My husband, friends, and I had to drive an hour away to the one theater in our area that was showing Captive. Which is not surprising. Even though this film was distributed by Paramount Pictures, films labeled faith-based or inspirational usually don't make it to many screens. Perhaps the reason is the thinking that faith films are not compelling enough to fill more theaters.
My posture while viewing this film? Captive—literally.
Held taut for 136 intense minutes and forgetting to exhale.
"Captive" is based on the true story of Ashley Smith, a single mother struggling with drug addiction, taken hostage in her apartment by a man on the run after breaking out of jail and murdering the judge assigned to his case. We are first introduced to Ashley (Kate
Mara) in an addiction recovery group. Ashley pulls no punches about what drugs
have cost her. She has a daughter she adores, but drug use has taken away what
is most precious to her. No, next to
most precious: she admits she can’t stop using because she likes it too much. We
study her transparent expression as her resigned words replay in our ears, and
we decide in that moment to applaud her honesty and sympathize.
When help is offered in the form of a book, The Purpose Driven Life, she tosses it in the trash.
She is ruining her life and can’t stop. Won’t stop. What good can a book do? She
is honest, she is helpless, and she is hopeless.
Soon, through a violent chain of events, escaped killer
Brian Nichols (David Oyelowo), takes Ashley hostage in her apartment. Desperate
and hunted, he also pulls no punches about what he is capable of. He killed a
judge who wanted to enslave him, and “it felt good.” Ashley’s already hopeless
life takes a sudden and unexpected turn for the worse.
Two lives intersect and the course of each changes in a most
unusual and unnatural way. It’s that unnatural
element that often piques my interest. The book Ashley tossed into the trash
ends up on her kitchen table and becomes a catalyst of hope.
As a novelist, I create fictional characters, places, and events,
yet work hard to weave in elements of truth, of universal realities that people
experience. Real flaws, mistakes, and wounds, basic human hopes and fears bring stories to life, make them tangible, meaningful. And
most importantly (to me), my stories include a real God who touches real lives in a very real and
often “unnatural” way. It is the supernatural,
subtly portrayed in this film, which adds that spark, that tangible hope to Ashley’s
story. It is done carefully and organically, not forced, not tidy.
Like life.
The story is well-written, touching on universal elements of
human experience people feel and even crave, like hope, second chances, and spiritual
truths that empower and liberate. The acting is superb. Mara and Oyelowo are spell-binding
as they portray realistic, complex characters who grip us from beginning
credits to end.
"Captive" is a high quality, thought provoking, “captivating” film that lingers long after you leave the theater. I highly recommend this film and plan to buy it and watch it again when it releases on DVD.
"Captive" is a high quality, thought provoking, “captivating” film that lingers long after you leave the theater. I highly recommend this film and plan to buy it and watch it again when it releases on DVD.
Director: Jerry Jameson, Writers: Brian Bird (screenplay), Ashley Smith (book), Cast: Kate Mara, David Oyelowo
Question: Have you seen Captive? What was your takeaway?
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