Director of ‘Unconditional’ sees the film as a ‘mainstream’ movie like ‘The Blind Side’

“Papa Joe” Bradford’s life was in shambles, but today he ministers in Nashville’s inner city. Unconditional is the story of how someone who grew up in rural Tennessee ended up with a following among the underprivileged.

Released last month to Christian retail, Unconditional tells the story of Samantha Crawford (Lynn Collins), whose storybook marriage is wrecked by a senseless act of violence. “Papa” Joe Bradford (Michael Ealy), Crawford’s childhood friend, leads her on a journey toward unconditional love.

Produced by Harbinger Media Partners, the film is based on the real-life Joe Bradford, who serves seven at-risk communities in Nashville through his Elijah’s Heart ministry.

“Unconditional is a wonderful true story about the power of faith, hope and love,” Director Brent McCorkle said. “The big spiritual question the film asks is, ‘Where is God when I’m suffering?’ Also at the heart of this redemptive drama are themes like acts of service, transcending cultural barriers and never underestimating the power of a true friend. While it carries indelible spiritual themes, it is definitely a film that people from all walks of life can embrace and be touched by.”

Unconditional wasn’t a hit when it was released in theaters last fall, but the film’s director hopes the Christian-themed drama will find an audience on DVD.

“Unfortunately, most people didn’t even know about our film,” McCorkle told Christian Retailing. “The amazing news about our theatrical run was that the film garnered an extremely high audience rating. On RottenTomatoes.com, it hovered at around 90%. That’s a pretty big deal. … I think that our little movie could totally have a life of its own as a DVD sleeper hit.”

Rated PG-13 for some violent content and mature thematic elements, Unconditional is “simply a mainstream movie with some faith elements and no offensive content.”

“It’s a redemptive story with spiritual themes that are easily embraced by Christians,” McCorkle said. “But at the same time, my intent and conviction was to craft a film that wasn’t exclusive to that audience—very much like The Blind Side.

“There’s a place for this type of content on [Christian retailers’] shelves, even though it is mainstream,” he added. “I have heard from many, many folks who have [said] that the film is resonating with them on a fundamental spiritual level in their Christian lives.”

Unconditional, which retails for $17.99 and runs 98 minutes, is distributed by Provident Distribution. To order, call 800-333-9000.

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