Courageous! The Movie and The Novel

I just finished listening to the audio version of “Courageous”, the novel by Randy Alcorn. WOW! Let me say it again – WOW! If you thought the story, characters, suspense, drama, and humor of the “Courageous” movie was great – the novel is even better!  

Interestingly enough, the novel was written after the movie by the Kendrick brothers (makers of “Fireproof”) was complete. So instead of the movie being based on the novel, it’s the other way around. Randy Alcorn was asked to be the author, and he did an excellent job re-rendering the story for the reading audience.

I don’t normally get very emotionally involved in movies, but the book really captured my heart, my imagination, my emotions, and my attention. The novelized version of “Courageous” teaches, inspires, provokes, encourages, entertains, shocks, grieves, and LOL’s the reader/listener for 8+ hours. Alcorn added some characters and sub-plots to his version that gives his novel a much greater insight into the main characters’ lives. We get to experience the story from the inside, sharing in their thoughts, emotions, struggles, motives, and spiritual journeys. We can feel the tension, the desperation, the fear, the adrenaline rushes, the pain, the confusion, the temptations, the disbelief, and all the other emotions the characters are dealing with as Alcorn so cleverly unwraps the story of 5 very courageous men. The audio set is available at the library, the Christian bookstores and the internet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zw9QbeuIYXs

For those of you who tend to think that movies often ruin great books – I would recommend sticking with the novel. The actors/esses of “Courageous” do a good job, but Randy Alcorn + your imagination, do a much better one!

http://www.courageousthemovie.com/home

 

Update Jan 28th 2012: I have finally watched the movie and am happy to say; It is REALLY good. I am impressed at how far Sherwood Baptist Church and the Kendrick brothers have come in their productions! From their first movie “Flywheel” in 2004 until “Courageous” in 2011, the advances have taken them to results that are really showing professionalism and high quality movies. Very worth seeing and owning!