All Saints

All Saints

“All Saints” feels like a miracle. It is an inspirational film based on a true story that does not rely on melodrama to tell its dramatic tale. And while the characters speak often of prayer and signs from God, “All Saints” is not preachy or heavy handed in biblical terms, which might make it more open to viewers of various religious backgrounds (or lack thereof) than other movies of its ilk.

Director Steve Gomer handles dire situations in understated ways that let the resilience of humanity shine through. This is a story filled with highs and lows, hope and disappointment, about a rural church that came back from the brink about a decade ago. But a well-chosen cast, led by the immensely likable John Corbett, keeps the material emotionally grounded.

Corbett plays Michael Spurlock, a former paper salesman who has recently answered his calling to become a pastor. For his first big assignment, the diocese sends him and his family to All Saints Episcopal Church in Smyrna, Tennessee just outside Nashville which is broke and losing members; Michael is there to take inventory of the property and oversee its sale so that it can be replaced by a big-box store.

Michael promises his bored son Atticus (Myles Moore) that it will be “a couple months,” while his former journalist wife Aimee (Cara Buono) tries to make the best of it by starting a choir. Meanwhile, skeptical locals led by perfectly cast cantankerous Vietnam vet Barry Corbin don’t exactly welcome them with open arms; clearly there’s going to be some kind of Capra esque change of heart all around or there wouldn’t be much movie. But the road there is not nearly as predictable as you might expect from early on in Steve Armour’s script.

The top of “All Saints” may feel sitcomic as it affectionately plays up the folksiness of these small town folks. (Gomer has a lengthy history of directing dramatic TV, and you can sense that in some of the pacing and unfussy camerawork.) And it’s clear that Michael was a bit of a show-off and insubordinate in his previous career, which threatens to manifest itself in his newer, humbler profession and set up a wacky culture clash. But as the story settles into its groove and develops its central conflict, it does become unexpectedly affecting.

With only a week left before the church is scheduled for demolition, dozens of refugees from war-torn Burma arrive. They are ethnic Karen farmers with no money and nowhere to go, and their leader is the kind-hearted Ye Win (a terrific Nelson Lee), one of the few who speaks English. Soon after their arrival, Michael believes he hears God’s voice telling him to fight for All Saints by having the Karen stay and farm the land around it providing them with food and shelter while creating much-needed income for the struggling church.

But intriguingly, others begin to wonder if Michael isn’t so much hearing God’s voice as mistaking it for his own savior complex including his boss, the no-nonsense bishop (Gregory Alan Williams). It’s one of many instances in which characters question not only what they believe to be right but also whether they’re interpreting His will correctly; these conversations have an uncommonly truthful directness about them.

To grow tomatoes, corn and other vegetables as part of their plan Michael and his team encountered numerous hiccups; some of their successes were also short-lived. But they kept going because community is everything that may sound trite, but Gomer’s wise restraint makes the sentiment ring true.

Every situation finds Corbett striking just the right tone: charmingly swaggering one minute and quietly searching the next. He has great chemistry with Corbin (and a fine “Northern Exposure” reunion) who steals every scene he’s in, whether he’s ranting or serving as a seasoned voice of reason. And as Michael’s wife, Buono gets to display spine and shading rather than just coming off as dutifully supportive.

The movie was shot at the real All Saints church in Smyrna, with several real-life parishioners playing themselves so it feels authentic. If this small, sweet movie can open people’s eyes to the importance of welcoming refugees in need especially during a time when too many would turn them away well then, that’s an added bonus.

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